Undocumented immigrants help fund the public universities they are barred from attending.
Freedom University executive director Laura Emiko Soltis, center, along with board Chair Charles A. Black, right, and guest Ion Yamazaki, are seen enjoying a celebratory dinner marking the conclusion of the virtual study abroad Japan program at Nakato restaurant in Atlanta on Aug. 23, 2026 (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
By Laura Emiko Soltis
4 hours ago
Hispanic students make up approximately 20% of the enrollment in Georgia’s public schools, nearly a five-percentage-point increase in the last decade. AJC Get Schooled is publishing a series of guest essays this week exploring the educational landscape for Hispanic students in Georgia as part of our Hispanic Heritage Month coverage. Here is the second of these essays.
Freedom University recently opened its doors for its 13th year in Atlanta. Students arrived with their eyes wide with excitement, carrying backpacks filled with new laptops, heavy biology books and planners, and wearing their favorite sneakers. But unlike most universities, its location is strictly confidential, and students don’t pay tuition. Unlike other universities, every student is undocumented.
eseht“ ohw detnemucodnu lanoitutitsnocnu ”.noitiut noitiut latot ot ot ot eht eht eht taht ,stneduts setats gnidivorp seicilop yap etats-fo-tuo rehto fo fo .stiuswal stiuswal etats-ni rehgih morf decrof rof delif eve etanimircsid smialc snezitic gnignirb era era dna dna tsniaga tsniaga s’noitartsinimda noitartsinimda notgnihsaW .S.U pmurT ehT nogerO nO weN ,htnoM ,ocixeM ecitsuJ cinapsiH egatireH tnemtrapeD ,anozirA 52
htiw ohw ohw detnemucodnu detnemucodnu gnidnatsrednu noitiut noitiut noitiut ot esoht siht meht eht taht taht stneduts stneduts stneduts .sutats s’etats noitagerges mees sloohcs sgnilur ycnediser ,stnemeriuqer stnemeriuqer elbanosaer cilbup gnidivorp stcetorp tcetorp tnedecerp seicilop no fo fo teem yam gnidnats-gnol enil ekil lagel kcal speek evisulcni .etats-ni etats-ni etats-ni etats-ni ni ni noitargimmi gniveihca-hgih morf lanoitacude detacude noitanimircsid .mialc cisab desab era era dna dna osla tsniaga a a a .S.U oT emerpuS emerpuS 21-K ,revewoH truoC truoC ,noitutitsnoC ,yllanoitiddA
Laura Emiko Soltis is the executive director of Freedom University. She is a human rights educator, social movement scholar and intergenerational mentor. (Courtesy)
seitisrevinu seitisrevinu detnemucodnu detnemucodnu detnemucodnu rednu rednu noitiut noitiut pot ot ot yeht eht eht eht .sexat detcejbus stneduts stneduts etats etats gniyfilauq cilbup cilbup ycilop ycilop ycilop no fo fo ton noillim tiuswal sti sti gnidulcni etats-ni etats-ni ni stnargimmi stnargimmi pleh sah dnuf morf morf morf rof rof laredef ,elpmaxe etubirtnoc neeb esuaceb derrab snab snab .gnidnetta era yletamixorppa yllaunna dna dna osla noissimda a .ytisrevinU ytisrevinU detnemucodnU hceT etatS stnegeR nI ,aigroeG ,aigroeG aigroeG aigroeG aigroeG aigroeG egelloC draoB .4.3.4 ,6.1.4 559$
”.ytilanimirc“ ohw saw seitisrevinu s’yadot eseht eseht eht taht taht stneduts llits yllaicos dluohs ,noitagerges noitagerges emas detoor rebmemer elanoitar elanoitar laicar laicar cilbup seicilop no no dezilagel ti si si ni ni ni rof ,are lanoitacude .noitanimircsid noitanimircsid dekaolc reehc tub desab dennab osla elbatpecca s’yadoT esohT nI kcalB .0691
”lagelli“ etihw elihw erew yrotciv rednu koot ot ot ot siht eht eht eht eht taht taht taht metsys ,ecafrus epahs eruces tnecer satouq atouq dezitiroirp snosrep snigiro redro fo on lanoitan wal robal sti si noitnevni ni ni noitargimmi noitargimmi ylivaeh morf rof gniwollof wolf ylriaf dedne hcae gnol-sedaced tnerruc detaerc yrtnuoc seirtnuoc paehc gnippac .redrob eb deraeppa launna dna dna ssorca a a a a ocixeM/.S.U erehT nO ytilanoitaN nredoM nitaL deeR-nosnhoJ noitargimmI ,snaeporuE .aisA naciremA acirfA .tcA tcA 5691 4291 001
raey .srekrow srekrow htiw gninniw ohw elihw elihw erew saw saw :etov seirotciv detnemucodnu eurt ot meht rieht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht taht taht taht ylneddus ,elggurts llits laicos laicos emas thgir detner deiler tnailer detiurcer gnitaercer edivorp .snoitcetorp margorp lacitilop elpoep ylralucitrap no no fo fo wen evitalsigel yllagel wal .robal robal robal robal yrtsudni ni noitatropmi stnargimmi dah tnemnrevog morf morf yllanif ylevitceffe ymonoce gniyned deined dezilanimirc dluoc paehc seirutnec etsac tub neeb eb dna dna dna dna ydaerla larutlucirga retfa ylevitca a a dlroW raW gnitoV .S.U .S.U sihT ehT sthgiR sthgiR ,margorP ocixeM nacixeM nitaL nI II liviC orecarB kcalB snaciremA naciremA tcA tcA 5691 4691-2491
”lagel“ ”ytilagellI“ htiw ohw ew saw .detnemucodnu esoht siht siht neht sevlesmeht meht rieht naht noitanimret .sutats laicos nees yltnecer ,rewop rehto ro no fo fo won slawenernon ylwen wen erom si ni stnargimmi stnargimmi evah noillim-flah morf rof rof dnif gnitanimircsid gnizilanimirc lanimirc detaerc detaerc seirtnuoc tnesnoc roloc etsac yb yb desab sa dna dna dna tsniaga s’noitartsinimda deveihca a yraropmeT sutatS ,rodavlaS cilbuP detcetorP itiaH lE 21
dlrow htiw esohw ,detnemucodnu detnemucodnu detnemucodnu rieht eht eht eht eht eht stneduts stneduts stneduts devres sthgir tcelfer laicar rosseforp egelivirp elpoep elpoep ruo ylno eno fo fo fo fo fo ylraen :ediwnoitan gnivil ni ni namuh evah evah dah .seilimaf ylevisulcxe srotacude ytisrevid rotcerid ytinummoc roloc devoleb ta sa era era era era era dna dna dna dna a .ytisrevinU ecniS I I ,enitaL/cinapsiH modeerF .naisA sA llA ,naebbiraC-orfA/nacirfA %08 ,4102 %01 %01
gnuoy raey raey dluow ohw ohw hcihw detiaw pu detnemucodnu owt ot ot rieht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht ,stneduts stneduts emos ecnis mrofer elpoep yawhtap ruo fo fo fo fo noillim skram sevil stnafni ni noitargimmi evah evah nworg mrof rof rof laredef eruliaf detamitse yteritne etaerc deunitnoc evisneherpmoc pihsnezitic .nerdlihc thguorb gnieb sa era dna dna sega a detinU detinU sihT .setatS setatS ruO MAERD ,tcA ht52 ,52-71
etarapes“ .v .v ,lanoitutitsnocnu ot ot eht eht eht eht taht taht hcaet stneduts stneduts noitagerges noitces sloohcs delur thgir cilbup no no fo fo fo enon ym ym ynam kramdnal kramdnal ni draeh draeh evah evah reve ”lauqe dedne .noitacude enirtcod deralced ,esruoc sesac .esac esac tub dna tuoba a elihW retsnimtseW .S.U emerpuS thgiR zedneM nI I namuH noitacudE noitacudE truoC nworB draoB )4591( )7491(
gnuoy sraey etorw hcihw detaloiv yrotciv desu eht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht taht troppus yllufsseccus kcurts ygetarts neves noitagerges noitagerges .sloohcs gnilur cilbup fo fo fo fo lagel lagel .retal ni ni ni ni sih rof rof laredef ,ylimaf yllautneve lanoitacude nwod truoc esualc nerdlihc esac esac esac feirb tnirpeulb sa deugra slaeppa dna na sucima a doogruhT ehT noitcetorP PCAAN nacixeM zedneM zedneM llahsraM lauqE ainrofilaC nworB naciremA tnemdnemA A ht41 – –
… ”.snosrep“ on“ si“ ’nosrep‘ nihtiw hcihw nehw saw saw saw saw ,etov detaloiv .v yllacoviuqenu detnemucodnu detnemucodnu detnemucodnu detnemucodnu yllacigart ot ot ot suht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht eht taht taht taht taht taht taht ”mret ylerus .stneduts setats llahs gnivres esnes loohcs delur delur cilbup noitcetorp detcetorp nosrep yranidro no fo fo fo fo yrassecen lacol yllagel ”.swal ,etal kramdnal noitcidsiruj sti si devlovni ni ni stnargimmi tnargimmi eerf lauqe tnemllorne noitacude noitacude tcirtsid gniyned yned yned .truoc truoc truoc .esualc esualc deifiralc nerdlihc ,esac esac yb tub erofeb gnitpmetta deugra era yna yna rehtona dna na na tca ssecca a a a doogruhT ehT ehT saxeT emerpuS emerpuS etatS noitcetorP noitcetorP relylP llahsraM 21-K ecitsuJ nI nI htneetruoF lauqE lauqE ,eoD truoC truoC ,tnemdnemA 4-5 2891
ti“ hcihw erehw .v detnemucodnu nekatrednu ot ot ot ot eht eht eht eht taht taht taht ”.smret deeccus etats gnilur thgir ylbanosaer edivorp selpicnirp deniltuo ,ytinutroppo ytinutroppo no fo fo tsum yam edam efil ,ti si si si ni ni fi eh sah detcepxe lauqe dezisahpme .noitacude luftbuod deined truoc gnitic ,nerdlihc dlihc eb eb elbaliava deilppa yna na na osla lla a ehT hcuS noitacudE nworB draoB
— — tuohtiw ohw elihw ew detnemucodnu detnemucodnu detnemucodnu .oot ot ot ot ot ot emit siht siht meht rieht rieht eht eht taht taht taht noitaxat troppus etarapes noitagerges etagerges sloohcs .sthgir noitatneserper seiler ezingocer tnecer llop s’elpoep elpoep elpoep yawhtap tsap ssap trap .stnerap stnerap ruo ruo ruo ruo no fo fo ,srobhgien tsum evol gnol gnolefil robal ti si si ni ni namuh yrotsih morf dnuof rof thgif decaf ecneirepxe rotacude lanoitacude yllacimonoce ytud gniyned leurc yrtnuoc suounitnoc pihsnezitic ,nezitic .nerdlihc .nerdlihc nerdlihc nerdlihc nerdlihc niatrec yb thguorb kcab tpmetta sa era era era dna dna dna dna dna dna tsniaga s’noitartsinimda a a a .S.U .S.U riehT tI secitsujnI I pullaG MAERD sA snaciremA ,tcA A %18
sselnU“ lliw stnaw stnaw stnaw deirav ”.rehtegot ,rehtegot ot ot ot ot ot ot ereht rieht rieht taht evitroppus yduts yduts yduts stneduts seirots os os ehs ehs hcraes ecneics ,loohcs daer etouq .scitehtsorp lacitilop .stenalp scisyhp elpoep ruo ruo rehto eno eno no fo fo ym .noitargim yam ekam evil elttil efil nrael nrael wal .ecitsuj si si ni epoh eh evah erutuf rof rof tsrif etirovaf reve smaerd yad snoitidnoc :ssalc nerdlihc nac yb nigeb eb dnetta ta ymonortsa sa sa dna decnavda a ytisrevinU doogruhT emerpuS alemaP ruO llahsraM nahtanoJ reH modeerF truoC noraA
detnemucodnu eerf-noitiut eht taht troppus .stneduts laicos loohcs pihsralohcs sedivorp noitaraperp fo tnemevom latnem lagel pihsredael si htlaeh rof evitucexe rotcerid tnempoleved egelloc egelloc ,sessalc ,ecnatsissa noitacilppa dna dna dna na ,ytisrevinU sitloS aruaL modeerF okimE desab-atnaltA
er’uoy uoy gnitirw su sthguoht siht eht ,egap ro de-po eton ,meti detseretni ni fi evah rof .moc.cja@noitacude noitacude pord ta yna na tuoba a fI s’CJA
