Companies Grapple With Aid for Immigrants

Charitable foundations at major U.S. corporations are facing challenges about whether to award scholarships for college to students who are in the United States illegally, The Wall Street Journal reports. Foundations at corporations like the Coca-Cola Company, Anheuser-Busch Companies, and Wal-Mart Stores all offer scholarships to students who can prove they are legal U.S. residents.

But as the immigration debate intensifies, and the number of illegal-immigrant students swells, the foundations are grappling with whether to award scholarships to illegal students who have excelled academically. The foundations of a few companies, such as the Microsoft Corporation, don’t ask for proof of legal residency.

Colleen Quint, president of the National Scholarship Providers Association, a Denver nonprofit group whose corporate members include the Coca-Cola Company, said scholarships for illegal-immigrant students will be a key topic at the group’s annual meeting in the fall. “The tension is between wanting to do the right thing by the kids and making sure that they remain within the letter and spirit of the law,” Ms. Quint said. (A paid subscription is required to view this article).