Counselors, advocates urge Clark County schools to fund dual‑enrollment for undocumented students

A coalition of high‑school counselors and immigrant‑support advocates asked the Clark County Board of Education to help preserve access to dual‑enrollment for undocumented students after a state funding change.

"We can no longer in good conscience continue to promote this program in a public school system to all students when only some receive the funding to participate and others are denied," counselor Ariel Gordon told the board during public comment, summarizing the group's concern that the Georgia Student Finance Commission will no longer fund students without Social Security numbers for dual‑enrollment.

Counselors from the Athens Community Career Academy and Cedar Shoals High School said Athens Technical College plans to charge out‑of‑state tuition rates for affected students and that families who were told the district would cover tuition later learned the district could not. "We are left with students registered for fall courses and we are frozen," Laura Boone, a high‑school counselor, said.

Advocates asked the board to "work creatively to devise a long‑term solution" so undocumented students can continue to participate in college courses alongside their peers at no extra cost. Betina Kaplan of You Lead Athens said denying state funds creates "different tiers of students in the school system" and urged the board to find ways to prevent that divide.

Board members acknowledged the issue and said staff would review options. The district said counselors continue to advocate for students and that staff will explore funding and programmatic alternatives. No formal board action was taken at the meeting; public commenters asked the board to direct staff to return with recommendations.

The speakers asked that the district either identify district funds or work with community partners to cover immediate fall semester costs and seek longer‑term policy solutions that restore equitable access to dual‑enrollment opportunities.