Washtenaw Community College's commencement ceremony for the class of 2013 held at the Convocation Center Saturday, May 18.
Courtney Sacco I AnnArbor.com
The Washtenaw Community College Board of Trustees will consider amending the school's residency requirements to allow individuals who qualify for the federal government's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to receive reduced tuition rates.
The policy will allow otherwise unauthorized immigrants who moved to the U.S. prior to turning 16 and who meet certain federal requirements to receive in-district and out-of-district rates at WCC, as opposed to out-of-country rates such students currently pay.
Such students still must prove residence in Washtenaw County or in Michigan.
Members from the Washtenaw Community College Board of Trustees and president during Tuesday, May 14, meeting.
Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com
Administrators proposed the change to the seven-member board in June and the proposal had enough support to be brought back to the board for a formal vote Tuesday, July 23 during a 6 p.m. meeting at the Morris Lawrence Building on WCC's campus.
Tuition rates for Washtenaw County students are $96 per credit. Students living in other counties in Michigan pay $149 a credit hour and students from another state or country pay $194.
“We were hoping for a more inclusive policy, but this is a step in the right direction,” said Laura Sanders, a co-founder of the Washtenaw Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights who has lobbied for a change in WCC's residency requirements. “It leaves out a lot of undocumented students because not everybody meets those tight requirements for DACA status.”
Sanders said undocumented students and supporters plan to attend Tuesday’s meeting to show support for the change.
Administrators are also proposing a change that makes it easier for military, veterans and their dependents to receive in-district tuition: waiving a requirement that they reside in Michigan for six months before receiving reduced tuition.
Trustee Richard Landau said he plans to vote in favor of the residency change. He said when first discussed by trustees in June the change had support from the majority of trustees.
Linda Blakey, WCC vice president for student and academic services, says the school already enrolls a small amount of unauthorized immigrants, although she said she didn't know the exact number. "I don't know if we'll get more students who come forward now what we {are putting} this in place," she said.
She said the school first considered changing its policies after receiving requests from the public, including individuals on DACA status, and after Board of Trustees Vice Chair Patrick McLean asked administrators to consider changing residency requirements.
Federal requirements for granting an individual DACA status include:
- Under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012
- Came to the U.S. before reaching 16th birthday
- Have continuously resided in the U.S. since June 15, 2007, up to the present time
- Were physically present in the U.S. on June 15, 2012, and at the time of making a request for DACA status
- Entered the U.S. without inspection before June 15, 2012, or had lawful immigration status expired as of June 15, 2012;
- Currently in school, has graduated, obtained a certificate of completion from high school, a GED, or is an honorably discharged veteran.
- Has not been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, three or more other misdemeanors
DACA status defers deportation for qualifying individuals for up to four years and provides them with a social security number, but does not provide them lawful status in the U.S. Individuals with DACA status can apply for permanent residency.
Tuesday's vote at WCC comes on the heels of University of Michigan's Board of Regents approving in-state tuition rates for all unauthorized immigrants who attended Michigan middle and high school. Regents voted 6-2 to approve that measure on Thursday. They also approved in-state tuition rates for all military and veterans.
The U-M residency change is more broad than the proposed WCC change, which applies to only those unauthorized immigrants who have been granted DACA status.
“Schools have been doing this differently. Rather than say ‘Oh any student that’s here with no paperwork, you can come in,' we weren’t comfortable that,” Blakey said. “We wanted the student to have the DACA status where they’ve done their due diligence in demonstrating that they’re meeting the criteria.”
Also, the U-M vote was a partisan one, with six Democrats voting for the change and two Republicans voting against it. WCC Trustees are non-partisan, meaning they do not identify a party when running for office.
Read the action item before trustees: WCC residency requirement changes.pdf
Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@annarbor.com or 734-623-4602 and follow her on twitter.