COLUMBIA, S.C. — Students who live in South Carolina and are U.S. citizens but whose parents can’t prove they’re in the country legally should be considered for in-state tuition, according to new guidelines under consideration.
The recommendations proposed by the Commission on Higher Education come after the Southern Poverty Law Center sued in June. The lawsuit alleges that commission regulations unconstitutionally deny college scholarships to children of unauthorized immigrants and force them to pay out-of-state tuition even if they were born and raised in South Carolina.
Because of the legal wrangling, two students named in the lawsuit were able to enroll in the College of Charleston and Trident Technical College this semester paying in-state rates. A third student received a lottery-backed scholarship for which she qualified, enabling her to continue her education at private Converse College, Law Center attorney Michelle Lapointe told The Associated Press.
The three named plaintiffs are South Carolina high school graduates who have lived in the state between 10 and 19 years.
Lapointe hopes the guidelines clear up the matter for other qualified, aspiring college students who otherwise can’t afford the higher tuition costs.
“It’s a movement in the right direction,” Lapointe said of the proposal. “Unfortunately, there have been students denied for years. We would hope going forward that schools understand this to be clear guidance.”
The agency’s governing board will vote on the guidelines Thursday, according to the meeting’s agenda.
