On the heels of the Board of Regents’ decision not to allow undocumented students into the University, five University professors are looking into providing a second option.

Freedom University is a not-for-profit organization that would offer college-level courses to all students regardless of their financial standing or their legal status.

Undocumented students and supporters rally at the Arch on Aug. 23 to protest the Board of Regents' decision to forbid admittance of undocumented students at the University. SEAN TAYLOR/Staff

“The idea is that students who have been denied the possibility of going to school because they can’t afford it or because they don’t have a green card very much want to have the experience of being in a classroom with professors that usually teach this course for the University,” said Lorgia García Peña, an assistant professor at the University and an organizer of Freedom University.

She said Freedom University is looking into getting accreditation from other schools outside of the state since they do not believe any within the state would sponsor it.

“Freedom University has a very large and supportive board of advisors that includes Pulitzer Prize winner and writer Junot Diaz and many, many scholars from across the nation, so that definitely gives it a lot of weight,” she said.

Other University professors involved include Betina Kaplan, Beth Moreton, Reinaldo Roman and Pamela Voekel.

Peña said the school has plans of opening in September starting with just one course that would focus on an introduction to American history and literature.

She said the course would be held to the same standard as a University course.

“So it would be preparing the students for what we hope would be a change in the system,” she said. “So that someday, when they will be able to go back and to continue pursuing their education, they will have this knowledge.”

Students themselves are making an effort to change the system.

Undocumented students and supporters will be rallying at the Arch on Aug. 23 protesting the Board of Regents decision.

The Georgia Undocumented Youth Alliance is hosting the event, calling it a “Graduation of Resistance,” according to their Facebook event page.

Peña said she would be attending.

“[Undocumented students] are not hurting anyone. They’re part of the state, most of them since they were very, very young kids,” she said. “They come to all of the public schools here and now we’re closing the doors to them and saying, ‘No you cannot go to school, you cannot go to college even though you have a 3.9 average and you are very much qualified.’ As an educator this is something that I definitely support with all of my heart.”