Nearly 500 commenters on the AJC Get Schooled blog discussed the fate of Marlon Portillo, valedictorian of an Atlanta Public Schools high school who, due to Regents policy, cannot attend Georgia Tech or the University of Georgia, despite being admitted. Nor can he qualify for in-state tuition at any other Georgia public campus because he is undocumented. His high school has launched a Go Fund Me page to raise money for him to attend an out-of-state college. Here is what readers had to say:
Living: This issue is another example of why we need federal immigration policies, because there is absolutely zero consistency across the states. And it's kids like Marlon who fall in the crosshairs. If we let the kid attend public k-12 schools, he should be able to attend college. Fix the aid policies so he is required to stay in this country after graduating and maybe throw some other requirements, perhaps attaining a legal green card.
Ms. Curious: Why should limited funds be used on an undocumented person? Really, folks.
Keith: This is a damn shame. I understand the predicament this kid is in. This kid is being punished for the actions his parents and school officials committed years ago. I hate to punish kids for their parents' actions, but these kids' parents need to see the consequences and long-lasting effect on their kids' educational futures. Maybe only then will parents go through legal channels to come into this country.
Ahmir: Excellent. The law is working. It prevents someone here illegally from getting a spot in one of our state's two flagship universities in place of a legal citizen.
Lexi: Why worry about the moral hazard involved in rewarding that behavior? Many (all) are committing fraud on the system by using valid numbers belonging to others, alive and dead. And as many know, and many don't, the Social Security scheme itself is a redistributive Ponzi mechanism, unsustainable from an actuarial perspective. People at the bottom of the pay scale, typically unskilled laborers, receive disproportionately high payments at retirement in light of the "contributions" they make to the scheme. So let's encourage millions more to enter and defraud (or drain) the system, at least as long as they and their offspring are reliable Democrat voters.
4truth: Legal or illegal — why does everybody think the only things (including education) worth having are free? Nothing is free, ever. Somebody pays the bill. I guess, to his credit, he's open about asking for handouts to go to college.
Chuck: This young man had no control over where he was born or where he grew up. He did have control over how hard he worked in school. He's the type of young person who made this country great.
FollowRules: He is not legal, nor are his parents. He has played a system at the encouragement of his parents. He needs to be like everyone else and pay tuition — international status — since that is what he is. I am tired of folks getting things under this "entitlement" aura that they believe they have. Take out student loans like everyone else does, then pay them back and get your citizenship properly.
About the Author
