Community College Problem?

[scotto22 4]

Hello, im 18 and i got my work authorization card about 3 1/2 months ago, and I was happy to finally go to college(graduated early 2 years ago, and was basically stuck after that), applied to my local community college(NC) and expecting to be easily accepted, but heres what the result was: I got a letter stating this

Since I was a undocumented immigrant(which last time i checked a work visa is a document) 1. I could not be accepted until the First day of class, and had to pick from the classes left over from us citizens

2.Had to pay out of state Tuition(I could partially understand this one)

3. After I signed up for classes, if an a u.s. citizen wanted a class that i signed up for and it was full they would drop me from the class and give it to him, refund on class was not mentioned but i think i would get one

After i got this letter I was clearly disappointed, so i emailed the admission office and told them about my situation and that i have a work visa and was told i could go to college as long as I have a SS, and a license(i have both. The lady responded stating in NC a work visa has NO barring on if i can go to college.

So I let it go, thinking I have to wait a little longer(still don't have my visa, called uscis and they said I was scheduled to receive mine months ago, but they don't have enough numbers, so im in limbo til my priority date shows up) but recently i went to test this nc theory and everyone i talked to said that i should have been accepted like any other student(even one of school's teacher). So I applied to another community college which is about 30 min away as a test, and they stated if I bring my work visa along with my I-95 they would accept me like normal but I would have to pay out of state tuition(which at this point I fine with..i guess, better to go to college then not at all). I received my acceptance letter today.

I want to know your opinions on what I should do, should I just keep quiet and go to the farther community college, or should I find a way to take legal action against my legal community college. Any advice appreciated! Thank You!

[Harsh_77 716]

What visa have you applied for?

How did you get a Work Authorization card?

Getting a work authorization before getting your visa is something I have never heard of.

[scotto22 4]

F2A permanent resident visa, and the guy said in the meantime of waiting he told me I was supposed to be given a work visa as well(i paid for it without knowing) He then gave me a form and said just fill it out along with the receipt(i dont know what form exactly) and i got my work visa that way. Im still waiting on my permanent resident card

[Harsh_77 716]

As far as I know F2A is a category and you get is perm resid card and no visa.

You will have to wait until you have your GC to enroll in the school, maybe first semester you might have to pay out of state.

[scotto22 4]

oh my bad, a perm resid card is what im waiting on, but how did i get accepted into a different college when my local one rejected me that makes no sense, they both had the same information, and even a teacher of the school that reject me said i supposed to be admitted as a normal student

[Fandango 1,439]

So let me get this straight...you were previously an illegal immigrant, you do not yet have a GC and want to sue the college for giving preferential treatmeant to USCs and LPRs?

Whatever next!

[scotto22 4]

^^^ i dont want to sue anyone someone suggested that to me, trust me i have no problem letting american citizens and Legal P.r. go to college before me, i just want a simple explanation of why one accepted me and one didn't thats all. maybe this was just a bad question to ask or not phrased right on my part. I don't mean to offend anyone.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

My wife (LPR) is attending both a local community college and state university, and because we've now lived in the state for a year, she pays in-state tuition. The schools based her state residency on her driver's license issue date. The only time her Green Card was needed was when she applied for Federal Student Loans. I don't think she ever had to show her Green Card to any of the schools. In fact, the Supreme Court has ruled any laws that attempt to deny access to state schools as unconstitutional, and that means as a student you should be treated no differently. I'd recommend you find the Foreign Student Services department of your school and speak with them. Find out what your rights are and they will be able to help you. Good luck.

[scotto22 4]

DFH- Thank you very much, I think your the only one who actually understood what I was trying to say, Thanks for the advice and I will check into the foreign student services. Once Again Thank you!

edit- Also thank you Harsh_77 for clearing up the visa p.r. thing

Edited September 9, 2011 by scotto22

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

Education is a state, not a federal domain. I studied first at a community college, then transferred to a reputable university in California and never had to show anything other than my driver license and submit my SSN. In order to be eligible for in-state tuition, I had to mark that I am a resident of California, which I was, despite being unlawfully present.

Most school require their students to be a resident of the state for at least a year. In California they are forbidden to inquire about any prospective student's citizenship or immigration status. You ended up in a redneck state, so there's not much you can do at this point in time but wait a little longer.

[scotto22 4]

Just Bob, thank you for your response, and unfortunately your right, I think i may have to wait a little bit longer to go to my local community college, in the meantime though I can go to the other community college 1 hour from my house since they have my program too.

[perfect 39]

When my son came to the US legally - Southern California (K2) he was told by community college that he had to provide greencard and have lived here a year and one day in order to qualify for in-state tuition.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

People are ignorant, particularly average folks in the United States.

Yes, proof of residence in the Golden State for one year is indeed a requirement to be eligible for in-state tuition. Since very few of the 310,000,000 people who live in the U.S. have Green Cards, residence is usually proven by showing a state-issued driver's license (Driver License in California) that was issued more than a year previously or even utility bills in the prospective student's name that go back at least one year.

No school and no state-owned institution of higher education in California, which includes all California State Universities (though I went to UCLA), is authorized to even inquire about a prospective student's citizenship or immigration status. Other states handle this differently, but since I live in California for close to 20 years now and went though all of this myself, I know that with certainty.

[Free_Dom 6]

So let me get this straight...you were previously an illegal immigrant, you do not yet have a GC and want to sue the college for giving preferential treatmeant to USCs and LPRs?

Whatever next!

You clearly misread the post and are getting all upon the OP.

To the OP, it seems your best bet might be to wait until you have been a resident of your state for 1 year (or the minimum time required to qualify for in-state tuition). You said you already have your license, so that should be good enough to prove residency when the time comes.

[scotto22 4]

Thank you Free-Dom, for the advice and for standing up for me(even thought i just ignore ignorant comments from people