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Illegal immigrants press for college financial aid
Chicago Sun Times ^ | July 28, 2003 | DAVE NEWBART

Posted on 07/28/2003 8:24:37 PM PDT by new cruelty

Diana Mora, 18, of Chicago, would love to attend Northwestern because it's a "really great school'' with "really good prestige.'' Martha, 20, of Chicago, earned high grades at Roosevelt High School in hopes of attending the elite university in Evanston.

But even though both graduated at the top of their respective classes and both were accepted for admission at NU, neither can attend.

That's because as illegal immigrants from Mexico, they are not eligible for financial aid--either from the government or Northwestern. At $37,338 for a year of tuition and room and board, they said not getting aid is just like not getting accepted at all--there is no way they can afford to go.

"We should have the opportunity to be able to go to the top universities,'' said Martha, who asked that her full name not be used. "A lot of people think Hispanics can't do it. We can do it. We just don't have the resources. I don't think it's fair."

But an Uptown-based community group is hoping to change that. The Organization of the NorthEast is lobbying a handful of local private universities to do more to help illegal students attend their campuses.

Emboldened by the passage of a recent law allowing illegal, longtime Illinois residents who graduate from state high schools to pay in-state tuition, they say there is nothing stopping schools like Northwestern from providing their own funds to help the students. Under current law, the students are ineligible for federal or state aid.

In response to the group's effort, Loyola University created a task force to recommend ways to assist illegal students, although the school has not committed to any action.

If Northwestern--one of the nation's top schools--took action, it "could set a trend'' for other private schools, said Joyce Ramirez-Knight, co-chair of the immigration strategy team for the organization.

But Northwestern has rejected calls to change its policy of only offering aid to U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

NU officials say the school only offers full scholarships to athletes. All other aid is need-based, and is typically a combination of federal and state money in addition to aid directly from Northwestern.

Because NU would have to provide all the funds itself, providing aid to illegal students would drain NU's $51 million aid budget more quickly than giving aid to low-income students who are legal residents, NU officials said.

Such aid "is much more expensive and deprives others of resources,'' NU President Henry Bienen said in a letter to the group late last month. Bienen also said there could be legal problems with "selectively limiting assistance to any particular group of noncitizens.''

Bienen was unavailable for comment Friday, but NU spokesman Al Cubbage said the school doesn't see how it could offer scholarships to Mexican citizens who live in the Chicago area over Mexican citizens who live in Mexico.

But Ramirez-Knight ridiculed the school's assertion that the aid was too costly, considering the school's $3.3 billion endowment was the 15th largest in the country in 2002.

She also said there is a difference between students like Mora and Martha and international students who have no plans to stay in the States. The women have lived here for years, their families are here and they attended local elementary and high schools. They are simply caught in the process of trying to become citizens, which can take between seven and 21 years.

"They know no other country,'' she said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: aztlaniscoming; bordersecurity; financialaide; handouts; highereducation; illegalaliens; illegalimmigration; immigrantlist; invasionusa; otherpeoplesmoney; tuition
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Comment #61 Removed by Moderator

To: Chad Fairbanks
"We should have the opportunity to be able to go to the top universities,''

Our kids should have had the opportunity to go to the top universities, too, but

We couldn't afford it!!!!!


62 posted on 07/28/2003 9:54:25 PM PDT by Howlin (Everybody wave to the Copy and Paster in Chief!)
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To: LibertarianLiz
but, we could not afford Northwestern.

Exactly. What is it that WE can accept that fact without filing a lawsuit, but "they" can't?

63 posted on 07/28/2003 9:55:30 PM PDT by Howlin (Everybody wave to the Copy and Paster in Chief!)
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To: Mo1
Who said life was fair??

Fair would be if Martha went back to her own country.

64 posted on 07/28/2003 9:57:56 PM PDT by Howlin (Everybody wave to the Copy and Paster in Chief!)
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To: new cruelty
The illegals are sending $35 billion dollars to Mexico ----why don't they contribute to their own scholarship programs with some of these billions?

They come here agreeing to work for dirt low wages but then believe American taxpayers must make up the difference by providing them with free health care and free college.

65 posted on 07/28/2003 10:02:44 PM PDT by FITZ
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To: Howlin
Our state universities used to be willing to accept any student of the state without regard to sats scores.

That changed with the influx of foreign students who had more money to pay tuition and the college inflated their rates.

Now, American students have to compete with foreign dollars to get a decent education.

And we, the taxpayers, bear the cost of educating not our own children.
66 posted on 07/28/2003 10:03:28 PM PDT by Conservababe
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To: RoughDobermann
What pisses me off is that I had to jump through hoops to get my F.A. for college - and I'm a Native!!!

They wanted my proof of income (I'm fine with that) to show I was in need. They wanted my parents proof of income (I'm not fine with that) to show why they couldn't pay for college for me. I don't even live with my parents, and I don't expect them to pay for my school for that very reason. Then becuase of my age (22), I had to PROVE that I wasn't getting any help from my parents at all - I basically had to disown them by writing a letter stating that there was "no contact" between us. I had to bring them copies of utility bills, auto insurance, car title, all this B.S. to PROVE financial independence.

And these illegals think they can just skate in and expect money to be handed to them??

*GrrrRRRrrrRRR....*

67 posted on 07/28/2003 10:04:46 PM PDT by PurVirgo (I was humble once, but I just had to tell someone about it)
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To: TheSpottedOwl
Waaah, it's not fair! Maybe my kids can get a scholarship to Chihuaha or Tamalpas University? How about U of Mexico City? (go coyotes!)

College is free in Mexico for Mexican citizens, these illegals already have an opportunity to attend universities, they can go back home, but what they expect is to have it free here also. They believe that they should be rewarded for breaking our laws and given things those following the laws don't get.

68 posted on 07/28/2003 10:04:49 PM PDT by FITZ
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To: Tancredo Fan; madfly
Illegal alien, leech, barf alert!!!
69 posted on 07/28/2003 10:09:57 PM PDT by 4Freedom (America is no longer the 'Land of Opportunity', it's the 'Land of Illegal Alien Opportunists'!!!)
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I've been an ex-pat here in Japan since 1985 , so pardon the query ...but HOW / WHY is an illegal alien able to attend public school in the USA ? Please explain ...I was happily unaware ... Now they want free college ? America has had it .
70 posted on 07/28/2003 10:15:53 PM PDT by sushiman
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To: new cruelty
I just turned down $5000 from the government to pay for college. I didn't feel right about taking money from others to use for myself. My family and others told me it was a mistake, but I know I am doing right. I am now working two jobs to pay rent and save for college next year.

I try so very hard to take a higher road, and am not looking for pats on the back, but the entitlement/rights demanding mentality pushed onto working people by the liberal elite will have severe repercussions if it does not end.
71 posted on 07/28/2003 10:18:15 PM PDT by abishai
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To: sushiman
Now they want free college ?

All they have to do is go back home where public college is free and very heavily subsidized by their government. What entitles them to ignore laws regarding foreign students and student visas and the whole bit? Let them go take their place in the same line everyone else has to be in, if they don't have the money to be a foreign student in the USA, then they can study in Mexico. If they have the money, then get a student visa like the law-abiders most do and pay the higher rates.

72 posted on 07/28/2003 10:22:44 PM PDT by FITZ
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To: new cruelty
To all illegal aliens with their hands out:

Go back to where you came from!
73 posted on 07/28/2003 10:23:48 PM PDT by Pro-Bush (Circumstances rule destiny)
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To: FITZ
Not to worry. According to a story now posting on news sites, a trio of Arizona repubs, led by none other than John McCain, have introduced a bill to immediately grant amnesty to all illegals....it is being hailed as "a start" by those fighting for illegal alien "rights." Is there NO ONE to stand up to the day after day "wrongs" for AMERICAN citizens.

Don't know why Diana wants to go to college here, jobs are being EXPORTED. Maybe she should just go to India instead.

My sense of humor is refusing to bounce back. With each passing day the country to which I pledge allegiance is fading into a soon to be distant memory. We are now overtly in a two language country where everyone from my bank to Burger King puts the menus in Spanish. It is a RARE day when I find myself not yearning to "go home."

The "tea party" is past due. If we do not begin to speak up loudly, in great numbers and with an undeniable presence we will past saving before this year ends.

74 posted on 07/28/2003 10:27:29 PM PDT by snickeroon
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To: new cruelty
I don't know how these folks have not had citizens chasing them down the streets and out of our country.
75 posted on 07/28/2003 10:39:39 PM PDT by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: new cruelty
There are some fine universities in Mexico go hit them up for a free ride.
76 posted on 07/28/2003 10:46:14 PM PDT by MissAmericanPie
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To: snickeroon
We are now overtly in a two language country where everyone from my bank to Burger King puts the menus in Spanish

We are trying.

Last month I called my bank. They had a option of speaking in English or Spanish on the system. I live in a small town of a limited amount of persons speaking Spanish. I was livid with anger when I finally spoke to a real person.

I asked her why the option in language on their phone system and she said 'we try to accomadate our customers".

I then said "My mother has just moved here and she speaks only German. Can you accomadate her"? She said no, they had no one there who spoke German.

I then asked to speak to the main one at the bank and vented him. I told him that if he could not accomadate tranlators in all languages, then he should just offer English only. I told him he was discrimidating against others who spoke other languages. I then asked him how many other languages he would have to put on his phone system to be fair to everyone.

I called back a few weeks later and it was just an English version on his system.

And by the way, Walmart in my small town in their system of debit and credit system of payment has the option of Spanish or English. Just press the Spanish option and see how they react if you do not know Spanish. I did. It was fun for me, but not for them.

77 posted on 07/28/2003 10:56:33 PM PDT by Conservababe
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To: snickeroon
Great idea! I'm in for the "tea party" thingy! Just don't schedule it so it interferes with Oprah or a rerun of Friends. And we would have to think of something else to wear. If we wore the same kind of garb that they did then we might offend the sensitivities of Native Americans...
78 posted on 07/28/2003 10:58:14 PM PDT by abishai
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To: A CA Guy
It would be a civil rights violation I kid you not.
79 posted on 07/28/2003 11:00:00 PM PDT by oceanperch (Huge Sigh)
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To: snickeroon
If we do not begin to speak up loudly, in great numbers and with an undeniable presence we will past saving before this year ends.

Its already too late.

All we can do now is watch the long, slow decline...

80 posted on 07/28/2003 11:00:36 PM PDT by superloser
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