Mon., June 21, 2010 3:18pm (EDT)

Regents' Committee On Student Residency Meets
By Edgar Treiguts
Updated: 3 years ago

ATLANTA  —  
The immigration status and resulting controversy over a student from Kennesaw State University has prompted the meeting of a special Regents' committee. (photo-Edgar Treiguts)
The immigration status and resulting controversy over a student from Kennesaw State University has prompted the meeting of a special Regents' committee. (photo-Edgar Treiguts)
Finding the most efficient and cost-effective ways to check citizenship of all Georgia college students is the focus of a special committee put together by the Board of Regents. That committee held its first meeting Monday.

Currently, illegal immigrants can attend state schools, but they must pay the higher out-of-state tuition rates. There was controversy this spring when an undocumented Kennesaw State University student was discovered to be paying lower in-state rates.

Regents’ spokesman John Millsaps says as for when new student residency verification polices could be installed:

“We’ve already got campuses looking at this fall and we’re asking them to go back and check on the verification status. So certainly by the winter semester you might have a new process in place.”

Today’s committee meeting was informational—another will be held within 30 days.

The Board of Regents wants recommendations by October—but ideally earlier.