Yeah, Right, Whatever

This morning on Fox & Friends, I listened as they interviewed Carl Basham, a Marine who has been denied in-state tuition by Austin Community College.

Despite being a Texas native, a registered voter and holder of a state driver's license, a decorated Marine has been denied lower in-state tuition at a community college because he spent too much time out of the state while serving two tours of duty in Iraq.

Carl Basham says he was shocked when personnel at Austin Community College told him a few weeks ago that he didn't qualify as a Texas resident "for tuition purposes." Basham was born in Beeville, Texas, registered to vote in Travis County in 1998, holds a Texas driver's license and does his banking in Austin, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

Sounds terrible, right? Everyone should be outraged, right? I mean... this guys served two tours of duty in Iraq, and the mean school said that he can't have in-state tuition because he was out of the state- fighting a war.

Well... let's see what ACC has to say:

First, this is not a widespread problem applicable to all who have served their country. This is an individual situation involving one person who lived in another state before entering the military and who listed the other state – not Texas – as his permanent address in military records.

Texas residency is guided by state law, as reflected in the Texas Education Code. As a taxpayer-funded college, ACC is not able to pick the laws with which it complies. Additionally, this type of situation is complicated when a resident moves out of Texas for several years prior to entering the military, enlists in the military in another state, and lists that state as a home of record and permanent address in all military papers.

Contrary to some reports, ACC has assisted the student with his fall enrollment. Yet again, we are not able to ignore the state law which guides residency designation. The law mandates we treat all applicants equally. ACC has applied the current state residency law to the student in question, made many calls on his behalf to ensure that any documentation needed to comply with the law was understood, and confirmed with him his eligibility to receive Pell Grant and VA educational assistance. If public elected officials choose to change Texas’ public policy on residency to make it even more flexible for those who serve their country in the military, ACC would certainly be supportive.

Uh... if ACC has its facts straight, then Basham is the one who goofed. If he was planning on returning to Texas after his time in the military, he should have put that down as his HOR. I know it's harsh, but ACC has to follow the rules. Basham is the one who filled out his paperwork- they have to proceed according to the law. If he doesn't like it, he should talk to his Congress critter and have the law changed.

On the other hand, if ACC is just trying to cover their backsides, then Basham should fight it. I mean... it is Austin, after all. I can't say that I wouldn't put it past them.

All I ask is that the media gets its facts straight before it bashes either side. Yeah... I know... too much to ask, I'm sure...