OUR OPINION: Both community colleges and UNC System schools must have the same standards for illegal immigrants who want to attend them and put people who are of legal status first.

N.C. Senator Philip Berger introduced Senate Bill 155, entitled “Community Colleges Can’t Admit Illegal Aliens,” Feb. 12, which would prohibit illegal immigrants from attending community colleges permanently.

Community colleges do not allow illegal immigrants to attend and UNC System schools do admit illegal immigrants, albeit by paying out-of-state tuition even if they reside in North Carolina.

Community colleges and the UNC System should be consistent and have the same requirements for people who want to attend its schools who are not in the United States legally.

Though the community college system and UNC System are separate entities, thousands of students attend one or both. Community college is often a stepping stone for students who go on to attend UNC System schools, many of whom will attend N.C. State, and both need to have the same standards if they wish to have relationships and smooth transitions from one to the other.

There should also be more opportunities for those who want to come to the United States and attend college. Community colleges and UNC System schools should explore different avenues for educating people who want to come to the United States to get an education. This could decrease the number of immigrants resorting to coming to the country illegally.

Illegal immigrants are already here, and the problem of illegal immigration is not going to go away. If North Carolina allows them to attend institutes of higher learning, then put people who are here legally before illegal immigrants.

Although it is ultimately up to the state to ban or allow illegal immigrants from attending schools in North Carolina, the UNC System and community colleges must give priority to those here in the United States legally. People who are in the U.S. legally must get the opportunity of receiving an education from schools in North Carolina before those who are not.

UNC schools give priority to students from North Carolina, so it only makes sense to put people of legal status first.

There cannot be just a yes and no answer to the question of whether schools in North Carolina should educate illegal immigrants. This is a heated topic, and no one answer can blanket the issue. There must be discussion from both sides to find a viable solution.