RALEIGH -- Effective immediately, a new policy requires all North Carolina community colleges to admit students regardless of their immigration status. Before the change, schools could decide for themselves whether or not they wanted to enroll undocumented individuals.

Wake Technical Community College was one school that did not admit them. Now it and every other North Carolina community college are open to all students, even those who are in the U.S. illegally.

"The open-door policy, which is how we operate in North Carolina's community colleges, says that our doors are open to everyone, every adult which is 18 or over," explained Chancy Kapp, who is with the North Carolina Community College System.

"We believe it sends the wrong message to the people of North Carolina,” said Robert Luebke, who is with the Civitas Institute. “It says it's OK to be an illegal immigrant in North Carolina, that we're not going to enforce existing laws."

Before the policy change, about half of North Carolina's 58 community colleges enrolled illegal immigrants. According to figures, 340 undocumented students are currently taking classes at North Carolina community colleges.

If students cannot prove they live in North Carolina, they have to pay out-of-state tuition, which is higher than in-state costs.

"Out-of-state students, whether they're from Florida, Tennessee, or undocumented, in fact, if they're paying out-of-state tuition, they're paying 140 percent of the actual cost of their instruction," Kapp said.

But it is instruction some people do not think illegal immigrants should get, no matter the cost.

Community college officials say they do not expect a huge influx of illegal immigrants to enroll in schools because of the policy change.