Associated Press
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. --- Dayana Rodrigues graduated in the top 5 percent of her high school class in 2007 and completed nursing prerequisites at Horry-Georgetown Technical College.
But in January, the college refused to re-enroll the 20-year-old her because she is an undocumented immigrant, The Post and Courier of Charleston reports.
"You know it's not personal," she said. "But it is."
The South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act became law in June and, among other measures, banned illegal immigrants from attending institutions that receive state money.
Supporters of the ban feel strongly that taxpayers' money should not fund a school that is educating lawbreakers. Opponents said it's unfair to punish children for their parents' crimes.
South Carolina is the first to legalize such a ban, although other Southern states have restrictive policies. For instance, North Carolina and Alabama bar undocumented people from attending community colleges.
Institutions are grappling with how to enact the ban. Horry-Georgetown barred new students who are in the country illegally from enrolling in the fall and extended the ban to students this spring. For a while, the college would not release transcripts to undocumented students.
Prior to the law, Horry-Georgetown had an open admission policy. George Swindoll, the assistant vice president for enrollment, estimated the technical college has lost $50,000 in tuition revenue this semester because of the new law. Undocumented immigrants paid out of state tuition prior to the new law and cannot qualify for federal assistance.
Marcia Zug, an assistant professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law, said the law is popular among South Carolinians and likely would hold up under legal challenges.
She and a co-author addressed the issue in an article that will appear in the Charleston Law Review this spring. They wrote that students will not be able to work legally in the U.S. If Ms. Rodrigues completed her nursing degree, she would not be able to receive a license legally.
