Ukrainian Students Invited To Study Free At College
One University is supporting Ukraine through an initiative to give Ukrainian students a free semester of college this summer.
The world has gazed with wary eyes at the Russia and Ukraine war as the crisis continues to rage on. UNICEF recently reported that the war in Ukraine poses an immediate threat to some 7.5 million children living in the nation. And while the main concern for many parents right now is the safety of the children, there is so much more these kids and students, in general, are now lacking, including an education. Joining the growing initiative to support the country in any way possible, one college is offering Ukrainian students the opportunity to study for free this summer.
Hampton University, one of America’s historically black colleges or universities (HBCUs) is offering to take in 50 to 100 Ukrainian students that have been studying in Ukraine to attend a summer semester at the Virginia college at no cost. The university will cover the cost of each student’s tuition, housing, and meal plans. The only requirement for Ukrainian students to qualify is that they currently be studying in Ukraine.
William Harvey, Hampton Universities’ current president is excited about the initiative to help out those battered by war. In an interview, Harvey expressed that he quite simply “strongly” believes in the need to serve people. Furthermore, the initiative will allow students studying all aspects of education the chance to enroll, no matter what program they are studying. After the summer semester ends, they will be given the chance to enroll at the college under regular admission rates if they please.
Before the program can be rolled out, the college will have to work out the specifics for how to implement the plan. The universities administrators formed a committee to further discuss steps needed to be taken and address some of the challenges ahead. Some things on their list are language barriers, immigration, transportation, and vaccination hurdles. Harvey has already reached out to international organizations and the Ukrainian ambassador to see how the college can help Ukrainian students further.
Ukraine is host to a large number of college students. Reports state that the country’s international student count alone sits at a hefty amount, around 75 thousand. In recent years, the country has seen a massive increase in international student enrollments. The reasoning for this, especially in the field of medicine, is largely due to aggressive marketing and low tuition fees. The problem, however, is getting the Ukrainian students out of the war zones.
One of those students, Azam Hassan, recently spoke with a reporter from AlJazeera from his phone in Kharkiv’s underground metro station, which is currently serving as a bomb shelter for the city’s residents. Hassan is a Ukrainian student studying at Kharkiv National Medical University. He told reporters that another Indian student was killed in the city a few weeks ago. Hassan himself has tried to flee the city twice, to no avail.
The daring initiative that Hampton University is undertaking follows a suit of similar stories from other higher ed institutes throughout America. The University of Chicago recently announced a similar program that will allow students to study at the institutes Paris campus. They will offer both online and in-person classes for Ukrainian students as well.
