UH to take up quasi-DREAM Act policy

A proposal that failed to clear the 2012 Legislature will have another chance on Thursday, when the University of Hawaii Board of Regents takes up a scaled-down version of the federal DREAM Act, aimed at helping undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as minors.

If approved at the meeting — 9:15 a.m. at UH-Hilo’s Ho‘olulu Terrace — the new policy would allow the immigrants to pay resident tuition and attend classes anywhere in the UH system. That policy would go into effect in fall 2013.

Last year, House Bill 1674, proposing something similar, was sent to the higher education and finance committees, passing the first one but stalling in the second. One concern may have been the uncertainty over the impact on UH revenue, because any undocumented immigrants now attending are paying nonresident tuition.

According to a memorandum submitted to the regents by Lui Hokoana, associate vice president for student affairs, the cost is uncertain "because we are not able to fully determine the exact number of undocumented immigrants who would attend the university, should this policy be adopted."

A query of the student database indicates that seven undocumented immigrants are now enrolled, Hokoana said in the memo. According to the tuition schedule, nonresidents pay almost three times the resident full-time tuition.

The policy would require students prove residence in Hawaii and attendance or graduation from a U.S. high school; they also must agree to initiate the process to become a U.S. citizen.