The regents took up the issue at their meeting Wednesday.

The new policy prohibits the schools from accepting illegal immigrant applicants if the school has rejected any academically qualified students in the two most recent academic years. It also requires each school to verify the legal presence in the U.S. of each person applying for resident tuition status.

The board was forced to address the issue of illegal immigrant students in Georgia after a high-profile case involving a Kennesaw State University student who was nearly deported following an arrest in the spring.

Georgia Perimeter College would not be affected by the policy change since it is an access institution and does not reject applicants as long as they meet the basic qualificiations and have the means to pay, according to the media relations office.