Oregon State University faculty member Javier Cervantes was in Forest Grove on Thursday night, holding an outreach event for the Latino community.

He expected 50 percent of the teens there who want to attend OSU won't be able to under current rules. Those students might be on the honor roll and involved in all sorts of school and community activities, but it's still out of reach.

All because of they are not U.S. citizens.

But that's something that could be changing, Cervantes said.

Undocumented immigrants must pay out-of-state tuition to attend Oregon's public universities. At OSU, yearly tuition for state residents is $5,604. For nonresidents, it's $17,538.

"There are a large number of students in high school and community college who can't access a university because of tuition," said Cervantes.

"They are classified as out-of-state when they have lived most of their lives in the United States and in Oregon," added Cervantes, director of the Center for Access and Success in Academics Latino of OSU.

A panel of students, faculty and administrators is proposing charging in-state tuition for undocumented immigrant students at Oregon's public universities.

The idea didn't get to the last Legislature but is being discussed through today in Portland by the State Board of Higher Education as a way to diversify enrollment.

"It's the right thing to do," Cervantes said. "They will contribute to our communities. They will contribute even more if they can show what they can do at the university."

The issue of taxpayer subsidies for undocumented students is part of the larger immigration debate expected to be a factor in the presidential race.

About 10 states, including California and Washington, already allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition.

Oregon's State Board of Higher Education can make the change but has held off, waiting for legislative approval, said Neil Bryant, a former legislator who lobbies for the university system.

The Legislature and the governor could reverse any changes the board makes.

Rep. Linda Flores, R-Clackamas, who opposes the idea, said she would be "very disappointed'' if the state board end-runs the Legislature.

"People are very concerned about services and benefits being provided to people who are not here legally,'' she said.

Universities don't track who is legal and who isn't. Latino students, most of whom are here legally, make up 4 percent of enrollment in the public university system and 10 percent of the state population.

Any student who meets admission requirements can attend Oregon's public universities. They are asked whether they are citizens only for tuition purposes and few questions are asked.

Students who are not citizens are considered international and ineligible for in-state tuition or financial aid and need an appropriate visa to attend.

Agnes Hoffman, associate vice provost at Portland State University, said paying higher tuition is a "tremendous barrier.''

"We know that the Hispanic population is growing tremendously, and we aren't keeping up with the rate at colleges and universities, and that's not good for our economy and that's not good for our communities,'' she said.