Illegal immigrants press for college financial aid

Chicago Sun Times ^ | July 28, 2003 | DAVE NEWBART

[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.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Their problem, unfortunately, is that the time it will take them to gain legal status (they would not need citizenship, just legal status to qualify for aid) will place them beyond their traditional higher institution educational years.

One of the trades you make to live here I guess.

[Jay D. Dyson]

What part of illegal alien doesn't the Left understand??

-Jay

[A CA Guy]

I think there is going to be major pockets of acting up within three years. I hear to many people becoming furious over this and the less educated ones are going to act out.

National guard time at some point I think.

[mvpel]

Northwestern ought to get their legal department to read the law:
-----
8 USC 1324:

(1)(A) Any person who -
(iii) knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien has come to, entered, or remains in the United States in violation of law, conceals, harbors, or shields from detection or attempts to conceal, harbor, or shield from detection, such alien in any place, including any building or any means of transportation;

(iv) encourages or induces an alien to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of law; or

(v)(I) engages in any conspiracy to commit any of the preceding acts, or
(II) aids or abets the commission of any of the preceding acts,shall be punished as provided in subparagraph (B).

-----
It's a five-year felony for each alien involved. Hope the Northwestern Regents look good in stripes.

[First Amendment]

"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.

So where does it say she doesn't have the opportunity? She just doesn't have the money.

"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."

I can hardly believe I'm reading this. It's not fair that one illegal alien can't afford more than 30 grand to go to a fancy college? So I and other tax payers are supposed to hand her the money? WTF?????

[First Amendment]

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

What makes you think it will be slow?

[superloser]

What makes you think it will be slow?

Unfortunately, history shows it will be a long slow decline while another power replaces the current one.

It won't be a *poof* we're now toast, China is now the top dog kind of thing.

Unless there is a sudden economic collapse, social unrest, and bloody revolution, it will be a long, slow, obnoxious decline.

[moehoward]

Hey I'm all for sending them to school, in mexico.

[First Amendment]

I'm wondering if it might not be so slow - considering that things are more speeded up in many ways than in previous civilizations. And taking into consideration the extreme moral decay that has been setting in, and is now in a screaming nosedive.
Sometimes I think it might be along the lines of a "healing crisis" - the way an illness has to go into a fever before the patient improves. At least that's what I hope!

[gatorgriz]

GIVE ME A BREAK!!! What in the SAM HELL do you ILLEGALS think this is?

But you're right, I'd be arrested if I completed this...

But I will say this, DEPORT THE SWINE!!! Why should we, the AMERICAN taxpayer, pay for the education of NON-CITIZENS? DEPORT THEM NOW! EVERY DAMN ONE OF THE LEACHES!!!

Shhhheeeezzz; I never would have thought, in my lifetime anyway, we'd hear illegals bitch about not being able to get a free ride education at some of our most prestigous universities, on the US TAXPAYERS DIME...

[gatorgriz]

You're a complete idiot if you don't understand the difference between a foreign student here in our country, PAYING FULL FREIGHT, WITH PROPER VISAS ETC, and ILLEGALS!!!

GET A LIFE YOU IGNORANT MAGGOT!!! Stop defending those who openingly break OUR laws and then have the unmitigated gaul and then the temerity to BITCH about us not paying their way...

This issue is so simple to understand a 3rd grader should be able to figure it out...

[herkbird]

I believe if you get a long enough prison stay, they will pay for your college education. I know they were trying to rescind this prison privilege a few years back, I don't know what the current status is now for prison college educations.

Send her home and let her whine to her own country. This makes me sick. What other country would even comptemplate such crap?

They want us to pay all this money so they can go back home and steal our jobs. When the U.S.A. is finally broke.They will all just laugh at us. Wake up America!

[dennisw]

Where's the barf alert?

[dennisw]

"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."

I don't think it's fair when you spit on our laws and come here illegally. What do ya think of them apples Martha? You and your loathsome parents are gate crashers. Law breakers. So keep bussing those tables and picking lettuce. I'm fresh out of sympathy

[Dante3]

Special aid for criminals -- and illegals are criminals who at best have contempt for our laws and often are a danger to the rest of us! This is sick!

[Rubber Duck]

Of all the things which chap me off about illegal immigration, what galls me the most is that it spits in the face of every decent person who has or is attempting to immigrate here legally.

I've known scores of decent foreigners who aspired to become Americans and must jump hurdle after hurdle doing things such as proving they have clean criminal records, needed skills, financial means or ambition not to become a ward of the state, etc., etc. This process can take years. Those who simply crash through the border and claim their entitlements (and our stupid society which puts up with it) tells all those aspiring Americans who were born elsewhere that they're fools for following the rules.

[new cruelty]

Why are you holding back? Tell us how you really feel. : )

[Chad Fairbanks]

I think you missed my point - anyone, if they actually try, and actually give some effort, can succeed in this country without the taxpayers shelling out the bucks. THAT was my point... But then, you knew that...