Refugees as a source of new students

[Hibush]

Among all the displaced people in the world, there are bound to be some excellent future college students. A new effort by several universities, the Response Campaign,  is trying to realize some of that potential.

According to the CHE article about the latest report, the numbers are mind boggling.
   82 million displaced people (total refugees)
     1.4 million in need of resettlement
  <0.14 million resettled per year

       15 refugee students per year in this program.

So that is pretty modest. One reason is the cost, estimated at $40 to 100 thousand a year per student. It is covered by private donations.

Access now is really low. Applying to college from a refugee camp is logistically impossible for most.  Applying for a visa is challenging as well; indeed it is not clear what kind of visa is appropriate for a refugee student.

I hope this program is a success and grows far beyond the initial aspirations of 500 per year. There are so many exceptional people who get stuck in horrible situations. Now, if they get into the US at all, they are expected to take the most menial and dead-end jobs.

[mamselle]

Do they have visitors who visit refugee centers and offer help filling out forms or doing advocacy for credentialed individuals to get visas?

There was a program that helped with those issues in the WWII era; I only know of one of their outlets, but I think there were several:

   https://www.amazon.com/Window-Shop-Safe-Harbor-Refugees/dp/0595406203

M.