A policy is currently being drafted that would allow undocumented immigrants who graduated from a U.S. high school access to the North Carolina Community College system.

The Policy Committee of the Board of North Carolina Community Colleges requested late last week a draft policy be prepared for them to review, according to a state community colleges spokesperson.

North Carolina Community College System Director of Marketing and External Affairs Megen George said the policy committee asked for the draft policy to be developed for review at a special working session August 19.

“The draft policy would be similar to the policy that is currently in place in the University of North Carolina system,” George said. “That policy allows the admission of undocumented immigrants, and they have to pay out-of-state tuition.”

Some members of the state Board of Community Colleges said they favor reversing the existing ban on undocumented students, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported Friday. The ban has kept those students out of the state’s 58 community colleges for the past year.

Board member Stuart Fountain said the colleges shouldn’t stand in the way of anyone who wants to attend at the policy committee meeting.

“Without this option, we are creating a second-class citizenry, a group of people who have no option but to go ahead and join a gang,” Fountain said.

The students would pay the out-of-state tuition rate, which means about $7,000 a year.

The North Carolina Community College System is experiencing a budget crisis, and has frozen hiring, travel for employees and pay raises. At the same time, enrollment has seen a stark increase during the current recession.

Some of the numbers being thrown around predict cuts of from 7 to 15 percent in state funding for community colleges in next year’s budget.

A study commissioned by the community college system revealed South Carolina is the only other state in the Union with a ban on undocumented students in place.

Richmond Community College President Dr. Sharon Morrissey said RCC doesn’t currently admit undocumented students, but will comply with whatever policy the state system comes up with during the course of its discussions.

“The question of whether or not the State Board should allow undocumented immigrants to attend community colleges is a complex issue,” Morrissey said Monday. “The State Board’s study has highlighted the dilemma of what to do about the illegal immigrants who were brought to the United States as children, attended our public schools and graduated from our high schools.”

The study also revealed taxpayers would be unaffected by the admission of undocumented students who pay out-of-state tuition.

George said once a draft policy has been reviewed and agreed upon, it would formally be presented to the policy committee for a vote at a regular meeting August 20.

“Then, the next step would be, a discussion and vote by the policy committee,” George said. “If it is accepted, the committee would then make a recommendation to the full board. Upon receiving the policy committee’s recommendation, the full board would then consider the policy.”

She said this process could take multiple meetings before the policy is voted on by the full Board of North Carolina Community Colleges.