Institutions of public higher education must meet the challenges presented by providing education services to the significantly increasing number of undocumented students. However, public policy has not clearly addressed undocumented immigrants' residency status in regard to college and university admissions standards. This issue will affect education leaders in public institutions of higher education who have the authority to define admissions criteria and influence state legislation.
The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of higher education leaders' attitudes toward the appropriateness of providing education benefits for undocumented immigrants. Data collected from 384 returned surveys representing 18 states were analyzed to examine leaders' attitudes in relation to demographic characteristics.
The statistical analyses revealed no significant differences in attitudinal means based on gender, professional level position, age group, years of professional experience, and states that do and do not charge in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants. However, there were significant differences in attitudinal means based on ethnicity, political affiliation, institution type, and between states that grant in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants.
","abstract_html":"<p>Institutions of public higher education must meet the challenges presented by providing education services to the significantly increasing number of undocumented students. However, public policy has not clearly addressed undocumented immigrants' residency status in regard to college and university admissions standards. This issue will affect education leaders in public institutions of higher education who have the authority to define admissions criteria and influence state legislation.</p><p>The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of higher education leaders' attitudes toward the appropriateness of providing education benefits for undocumented immigrants. Data collected from 384 returned surveys representing 18 states were analyzed to examine leaders' attitudes in relation to demographic characteristics.</p><p>The statistical analyses revealed no significant differences in attitudinal means based on gender, professional level position, age group, years of professional experience, and states that do and do not charge in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants. However, there were significant differences in attitudinal means based on ethnicity, political affiliation, institution type, and between states that grant in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Feranchak, Elizabeth"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"EdD (Doctor of Education)","degree_level":"Dissertation - unrestricted","degree_discipline":"Educational Leadership","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2007,"date_issued":"2007-08-14T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2007-08-14T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:21:19Z","subjects":["education leaders","undocumented immigrants","education benefits","attitudes","Disability and Equity in Education","Education","Educational Administration and Supervision","Higher Education Administration"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2119","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Feranchak, Elizabeth"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2007-08-14T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Educational Leadership"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation - unrestricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["EdD (Doctor of Education)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["education leaders","undocumented immigrants","education benefits","attitudes","Disability and Equity in Education","Education","Educational Administration and Supervision","Higher Education Administration"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/3480/viewcontent/FeranchakE072607f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2119"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Institutions of public higher education must meet the challenges presented by providing education services to the significantly increasing number of undocumented students. However, public policy has not clearly addressed undocumented immigrants' residency status in regard to college and university admissions standards. This issue will affect education leaders in public institutions of higher education who have the authority to define admissions criteria and influence state legislation.
The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of higher education leaders' attitudes toward the appropriateness of providing education benefits for undocumented immigrants. Data collected from 384 returned surveys representing 18 states were analyzed to examine leaders' attitudes in relation to demographic characteristics.
The statistical analyses revealed no significant differences in attitudinal means based on gender, professional level position, age group, years of professional experience, and states that do and do not charge in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants. However, there were significant differences in attitudinal means based on ethnicity, political affiliation, institution type, and between states that grant in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["An Analysis of the Attitudes of Higher Education Leaders in 18 High-Immigration States about the Appropriateness of Providing Education Benefits to Undocumented Immigrants."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Feranchak, Elizabeth"],"dc:date.issued":["2007-08-14T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Institutions of public higher education must meet the challenges presented by providing education services to the significantly increasing number of undocumented students. However, public policy has not clearly addressed undocumented immigrants' residency status in regard to college and university admissions standards. This issue will affect education leaders in public institutions of higher education who have the authority to define admissions criteria and influence state legislation.
The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of higher education leaders' attitudes toward the appropriateness of providing education benefits for undocumented immigrants. Data collected from 384 returned surveys representing 18 states were analyzed to examine leaders' attitudes in relation to demographic characteristics.
The statistical analyses revealed no significant differences in attitudinal means based on gender, professional level position, age group, years of professional experience, and states that do and do not charge in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants. However, there were significant differences in attitudinal means based on ethnicity, political affiliation, institution type, and between states that grant in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/3480/viewcontent/FeranchakE072607f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2119"],"dc:rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"dc:subject":["education leaders","undocumented immigrants","education benefits","attitudes","Disability and Equity in Education","Education","Educational Administration and Supervision","Higher Education Administration"],"dc:title":["An Analysis of the Attitudes of Higher Education Leaders in 18 High-Immigration States about the Appropriateness of Providing Education Benefits to Undocumented Immigrants."],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Educational Leadership"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation - unrestricted"],"thesis:degree_name":["EdD (Doctor of Education)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:21:19Z"}