Documenting Implementation Realities: Undocumented Immigrant Students in California and North Carolina

Abstract

Shortly before September 2001, comprehensive national immigration reform seemed to be making its way to the top of the US policy agenda (flores and Chapa 2009; Waslin 2009). While sentiments around immigration in a post-September 11 context developed in ways particular to a region’s local history, state governments were responding to the educational needs of undocumented immigrant students attending their local school systems as long time “residents” even if not actual US citizens or legal residents according to US law. The educational issue of this first decade of the millennium relating to immigrant students is the provision of eligibility via state policies—both through admissions and tuition benefits—to attend US postsecondary public institutions. This report examines the implementation scheme of a state (California) where an ISRT benefit/opportunity exists and a state where the implementation scheme is less studied (North Carolina) focusing specifically on the practical application of the availability of the tuition benefit or admission benefit as well as the perception of those charged to apply the policy.