Empowering Success for Refugee Students in Higher Education
Essential Services for Supporting HigherEd Refugee Students
After reading an article on the rise in refugee enrollment at higher education institutions globally, I was inspired to write about the support needed for the student populations.
As student affairs practitioners, we need to think and enter into dialogue more broadly about the university service that needs to be created or boosted for the growing number of refugee students globally and the institutions that will provide higher/tertiary level educational pathways.
In an increasingly globalized world, universities and colleges have a vital role to play in fostering diversity and inclusivity. One of the most significant steps toward achieving this goal is enrolling refugee students and providing them with the necessary support to succeed in higher education.
Refugee students bring unique perspectives, experiences, and resilience to campus communities. These students often face unique challenges, including language barriers, trauma, and a lack of access to educational resources.
As universities and colleges welcome refugee students into their campuses, institutions must offer comprehensive support services to ensure their successful integration and academic achievement. While each student’s journey may differ, there are common areas where universities can make a significant impact.
As we know, refugee students often face a significant culture shock when entering a new country and academic environment. To help ease this transition, universities should provide academic, cultural, and social integration programs. These programs should cover various aspects of daily life, including housing, transportation, healthcare, and cultural norms.
In this article, we will explore several essential service areas and delve into their roles in refugee student success. The services that universities should offer to refugee students, addressing each of the following key areas, are Admissions, Cultural/Campus Integration, Academic Advising, Mental Health and Well-being, Financial and Scholarships, Housing Accommodations, and Career Services and Employability.
For each of these areas, we will discuss their roles in student success, staffing needs and training, barriers faced by refugee students, funding considerations, and the importance of cross-area collaborations.
Admissions
Admissions play a pivotal role in setting the stage for refugee students’ success in higher education. Creating and using a streamlined and inclusive admission process can make the transition more accessible and less daunting. Additionally, we need to recognize refugee qualifications, as these may differ from traditional academic credentials, and provide clear application procedures for students.
Staffing Needs/Training: Universities should have admission officers who understand the unique circumstances of refugee applicants. Training for these officers should encompass cultural sensitivity, refugee policy knowledge, and recognizing qualifications from diverse educational backgrounds, international educational systems, and refugee documentation.
Barriers for Students: Refugee students often face barriers in documenting their educational history and qualifications. Language proficiency and access to required documentation can be significant challenges. Clear guidelines, language support, and flexibility in admission requirements can help address these barriers. Universities should implement flexible admission policies that account for these challenges.
Funding Considerations: Allocate resources for additional administrative support and application fee waivers for refugee students. Additionally, funding might also be needed to support specialized admission staff, language proficiency assessments, and assessment of refugee qualifications. Funds should be allocated for specialized information sessions, workshops, and outreach efforts to reach potential refugee students.
Cross-Area Collaboration: Collaboration with international student services/programs, financial aid and scholarship, student housing and academic advising, plus student affairs are crucial for a smooth transition from admission to campus life.
Collaboration with external organizations that assist refugees in their education can help ease the financial burden. Additionally, universities should work closely with refugee organizations, local NGOs, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to identify prospective refugee students and support services.
Admission is the first step in a refugee student’s journey to higher education. Due to the myriad of challenges refugee students might face when transitioning, universities must offer pre-admission counseling and guidance services. Creating a clear and helpful pathway alleviates the concerns of these students when they start their educational pursuits.
Cultural/Campus Integration
Cultural and campus integration services are vital for helping refugee students feel a sense of belonging and fostering a supportive environment. Creating orientation programs or encouraging students to be involved in campus programs helps refugee students adapt to the new environment, understand local customs, and connect with peers.
Staffing Needs/Training: Universities should have staff who are knowledgeable about refugee cultures. Universities must provide cultural sensitivity training, orientation programs and events that promote intercultural understanding to help faculty and staff.
Barriers for Students: Language barriers, cultural differences, and a sense of isolation and alienation are typically common challenges for refugee students. Providing language classes, mentorship programs, and culturally sensitive counseling services can address these issues.
Funding Considerations: Allocate resources for cultural integration events, language classes, local communication orientation, support groups, and awareness campaigns.
Cross-Area Collaboration: Collaborate with academic advising and mental health and well-being for holistic support. Additionally, leverage internal and external expertise in helping these students adapt. Seek partnerships with local cultural and social organizations for additional support.
Cultural and campus integration is crucial to helping refugee students feel welcomed and part of the university community. Any specialized programming and support services should readily be available in a manner that does not single out the refugee students. Last, there can be community engagement activities to help students build connections on campus.
Academic Advising
Effective academic advising ensures refugee students receive guidance to navigate their educational pathways and make informed decisions about their studies. Academic advisors guide students in selecting courses, setting academic goals, and ensuring they meet degree requirements.
Staffing Needs/Training: Trained academic advisors should be knowledgeable about refugee-specific challenges, including assessing prior education and transfer credits. They should also understand the different degree pathways that align with the student’s career goals. Bilingual advisors may be necessary for effective communication.
Barriers for Students: Refugee students may lack knowledge about the educational system in the host country. Providing detailed academic maps and tailored advising can help bridge this gap. Refugees may have interrupted education, knowledge gaps, or language barriers. Advisors should be equipped to address these challenges.
Funding Considerations: Allocate resources for additional advising staff and training programs. Consider offering scholarship opportunities for students who need to take supplementary coursework to meet academic requirements. Funding for language support services, peer tutoring, and mentoring programs might also be needed. Workshops in academic readiness and training online learning platforms, when funded, can be resourceful tools.
Cross-Area Collaboration: Collaborate with admissions to help students transition smoothly into academic life, housing services for affordable living accommodations, and financial and scholarships for assistance related to education costs.
Academic advising and support play a pivotal role in helping refugee students navigate their academic journey during their studies. It also allows students to prepare for educational pursuits in the future.
Mental Health and Well-being
Refugee students often carry a heavy emotional burden regarding their displacement. Mental health and well-being services are essential for addressing the they may face. It is critical to provide counseling, support groups, and resources to address trauma and psychological challenges.
Staffing Needs/Training: Trained mental health professionals with expertise in trauma-informed care and who understand the unique stressors of refugee students are crucial. Providing cultural competency training to all counselors is essential.
Barriers for Students: Stigma around seeking mental health support and language barriers can deter refugee students from accessing help. Universities must create a welcoming and inclusive environment for these services.
Funding Considerations: Allocate resources for mental health services, including counseling, workshops, support groups, and group therapy. Consider partnerships with local mental health organizations for additional resources, including offering student financial support for specialized mental health services outside the university if needed.
Cross-Area Collaboration: Create a holistic support network for students’ well-being through key collaborations between international student services/programs. These collaborations should address cultural stigma, with health services for managing physical well-being, academic advising to support students facing academic stress, and student housing for a sense of belonging. Student Affairs can also help create a peer support group to connect students with similar experiences
Supporting the mental health and well-being of refugee students is a vital service area for their overall success. Teaching these student coping strategies and self-care for stress will help them manage the trauma and not allow it to become a barrier to their goals and aspirations.
Financial and Scholarships
Financial barriers are often a significant concern for refugee students, as many may lack the resources to fund their education.
Access to financial support and resources is often a determining factor for refugee students’ ability to pursue higher education. Scholarships, grants, and financial aid can make education more affordable, and universities should establish dedicated financial aid and scholarship programs to support these students in pursuing their academic goals.
Staffing Needs/Training: Financial aid officers should be well-versed in the financial challenges refugee students may face. Training in identifying and connecting students with scholarship opportunities, particularly those designated for refugees, is crucial. Staff should be knowledgeable about how to guide students through these types of application processes, and they might have nuanced eligibility requirements.
Barriers for Students: Financial constraints can be a significant barrier. Universities should actively promote scholarships, grants, and emergency funds for refugee students. Lack of education about applying for these types of funding sources often disadvantages the student.
Funding Considerations: Allocate resources for scholarship programs, grants, and emergency funds. Seek external funding from governmental and non-governmental organizations that generally support this population group. Providing funding for budgeting and financial education workshops is essential to help gain awareness of educational and living expenses.
Cross-Area Collaboration: Collaborate with Admissions to provide information on financial support during the admission process and with Academic Advising to help students understand the financial aspects of their education. Seek external assistance starting with application fees to the tuition and beyond. Collaborate with external organizations, NGOs, and government agencies that offer funding opportunities for refugees.
Financial support is crucial to ensuring that refugee students can access higher education support, which often goes beyond tuition, housing, and academic textbooks and supplies. Institutions might also have support for some personal needs; thus, having an emergency fund or a similar program for these students is an integral part of supporting refugee students.
Housing Accommodations
Providing safe and affordable housing options is essential for refugee students, as it can significantly affect their well-being and academic performance. Housing accommodation should be culturally sensitive in addition to being comfortable.
Staffing Needs/Training: Housing coordinators should be familiar with the housing needs of refugee students, including family accommodations and short-term housing options.
Barriers for Students: Refugee students may struggle to find suitable housing due to financial constraints, unfamiliarity with local housing markets, and discrimination. Universities can help by providing on-campus and off-campus housing resources.
Funding Considerations: Allocate resources for on-campus housing options, housing subsidies, and partnerships with local landlords for affordable off-campus housing. Provide resources for training housing staff who can understand trauma and integration in a living environment.
Cross-Area Collaboration: Collaborate with Academic Advising to ensure housing arrangements align with students’ class schedules and with Financial and Scholarships to explore housing assistance programs. Student Activities provide programs and events that share a sense of belonging but also options for engagement with the campus community.
Ensuring safe and appropriate housing is vital for refugee students as it could be the only place of solace they have in the process of trying to move their lives forward. So, it is essentially that the environment suits their needs for a sense of belonging.
Career Services and Employability
Preparing refugee students for the job market is essential for their long-term success. Career services can help them develop the skills and confidence needed for employment. Career Services should offer career counseling, workshops, internships, and job placement support. Create strategies to help students transition into the job market, whether they seek employment in their host country or wish to return to their home country.
Staffing Needs/Training: Career advisors should have knowledge of the job market and the specific challenges that refugee students may face in securing employment and be aware of resources that can help them succeed. Training in resume building, interview skills, and cultural competency is crucial. Create collaborations with industry partners and employers who are willing to support refugee students in their career development while increasing their knowledge of international job markets.
Barriers for Students: Language proficiency, discrimination, and a lack of familiarity with local job markets can be barriers to employment. Cultural differences and a lack of local professional networks can hinder employment for refugee students. Career services should address these challenges proactively.
Funding Considerations: Allocate resources for career development programs, job fairs, and internships. Seeking partnerships with local employers to create job opportunities is crucial for providing comprehensive support.
Cross-Area Collaboration: Collaborate with Academic Advising to ensure that students are pursuing courses aligned with their career goals and with Financial and Scholarships to explore work-study opportunities. Additionally, working with international student programs of student affairs to assist with cultural integration can prepare refugee students for successful entry into the workforce. Lastly, connect refugee students with alumni networks to expand their professional opportunities.
As we know, post-graduation success is the goal of pursuing a degree; thus, the services and resources from a Career Services unit are pivotal in the long-term success of these students.
Conclusion
In summary, the success of refugee students in higher education and beyond depends on a multi-faceted approach that addresses their unique needs across various service areas. Admissions, cultural/campus integration, academic advising, mental health and well-being, financial and scholarships, housing accommodations, and career services all play integral roles in facilitating the academic and personal growth of these students.
To optimize these services, universities must allocate adequate funding, provide specialized training for faculty and staff, and encourage cross-area collaborations to address the unique needs of these students. The collaboration between these services is essential for creating a seamless support network that can comprehensively address the diverse challenges faced by refugee students.
When universities prioritize these vital support services, they not only help refugee students overcome the challenges they face but also enrich their campus communities with diverse perspectives and experiences. By doing so, universities can empower refugee students to excel academically, achieve their career goals, and become valuable members of their campus communities. By doing so, higher education institutions can foster a more inclusive and equitable society for all.
Allocating internal resources and seeking external partnerships while also fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment are essential steps toward creating an environment where refugee students can thrive academically and personally.
After writing this article, I read another report about the challenges of refugee students, this time in a specific country. The article only solidified rising concerns about supporting this student population and that reasonable and practical solutions are needed. This solution should be both governmental and institutional.
By recognizing the challenges these students face and providing tailored support, higher education institutions can truly make a difference in the lives of refugees and contribute to their successful integration into society.
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