There are approximately 54,000 undocumented immigrants between the ages of 16 and 24 in Georgia, and even if they had a 4.0 GPA or a perfect SAT score, none of them would be able to attend UGA.
Georgia is one of three states in the country (Alabama and South Carolina being the other two) that deny undocumented students entry into public colleges. For Georgia specifically, there are three public colleges in the state that undocumented students aren't allowed to attend. These schools, UGA, Georgia Tech, and Georgia College in Milledgeville, are considered by the government to be "selective," meaning they don't admit every qualified applicant.
Undocumented students are allowed to attend every other public college in the state, but they have to pay out-of-state tuition, even if they've attended Georgia public schools since Kindergarten. These rules even apply to young adults who are part of the DACA program.
Georgia House Representative Brenda Lopez Romero, a democrat out of Norcross, is looking to change that. As the first Latina lawmaker ever in Georgia, Romero along with five other state reps, sponsored a bill requesting in-state tuition for all Georgia residents who've graduated and spent at least three years at a Georgia high school.
The bill was filed on Wednesday (Feb. 5) and has yet to be voted on. Romero is also running for United States Congress this year in Georgia's 7th district.
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