NC community college heads set immigrant vote

RALEIGH -- North Carolina community college leaders have had a month to consider a new policy that would allow illegal immigrants into the two-year colleges, and a decision could come this week. The state Board of Community Colleges' policy committee on Thursday considers rules that would admit undocumented immigrants if they graduated from a U.S. high school. A vote by the full community colleges board could come Friday. Immigrant students would have to pay out-of-state rates of about $7,000 a year. Lawful U.S. residents would have priority to crowded classrooms. The country's third-largest community college system has changed its illegal immigrant admission policy four times since 2000. The latest look comes as laid-off workers fill classrooms. (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)