What is the issue?
At this moment in time there are more than 65 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, with that number on the rise. In the Middle East alone, more than one in five people are displaced. Since the onset of the Syrian Civil War, over 100,000 Syrian university students have become refugees, unable to complete their educations.
We believe that as fellow university students, we must do whatever possible to prevent these youth from becoming a "lost generation." If the tables were turned, we would hope that others would do the same for us, regardless of physical distance or other potential barriers. To provide even one individual refugee with the opportunity to reach higher education would not only change that person's world, but would also strengthen and enrich the university community, impacting countless others for years to come.
We believe that as fellow university students, we must do whatever possible to prevent these youth from becoming a "lost generation." If the tables were turned, we would hope that others would do the same for us, regardless of physical distance or other potential barriers. To provide even one individual refugee with the opportunity to reach higher education would not only change that person's world, but would also strengthen and enrich the university community, impacting countless others for years to come.
What are we doing?
No Lost Generation UO is requesting five four-year full-tuition waivers and scholarships covering the cost of room and board, to be awarded to admitted applicants or current students with official UNHCR-determined refugee status who plan to pursue higher education through the University of Oregon.
Over the past several months, NLG UO has been collecting signatures of student and community support; official letters of endorsement from academic departments, student groups and community organizations; and monetary and material donations from individuals, groups, and businesses. We are currently asking for donations from individuals and working on receiving university support of the scholarship. Once the scholarship fund is established, we will begin the next phase of this process: connecting the scholarships to the students who are eligible to receive them.
We have been working with the Syria Consortium within the Institute for International Education which connects Syrian refugee students with scholarships at universities worldwide. As soon as we raise the needed amount to fund the first scholarship recipient's tuition, the UO will be added to the list of universities which provide scholarships for refugee students - along with more than 60 other U.S. universities which range from large, public schools to small, private institutions. With the UO on the Syria Consortium website, refugee students will be able to find the scholarships and will be directed to the application site and provided contact information for the designated UO support-person.
If you are interested in donating, please contact us at [email protected] as we can no longer accept online donations.
We have been working with the Syria Consortium within the Institute for International Education which connects Syrian refugee students with scholarships at universities worldwide. As soon as we raise the needed amount to fund the first scholarship recipient's tuition, the UO will be added to the list of universities which provide scholarships for refugee students - along with more than 60 other U.S. universities which range from large, public schools to small, private institutions. With the UO on the Syria Consortium website, refugee students will be able to find the scholarships and will be directed to the application site and provided contact information for the designated UO support-person.
If you are interested in donating, please contact us at [email protected] as we can no longer accept online donations.
We have made a great deal of progress with these scholarships, but there is still a ways to go. This is very much a community effort, and every single dollar, petition signature, and hour of your time spent volunteering truly does bring us closer to reaching our goals.