Group: Mayor waffling on vow of college tuition for Cole
Undocumented won't get more
By Nancy Mitchell, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published May 14, 2008 at 11 p.m.
Some students from the now-closed Cole Middle School in northeast Denver are accusing Mayor John Hickenlooper of reneging on his promise to help them find money for college.
Karen, 18, who did not want to use her last name, was among the 367 students enrolled at the high-poverty school in January 2004 when Hickenlooper paid a surprise visit to urge them to do well on state tests.
During his pep talk, he dropped a bombshell: Graduate from high school, he told them, and we'll take it from there.
"I guarantee we will find the resources and you will go to college," Hickenlooper said that morning. "If you go to college . . . you can do anything you want."
Wednesday, Karen and others at Metro Organizations for People or MOP, an advocacy group for impoverished communities, said the mayor is going back on his word by attaching conditions to the Cole Promise.
Conditions such as: If you're an undocumented resident - and a third to a half of Cole kids are - then you don't get any more college money than anyone else, even though your tuition could be twice as much.
"I don't want people to think I'm begging the mayor," said Karen, who is undocumented, meaning she lacks the legal paperwork to qualify for federal student aid.
"He was the one who came and made a promise to the students and he got our hopes up," she said, "and I don't know why he's not coming through with it. If he thinks he is, he's just doing it halfway."
Hickenlooper made it clear during the assembly at Cole that he would help families fill any financial gaps left after scholarships, loans and other student aid are taken into account.
He did not distinguish between documented and undocumented students, perhaps unaware of the numbers of children who fit the latter category.
But his senior policy adviser, Katherine Archuleta, who has been meeting with Cole students and MOP, said Wednesday that the mayor's office repeatedly has said that all students would receive the same amounts.
"The mayor informed them that he had always promised . . . there would be no disparity between documented and undocumented students," Archuleta said.
The difference in tuition costs, though, is large. At the Community College of Denver, for example, tuition this school year for 15 hours is $4,985 for residents and $10,718 for non-residents. The mayor's promise, which is being routed through the Denver Scholarship Foundation, would give students up to $3,000 for a community college.
Resident or in-state students might easily come up with the $1,985 difference. But undocumented students, who must pay non-resident rates, might be hard pressed to find $7,718.
Archuleta said any money given to undocumented students must be privately raised and that the mayor has worked hard to raise enough to treat undocumented and documented students the same.
And he hasn't given up, she said.
"We haven't stopped raising money," Archuleta said. "But . . . it's a substantial amount of money we would be required to raise. We're hopeful but we just don't know."
The Cole Promise is for students who were in grades six, seven and eight during the mayor's visit. The first class of 126 eighth-graders is slated to graduate this spring.
Of those, however, only 33 are on track to either graduate or obtain a GED from Denver Public Schools. Between nine and 12 of the 33 are undocumented, MOP and Archuleta said.
mitchelln@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5245
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May 15, 2008
6:05 a.m.
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jane writes:
Any undocumented resident who gets a high school diploma (the real thing) should be granted automatic citizenship. I'd even go so far as to say their parents should too. What is the incentive to graduate is your undocumented status leaves you unassimilated and disenfranchised?
May 15, 2008
8:30 a.m.
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Bernice writes:
If you are undocumented in this country then why is it the tax payers responsibility to send you to college. Many undocumented people in this country do not pay taxes or illegally use someone elses id (identity theft). Isn't it enough that this countries citizens gave you a free education and probably fed you breakfast and lunch everyday while you were in a school in this country. I know many CITIZENS of the US who work everyday legally and face not being able to send their children to college. Karen should become a citizen or go out like the majority in this country and work her way through college. Help this countries citizens mayor Hickenlooper.
May 15, 2008
9:04 a.m.
blacksho89 writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
May 15, 2008
9:58 a.m.
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LingLingfor_prez writes:
Get your own money for college. Why wait for someone else to pay for you? And the resident/non-resident deal is a joke. Every time you want to transfer, gotta pay rediculous non-resident rates for school.
May 15, 2008
10:24 a.m.
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mountain_man writes:
It's just like this mayor....promise things, then change his mind. He promised City employees he would restore the cuts and sacrifices they made during the last recession, but they have yet to see them restored. He promised residents he'd plow them out after the blizzard 2 years ago against the advice of the Public Works Manager due to lack of equimpent and staff, then blamed him when it took too long. It seems he likes undocumented students about as much as City employees and the undocumented workers who worked at his restaurants; e.g., Cherry Cricket employee & cop-killer Raul Garcia-Gomez....only when it suits his needs.
May 15, 2008
10:39 a.m.
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blacksho89 writes:
I was an undocumented student. I lost my report card!
May 15, 2008
10:42 a.m.
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coloradojess writes:
As we are looking at $12,000 for a Colorado College in State tuition, fees, room and board in the fall I am finding it hard to feel sorry for illegals. The rest of us middle class citizens who don't qualify for the free ride are doing it ourselves.
May 15, 2008
11:26 a.m.
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Mtnsjohn writes:
Lets see Nancy..I think "undocumented" does not mean "lacks the legal paperwork to qualify for federal student aid." I think it just might mean that the 12 of 33 students came across the border illegally with or without their parents. It also means that I got to fund with my property taxes and other state funds (without a choice) their education to this point. Thank me and the US Supreme Court for our generousity.
May 15, 2008
11:34 a.m.
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davies writes:
Yep, ol' Hick is in a pickle. His heart was in the right place, expecting and trying to do the right thing, but he raised unrealistic expectations and failed to foresee the expense, the complications and the consequences. Kind of like our Prez W, in a way. Oops.
May 15, 2008
11:36 a.m.
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LingLingfor_prez writes:
Politicians making promises and people believe them, that was the first mistake.
May 15, 2008
11:50 a.m.
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American100 writes:
His first mistake was promising tax payer dollars to illegals.
May 15, 2008
11:52 a.m.
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samsmargolis writes:
"Hickenlooper made it clear during the assembly at Cole that he would help families fill any financial gaps...."
"Pipe down ya lil' ingrates!" "That money is going to pay for the DNC now...we've got new financial gaps to worry about." - Mayor Hick
May 15, 2008
11:58 a.m.
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bira44 writes:
Yes, Davies, the Heart of the Hick is as fat as a tick, but he's just like all the other Dems and Libs ... In their efforts to do good, if they see a man drowning they will go out and purchase the most expensive rope they can, then toss it to him.
Of course, in all of this they fail to either attach the rope to anything solid, or to reel the guy in. But they feel so good about themselves in the process ... especially since it is not really with their own money that they purchase the expensive rope.
May 15, 2008
12:07 p.m.
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Keno33 writes:
wow, I had to work two jobs to put myself through college, but now I should pay taxes so someone else can get a free ride? Give me a break, I didn't why can't they?
May 15, 2008
12:09 p.m.
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davies writes:
Preach it brother (or sister) bira44. Amen!
I might add to your analogy, that sometimes they fail to just to tell the drowning guy to stand up, the water is only 5 feet deep...
May 15, 2008
12:11 p.m.
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denverinfidel writes:
You can't make this stuff up. Here illegally and complaining because the free ride is going to end at some point? Get your ass to a community college, transfer to a larger state school, and get a degree. The reason this country is better than the rest is because you, even as an illegal, have that opportunity. "Karen", should try that path in her home country. Good luck.
Proof once again that you cannot have the modern welfare state and open borders. Pick one.
May 15, 2008
12:16 p.m.
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RickyLee writes:
I think tax dollars should go to citizens FIRST. The lower and middle classes are being squeezed to death, and the lefties want us to "help" EVERY SINGLE POOR PERSON who has the opportunity to sneak over one of our borders. There's plenty of deserving kids who are CITIZENS, they should be first in line. Next in line should be the LEGAL IMMIGRANTS, who are from every where in the world, as opposed to ILLEGAL ALIENS from countries in close proximity to the US. Sneaking over one of our borders shouldn't entitle someone to special treatment.
May 15, 2008
12:26 p.m.
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Big_D writes:
Hick should just tell them that getting legal is their responsibility and it was misleading for them to be attending if they didn't have the legal right to be there in the first place.
May 15, 2008
12:33 p.m.
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bjamin writes:
It always amazes me that we have this group of people who feel that everyone else is responsible for their lives. They become upset when politicians and responsible people don't want to give what they have worked hard to EARN to the people who want the government to take care of them. How about blaming your parent who have broken the law and put you in the situation. How about liberals not making promises with our hard earned money to the irresponsibly "disadvantaged". The liberals and the lazy would want to push us into a socialistic form of government even when they can't point to one that has been successful other than a dictatorship.
May 15, 2008
1:08 p.m.
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Vtwinman writes:
So the poor undocumented are getting the same amount as those of legal staus, Let's all feel real sorry for them.
Why would they deserve any at all?
May 15, 2008
1:37 p.m.
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fishtanksamurai writes:
Hey RMN, pull up your pants. Your agenda is showing.
May 15, 2008
1:48 p.m.
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blacksho89 writes:
Pajama_Pulitzer FTW!
May 15, 2008
1:50 p.m.
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davies writes:
I don't think the Hickster promised tax dollars did he? The article says any money given must be privately raised. So "there's your trouble": Hick made a promise of aid for other people to fulfill, but in this case he can't just take people's tax money.
So all you people who support Hick's pledge to these students, regardless of residency or citizenship status, don't write comments here, write a check to Hickenlooper!
May 15, 2008
2:01 p.m.
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Michael writes:
"I don't want people to think I'm begging the mayor," said Karen, who is undocumented, meaning she lacks the legal paperwork to qualify for federal student aid.
This is what this sentence really means:
"I don't want people to think I'm begging the mayor - (BUT I AM)," said Karen, who is undocumented (meaning that she is either in the USA illegally or was brought here by her parents who have not done anything about it but continue their criminal residence in our country), meaning she lacks (DOES NOT HAVE ANY AT ALL) the legal paperwork to qualify for federal student aid (TO TAKE MORE US TAX DOLLARS ON TOP OF THE POSSIBLE FREE 12 YEARS OF EDUCATION SHE HAS ALREADY RECEIVED AT A RATE OF ABOUT $7000.00 PER YEAR).
May 15, 2008
2:04 p.m.
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RickyLee writes:
davies summed it up nicely. See my 12:16 post for some elaboration.
May 15, 2008
2:04 p.m.
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nuclied writes:
Loan money is cheap for college. ANY legal student can qualify. As for illegal aliens getting an education in this country, it is the same as saying the bank robber can sue for damages when he stubbed his toe on the way out of the bank. Illegals are not guranteed any rights and no, sorry to say to you hard headed liberals, there is nothing racist in that comment, only truthful. I support full, legal immigration and all the rights that should go along with it (which would include access to funding for college). PS. I love the term undocumented, makes it sound so less appalling than what it really is!
May 15, 2008
2:30 p.m.
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SlouchingTowardBoulder writes:
I am shocked - SHOCKED - that a politician will say something to get elected and then not follow up on it. Folks, always open the wrapping and look at the make and quality of what's inside. And that means you Obama.
May 15, 2008
4:08 p.m.
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RickyLee writes:
I love how fast the lefties at the RMN pulled this off the front page of the website. RMN just LOVES ILLEGAL ALIENS.
May 15, 2008
7:56 p.m.
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RightOn writes:
RMN loves the low wages they can pay their illegal help.
May 15, 2008
11:49 p.m.
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nonayerbsns writes:
I think there is something about 'implied intent' hanging around in here. He had said he would help, sure. He will help. The implication, however, when he made that jesture, was that help would go to those for whom the help is warranted and justified. Undocumented, illegal, doesn't matter the term, he isn't (and shouldn't be) giving support to those who are here illegally. End of story.
May 16, 2008
12:11 a.m.
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redwhiteandBLUE writes:
Undocumented students have parents that can pay for their education.