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RESIDENCY REQUIRED: Oregon's barrier to higher education
Oregon high school graduates who are children of illegal immigrants are forced to pay out-of-state tuition at the state's public universities
by Allie Grasgreen | News Reporter
On Feb. 15, a tuition equity bill was introduced into the Oregon legislature. The House killed a similar piece of legislation in 2003, but the Oregon Students of Color Coalition, the statewide student organization that lobbied for the bill, has tried to learn from its mistakes.
"We're organizing more around this issue now and we're more aware of the concerns that legislators have," said OSCC Board Chair Oscar Guerra.
The bill would allow Oregon high school graduates with undocumented parents to attend Oregon public universities at the in-state tuition rates under the following circumstances: The student attends an Oregon high school for at least three years, graduates from an Oregon high school, is accepted to an Oregon public university, and shows progress toward residency.
"There's always a misconception that comes of tuition equity and the discussion around tuition equity," said Guerra. "A lot of people believe that tuition equity is an issue of immigration. Tuition equity is an issue about access to higher education."
Juarez spent four years working illegally and waiting to resolve his resident status. In 2001 he was awarded his certificate of residency, and at age 22, he could finally enroll as a freshman at the University.
"I'm definitely an anomaly in being able to make it after having been out of school for four years," he said. "Most students who do that never come back because they're already more established in their jobs and creating their life, and it's a lot harder for them to come back to get a college education."
Now, the 27-year-old senior is preparing to graduate in June with a 3.91 GPA. The road to a degree was not necessarily an easy one.
"As an undergrad, and being older, it's already difficult even if you don't have to deal with the tuition equity," Juarez said. "There's all that stigma and this really weird energy around being an older student. But if you're having to deal with both of these things then it's definitely hard. Not harder, but hard in a different way."
"We're organizing more around this issue now and we're more aware of the concerns that legislators have," said OSCC Board Chair Oscar Guerra.
The bill would allow Oregon high school graduates with undocumented parents to attend Oregon public universities at the in-state tuition rates under the following circumstances: The student attends an Oregon high school for at least three years, graduates from an Oregon high school, is accepted to an Oregon public university, and shows progress toward residency.
"There's always a misconception that comes of tuition equity and the discussion around tuition equity," said Guerra. "A lot of people believe that tuition equity is an issue of immigration. Tuition equity is an issue about access to higher education."
Juarez spent four years working illegally and waiting to resolve his resident status. In 2001 he was awarded his certificate of residency, and at age 22, he could finally enroll as a freshman at the University.
"I'm definitely an anomaly in being able to make it after having been out of school for four years," he said. "Most students who do that never come back because they're already more established in their jobs and creating their life, and it's a lot harder for them to come back to get a college education."
Now, the 27-year-old senior is preparing to graduate in June with a 3.91 GPA. The road to a degree was not necessarily an easy one.
"As an undergrad, and being older, it's already difficult even if you don't have to deal with the tuition equity," Juarez said. "There's all that stigma and this really weird energy around being an older student. But if you're having to deal with both of these things then it's definitely hard. Not harder, but hard in a different way."
Viewing Comments 1 - 6 of 7
legally here
posted 2/21/07 @ 4:46 PM PST
Blah, blah, blah. You got all the illegal immigration cliches in just 5 pages. Illegal is illegal. The kids suffer for the parent's mistakes (or attempt to break the law. (Continued…)
Mark Lansdon
posted 2/21/07 @ 10:45 PM PST
Once again we have a story of a child whose parents failed to do their jobs. Their parents are responsible for providing for the appropriate environment in which the child is raised. (Continued…)
dorothy
posted 2/23/07 @ 1:03 PM PST
Let the parents' country of origin pay for the scholarships to send the kid to college.His parents were never citizens,came over illegally,let that REAL native-country pay for them,not the country they sneaked into. (Continued…)
who's really an Immigrant
posted 3/01/07 @ 12:37 AM PST
Who's really an ILLEGAL immigrant!? What was the difference between crossing the Mississippi during Manifest Destiny and crossing the Rio Grande today? Covered wagons!? IMMIGRATION IS IMMIGRATION! Being born a citizen is a privilege. (Continued…)
elisandro
posted 11/08/07 @ 9:56 PM PST
illegal or not illegal shuold be allowed to go to college regardless of their status, F%^& bush he promise illegal wuold be allowed to go to college, and also f%#$ the fat ass of PAT Buchanan he smell, i hate him really hate him, who needs a racist country, all we want is to go to college not to cut an apple in the field just so a white person can eat it. (Continued…)
Jim
posted 11/09/07 @ 11:59 AM PST
Do I get discounted tuition if I sneak into Mexico?
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