YPSILANTI, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – For students whose lives have been impacted by war or other largely transformative events, Eastern Michigan University and Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County have partnered to begin a scholarship for refugees.
The New Future Fund idea was derived from the relationships formed between JFS and EMU when in December 2021, 12 Afghan families who with the help of JFS were resettled in homes after evacuating their country. The fund is intended to help refugee students with tuition and housing at the college, while JFS provides other services such as clothing and support services.
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“The New Future Fund is designed to help students like Lada Protecheva, a refugee student forced to evacuate from Ukraine due to the Russian invasion,” Vice President of EMU Advancement and Executive Director of the EMU Foundation Bill Shepard said, “We hope to secure more donors so the New Future Fund can become a permanent scholarship to allow other students with circumstances similar to Lada’s to attend Eastern.”
Protecheva left her country and is wholly pursuing her education in the states with the hopes of getting an internship and then work to live in the U.S.
“EMU helped me in all areas of my life because I came here with nothing,” Protcheva said, “Without education, you have fewer opportunities. My family couldn’t afford to send me here, and EMU helped me with my future.”
Students interested in applying for the fund must have a Grade Point Average of 3.0 or above to be considered. Recipients must then complete a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester or six credits in the summer and maintain a 2.0 GPA for each semester enrolled to maintain the scholarship. Those interested in giving to the scholarship can visit the EMU Foundation website at https://www.emugiverise.com to make a contribution to the fund.
“The New Future Fund scholarship offers a new beginning and opportunity to complete their education,” EMU President James Smith said, “ We’re optimistic we’ll find additional donors and funding to continue our efforts to help students achieve a promising future.”
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JFS has been around since 1993, and resettled thousands of individuals from all over the world since its conception according to the site. Their reception and placement policy provides assistance for refugees to settle in the United States for the first three months after arrival. Those interested in helping house, clothe, or feed refugees can seek opportunities at the JFS site.
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