Community Urged to Defend Right to Attend College Regardless of Immigration Status: in-state tuition is guaranteed by law, denial of admissions by UCSD is unfair
Koreatown Daily A2
(Photo) Morna Ha, Youth Department Coordinator at NAKASEC, says "Undocumented students also can legally study in the U.S. while paying in-state tuition through the AB 540"
Even though undocumented students also can legally attend college, there are increasing cases of UC and CC colleges such as UCSD, Cypress CC, Ventura CC that deny admissions to these students.
NAKASEC held a press conference on the 20th and expressed "we launch a campaign to support the rightful attendance of undocumented students to college and in-state tuition". Morna Ha, Youth Dept Coord at NAKASEC, said "this Fall, 300 undocumented students who were admitted to UCSD did qualify for the California In-State Tuition but were denied by the school. This is an evident crime and discrimination against immigrants. Under the AB 540, which passed the California legislature in 2001, undocumented immigrants may pay in-state tuition if they attended a California high school for three years, or if they graduated a CA high school, or if they passed a GED exam. However, because the definition of "undocumented student" as described by AB 540 is unclear, most colleges are denying the students the in-state rates or admission itself.
Attorney Joann Lee of LAFLA said "Each school has received guidelines around AB540, but many do not understand it properly. This is your right, guaranteed by the law; if the school has treated you improperly, please contact us." Information on AB540 may be obtained from KRC or MALDEF's websites.
Questions: 323-937-3703 (Morna Ha)
Reporter Jina Park
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