By next fall, refugee students may be able to apply to attend U.S. colleges and universities. The State Department said it plans to pilot a new category for refugee admissions, known as P4.
P4 status would allow a group or institution to sponsor a refugee. A university sponsorship program would allow them to study in the United States and then apply for permanent residence.
Laura Wagner, project leader for the Initiative on US Education Pathways for Refugee Students, which is part of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, said the current international student visa program requires students to leave after graduation.
“Right now we get the best and the brightest in the world, and then we say, ‘Thank you, now you have to go back to your home country,’” explained Wagner. “While this would provide them with an opportunity to stay and continue to use and share these talents with their new community in the United States”
The Alliance recently released a report calling on the State Department to implement a P4 category in spring 2022. Community colleges and universities, including the University of California-Davis, would step up to offer free tuition fees . Service groups would cover other costs and the State Department would help with the relocation.
Wagner argued that refugees deserve a chance for a better future in the United States, a country founded by immigrants.
“Less than 1% of the world’s refugees can be resettled,” Wagner reported. “And we only have 5% of refugees entering higher education.”
Advocates for the pilot program say it could initially be limited to 30 students who apply next fall and start their college courses in 2024.
Support for this report was provided by the Lumina Foundation.
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A bill in New Hampshire would allow local communities to choose whether to fund the education of children who attend private schools or home schooling, in addition to the statewide voucher program.
House Bill 607 as amended goes to a full House vote in early January, and parents and educators are concerned about its implications for public schools.
Jen, a parent who formed the Save Our Schools New Hampshire volunteer group and chose not to use her last name, said any investment should be made to improve Granite State public schools, for example, by providing all school districts have full-time kindergarten.
“These vouchers would be paid for by local property taxes,” Jen explained. “And the other thing that’s also really alarming is that there is no income limit for families.”
She said the statewide voucher bill has an income limit of 300% of the poverty level. Lawmakers budgeted $ 129,000 for the statewide program, enough for about 28 students, but the price tag now stands at more than $ 6 million, as more than 1,500 children have been registered.
Supporters of the new voucher bill have argued that it gives voters local control over whether they want to fund the program using their property taxes. But Jen countered that once a school district enrolls, it is required to fund students who enrolled during the year throughout their studies, even if the district withdraws from the program. after a year.
“It could mean lost income,” Jen said. “It could mean for some districts millions of dollars every year for up to 15 years, so there really is no voter control.”
She added that the voucher programs are not unique to New Hampshire, noting that special national interests have passed or are working on similar legislation. She urged Granite Staters to contact their lawmakers about this.
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A new survey found that less than half of educators in New York City public schools teach their students about climate change, and many said they were not trained to teach the subject.
Supporters of climate education hope to bring about statewide change. The Climate and Resilience Education Working Group, along with the National Wildlife Federation and the United Federation of Teachers, sent the survey to teachers across town, and 1,500 responded.
Emily Fano, senior education officer for the Wildlife Federation in New York City and co-founder of the task force that commissioned the survey, said most students get information about climate change outside of the classroom. class, and more knowledge could better equip them to handle the climate crisis moving forward.
“There is a lot of climate anxiety among our young people,” observed Fano. “We believe that learning about climate change is a way to take action, to feel empowered.”
Only half of teachers who reported teaching about climate change receive classroom materials, and only one in five report that climate education has been covered in their student-teacher training.
Fano’s group is lobbying the state’s Senate Education Committee legislation to require climate science in the state’s high school curricula. Fano believes the topic should extend beyond high school classes, including grades from Kindergarten to Kindergarten.
“We really wasted an incredible amount of time that students needed to learn about this crisis,” said Fano. “We looked at the Terms of Reference because it may be the fastest way to bring climate education into the classroom.”
Almost 60% of survey respondents said they support a teaching mandate on climate change. Fano added that New York has a chance to set an example for other states and nations.
Disclosure: The National Wildlife Federation contributes to our climate change / air quality, endangered species and wildlife reporting fund, energy policy, environment, public lands / wilderness , salmon recovery, water. If you would like to help support the news in the public interest, click here.
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A state-run outreach program aims to ensure Latino and Hispanic students in Indiana have equal access to financial assistance for post-secondary education.
Padres Estrellas, or “Star Parents,” supports students by helping them complete their Free Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application form and access state financial aid programs. José Medina, school and community outreach manager for the Indiana Commission on Higher Education, said the group’s eight parents are connecting with community organizations across the state to reach new students. .
“The Padres Estrellas are really connected to their Latin or Hispanic communities,” he said, “and know:“ Who do we need to associate with? Where is the community partner, or the school or the church, where we have to go, to go before these parents and talk about these programs? “
Medina said that Padres Estrellas is also focusing on educating people about two programs: the Next Level Jobs Workforce Ready grant, which provides free training for high-demand areas, and the 21st Century Scholars initiative, which provides training. financial aid to colleges. From 2017 to 2019, according to the state, about 3,300 Hispanic or Latino students and about 15,000 White students graduated from high school with university assistance from the 21st Century Scholars program.
While Padres Estrellas primarily focuses on raising awareness of these two programs, Indiana has at least 10 other state-run financial aid initiatives. In fiscal 2021, Medina said, Indiana distributed nearly $ 390 million in financial assistance.
“If you want to pursue studies or training after high school, we support you in this direction,” he said. “You’re probably eligible for a state financial aid program to help you get that training or certification, or college education, to give you the opportunity to get a high paying, high-demand job here in the world. ‘State of Indiana. “
2021 College Equity Report Finds Hispanic and Latino students are the fastest growing demographic in Indiana schools and are poised to become the second largest group of students in Indiana. all.
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Support for this report was provided by the Lumina Foundation.
(Editor’s Note: Producer Jonah Chester received financial assistance under the 21st Century Scholars Program from 2014 to 2018.)
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