IU to keep current policies, accepting illegal immigrants

The former Attorney General of Virginia, Jerry W. Kilgore, wants Virginia’s General Assembly to pass a law barring illegal aliens or undocumented students from attending public colleges in the state and from receiving state financial aid. \nCurrently, Virginia’s public universities do not decline an application based on illegal status, neither do they consider illegal status in the decision of acceptance. IU’s policies are similar, but the University will not consider barring illegal aliens, said IU Spokesman Larry MacIntyre. \n“At IU the immigration status is not asked if you are applying to the University,” said IU Spokesman Larry MacIntyre. \nHowever, if a student is accepted, the University takes into account if the student is an Indiana resident to determine in- or out-of-state tuition. \nKilgore argued that if Virginia residents are applying for college, they should not lose a spot to someone living in the United States illegally. Kilgore and other Virginia republicans want to ban the acceptance of illegal aliens in public universities. If the law is passed, students applying to Virginia colleges would be required to prove they are legal residents or hold valid student visas during the college admittance process. \nIU junior Danielle Cave supports the IU’s acceptance policy. If illegal immigrants can afford to pay for an education, they should be able to attend a university, Cave said.\n“They should allow them an education, no matter how they get here,” Cave said. \nReports from the Federation for American Immigration Reform estimated that the illegal alien population in Indiana in 2005 was 94,000, compared with Virginia’s 192, 000 in 2005. That impacts public opinion on the issue, Kilgore said. \nKilgore, his campaign and Virginia state Senator James K. O’Brien, sponsor of the bill, all argue that it is unfair to legal residents to fear rejection from public institutions while illegal residents are admitted.\nSenior James Bigsbee agreed. He said illegal residents should not be able to attend colleges until minority admissions increase.\n“Legal resident minorities struggle to get accepted to college and allowing illegal immigrants the rights to attend college will take spots from not only minorities but other legal residents as well,” Bigsbee said. \nCurrently, IU will keep the status quo, MacIntyre said.\n“Unless the Indiana legislature passes such a bill,” MacIntyre said, “IU will continue to follow its policies.”