The state of Georgia does not offer in-state tuition rates for illegal immigrants and largely prevents them from gaining admission to the state’s best public universities, but one organization is touting it’s work-around effort.
The organization, “Freedom University” Georgia, calls itself a “modern-day freedom school” that offers “college level classes,” college application assistance, and scholarship help for illegal immigrants in Georgia.
“Based in Atlanta, Freedom University is inspired by the legacy of the Southern Freedom School tradition. We provide tuition-free education, college application and scholarship assistance, and tangible movement skillbuilding (sic) to undocumented students banned from public higher education in Georgia,” the organization’s website reads.
In 2011 immigration activists and four University of Georgia professors founded the organization after the state of Georgia passed a law essentially blocking illegal immigrants from attending the state’s best public colleges and from in-state tuition rates.
The school offers its students a “tuition-free” experience that is funded by donations. On the group’s “donation” webpage it adds that “Freedom University is a non-profit organization under the fiscal sponsorship of Southerners on New Ground, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization.” Southerners on New Ground is a self-described “regional Queer Liberation organization.”
In August 2015 the school opened for its fifth year offering three courses in the fall session “Debate and Public Speaking,” “Mindfulness and Compassion: The Science, Theory, and Practice of Meditation,” and “College Preparation and SAT/ACT Tutoring.” Students will return for the spring session for courses including “Graphic Design for Social Movements,” “The Freedom University Photobook,” “A People’s History of the United States,” “Theater of the Oppressed: Performance, Theater, and Spoken Word for Social Justice,” “Freedom University Singers: A Capella Ensemble (audition required)” and an optional “Health and Wellbeing.”
The students meet every Sunday afternoon however, for “student safety and protection, the location of classes is confidential,” a Freedom University press release announcing the start of the school year reads.
In addition to schooling, admissions and scholarship assistance, the organization also dispatches its students to protest on behalf of illegal immigrant issues.
Wednesday, Business Insider ran a report highlighting the school and one of Freedom University’s former students, Valentina Garcia Gonzalez a 19 year old illegal immigrant from Uruguay.
“With Freedom U she toured college campuses during her gap year, and applied to nine different schools. She was accepted into Dartmouth College and started her freshman year this past fall. She’s considering studying neuroepidemiology, a field that looks at the characteristics and contributors to neurological diseases in human populations,” Business Insider reports.
Freedom University did not respond to Breitbart News’ emailed interview requests Wednesday.
See a CNN segment on the school from 2011: