Huron University College, students boosting refugee scholarship contributions

Students at Huron University College are helping support refugees who want to attend their school.

An announcement that the student body voted to increase their per-student contribution to the student refugee fund by 33 per cent comes alongside a number of other pledges Monday, in a celebration of the institution’s 20th year in partnership with the World University Service of Canada and its commitment to challenging students to be “Leaders with Heart.”

The institution is going to match the student levy and increase funds going into the student refugee program. They also plan to give a full-tuition scholarship to up to five student refugees who are affected by the war in Syria, when they register.

Huron also recommitted to a promise first made in September 2017, that it would offer $60,000 in scholarships to students impacted by U.S. President Donald Trump’s DACA decision.

Dr. Barry Craig, the school’s principal, said the actions align with the school’s mission to foster a local and global sense of responsibility for society.

“We stand with the dreamers, we will support their aspirations and continue to give these students an opportunity to further their education in Canada,” he said.

Huron has encouraged its students to be Leaders with Heart, for more than 150 years.

World University Service of Canada is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing opportunities for youth around the world, in an effort to combat inequality and exclusion. It currently supports more than 130 refugee students per year across 80 Canadian campuses.