"Hampshire College establishes a scholarship fund for students in the US illegally" by Peter Schworm |
Globe Staff, August 23, 2012
Hampshire College, a
private liberal arts college in Amherst, has created a financial aid
endowment specifically for students who are in the country illegally, an
unusually targeted response to the divisive issue of whether
undocumented immigrants should receive college assistance.
The school, known for its progressive bent and alternative approach,
began soliciting donations for the fund from alumni, parents, and
students earlier this year and has so far raised more than $300,000.
This fall, the fund will provide $25,000 to one student, and the college
hopes it will become a consistent source of support for undocumented
students, who are ineligible for federal grants and loans. Without
assistance, many students here illegally find the price of attending
college prohibitive.
“This scholarship was established with gifts from private donors who
want to support students who were brought to this country as babies or
young children, who have attended US schools, who feel this is their
home, and who wish to continue their educations,” Elaine Thomas, a
spokeswoman for the college, said Thursday.
While many private colleges and universities provide financial aid to
students without legal status, higher education specialists said they
had not heard of a school raising money specifically for undocumented
students.
From a school with a reputation for activism, the move delivered a
clear political message amid the sharp national debate about immigration
policy and the fate of undocumented students who came here as children.
Immigrant advocates hailed the move for giving such immigrant
students a better chance to attend college and for making a statement
that they deserve the same financial assistance citizens receive.
“We commend them for this wonderful initiative,” said Eva Millona, who directs the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition.
“There are so many brilliant, high-achieving students who will take
advantage of this. This is a win-win, for the students and for
Massachusetts.”
Critics countered that the fund was flatly discriminatory, giving help to illegal immigrants at the expense of citizens.
“Where’s the concern for them?” asked Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform,
which supports tighter controls on illegal immigration. “It seems as if
they are more concerned with making a political statement.”
He said the college was misusing its tax-exempt status by giving undocumented students special treatment.
“They have an obligation not to aid and abet people in violation of federal immigration law,” he said.
Thomas said the college does not believe the policy discriminates
against other students, and is not worried about being singled out for
criticism.
“We work very hard to raise money for all students with financial need,” she said.
The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported the endowment Thursday.
Fund-raising began in the spring and was spearheaded by Margaret Cerullo,
a sociology professor. When the college announced the endowment last
month, Cerullo cited a student project on undocumented students as
inspiration.
“Many of us who went to college in the post-World War II boom went on
full scholarships. All financial aid was need-based. Increasingly
that’s not true anymore,” Cerullo said in the July announcement. “For a
lot of us, access to higher education is a deep principle.”
Richard Doherty, president of the Association of Independent Colleges
and Universities in Massachusetts, said the focused campaign was
unusual, but in keeping with efforts by the state’s private colleges to
provide financial aid regardless of immigration status. Instead of
setting aside aid for a certain type of student, colleges generally
allocate it broadly, he said.
Hampshire College’s efforts
also rekindle the debate over whether undocumented students should be
given more help in paying for college. Since 2001, 13 states have
extended in-state tuition rates at public universities to undocumented
students who meet certain requirements, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
“It’s an increasing trend,” said John Burkhardt, a higher education
professor at the University of Michigan. Noting that undocumented
students cannot receive federal financial aid, Burkhart praised
Hampshire’s efforts to address a moral and practical problem.
“It constitutes an important example,” he said. “They should be commended.”
Each year, as many as 65,000 undocumented children, many of whom
attended school in the United States since the first grade, graduate
from high school, according to a February report by the National Forum
on Higher Education for the Public Good. Between 5 and 10 percent of
these students enroll in college, the report stated.
Nationally, California, Texas, and New Mexico allow undocumented
students to receive state financial aid. New York is considering
legislation to do the same.
Undocumented students in Massachusetts are not eligible for state
financial aid and must pay out-of-state rates for tuition at public
colleges.
While undocumented students with the means are often able to attend college, some schools require verification of citizenship.
A survey by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
found that about 10 percent of private colleges, and nearly one-third
of religiously affiliated schools, do not admit students without legal
status.
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