Thousands of people move to the USA to seek refuge and asylum from the violence and persecution they face in their country of origin. People in this demography face certain unique struggles in trying to integrate into the US society and access to education is one of such challenges. Fortunately, there are Scholarships For Asylum Seekers in the USA, providing hope and opportunities for education and integration.
Due to the value placed on education and how valuable it can be in changing lives, many organizations and institutions have created specially tailored scholarships to support asylum seekers trying to pursue an education.
These scholarships provide financial assistance as well as hope of a better life to people in this demography. If you are looking for a list of scholarships for asylum seekers in USA, this article will acquaint you with some of the most common scholarship programs and what each scholarship entails.
Importance of Scholarships for Asylum Seekers In USA
Access to education plays a huge role in how well asylum seekers can fit into the US society. It gives these individuals the knowledge and skills to build their lives, improve on themselves, build their self esteem and also nurse their independence.
Financial constraints being one of the big barriers to education is a huge problem for people in this category. This is why the scholarships are highly impactful as they create room to solve these challenges while offering space and opportunities for people to work on their dreams.
Majority of these scholarships awarded to asylum seekers covers their tuition fees for chosen programs of study, textbooks as well as living allowances. This takes away the heavy weight of having to source for funds to build themselves.
The removal of this financial barriers promotes social equity and makes it possible for asylum seekers to settle into the society and make meaningful contributions to growth and development.
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Notable Scholarships For Asylum Seekers In USA
1. The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans
The Soros Fellowship for New Americans offers special support to immigrants, their children and also asylum seekers. The supports covers for graduate studies in the United States. Beneficiaries are granted about $90,000 over the period of two years. This is aimed at covering for tuition, and living expenses.
2. The HIAS Scholarship Program
Similarly, The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society program is a scholarship program offered to refugee and asylum seekers interested in pursing undergraduate and graduate studies. The program is targeted at people who have fled persecution and are off to build new lives in the United States. The scholarship fund ranges between $2,000 and $10,000. The fund can be used for tuition and other education related costs.
3. TheDream.US National Scholarship Program
This scholarship is meant for students with asylum status. The fund offered amounts to about $33,000 to help beneficiaries undertake either a bachelor’s degree or associate’s degree at any of the partner colleges and universities in the United States.
4. The Refugees and Asylees Scholarship Program
The Refugees and Asylees scholarship program is offered by the Institute of International Education. It provides asylees as well as refugees financial assistance to continue their higher education in the United States. Moreover, beneficiaries are given a sum between $2500 and $5000, which can be used to pay for books, other education-related expenses, or tuition.
5. The New American Scholars Program
The new American Scholars Program is a program handled by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. The scholarship is awarded to undocumented students as well as students with asylum status. Emphatically, the program offers support to students in this demography pursuing an undergraduate or graduate program. The scholarship fund ranges between $2,000 and $20,000.
6. The Asylum Seeker Scholarship Program
This scholarship program is managed by the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project. It offers financial assistance to asylum seekers looking to pursue their higher education in the United States. The fund caters to educational expenses like textbook, living costs and tuition. It also grants mentorship and other forms of support to help beneficiaries ease into college and properly manage the troubles of college life.
7. The Refugee Women’s Scholarship Program
The Refugee Women’s Scholarship Program is a program tailored to empowering refugee women along with asylum seekers via education. The scholarship fund offers financial support for both graduate and undergraduate studies. The goal of the scholarship is to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment. Beneficiaries of this scholarship receive funds to cover for their tuition, books and living expenses. In addition, they also get access to career development opportunities.
8. The Talented and Gifted Scholarship Program
The talented and gifted scholarship program is powered by the Hispanic Scholarship fund. It offers scholarships to top performing students with asylum status in the USA with interest in pursuing their higher education. It is open to both graduate and undergraduate students as a way of supporting their academic goals. Scholars or beneficiaries of this scholarship also have access to other mentorship and leadership opportunities.
9. The Educational Pathways Scholarship Program
This scholarship is powered by the Refugee dream center. It seeks to assist refugees and asylum seekers in Rhode Island looking to chase their academic goals. The scholarship provides financial assistance for both graduate and undergraduate studies which covers for tuition and other educational expenses.
10. The Embrace Diverse Voices Scholarship
The Embrace voices scholarship is sponsored by Embrace Race. This scholarship program is aimed at promoting diversity and inclusivity by offering support to people from underrepresented communities. Additionally, the scholarship fund covers for post secondary education. In addition, beneficiaries are often encouraged to use their voices to campaign for equity in society and social justice.
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Conclusion
Scholarships for asylum seekers in the USA promote the achievement of social equity as it seeks to empower people who face troubles integrating into the US society. Subsequently, the funds provided by these programs relieve students of the financial burden involved in trying to acquire an education as someone with asylum status.
Majority of the scholarships available are easy to qualify for, as the things often assessed are drive, passion and zeal for success. A few of these scholarships however prioritize people who demonstrate ability for leadership so they can use their voices to advocate for their community.
