International students at UCLA who are from areas that were
directly affected by the recent earthquake and resultant tsunami in
South Asia may qualify for new financial aid resources, available
thanks to a grant provided by two national organizations, the
Institute of International Education and the Freeman
Foundation.
The $5,000 grant is available for up to four UCLA undergraduate
students, the maximum number of grant recipients allowed per
university.
To be eligible for the award, a student must be a citizen or
permanent resident of Indonesia, Malaysia or Thailand and must be
able to demonstrate that their financial ability to continue their
studies in the United States has been directly affected by the Dec.
26 devastation.
Sharon Witherell, a spokeswoman for the Institute of
International Education, said that over 13,000 students in the
United States are from the three affected countries and could be
eligible for aid, including 6,249 from Indonesia, 2,464 from
Thailand, and 4,543 from Malaysia.
According to Witherell, funding is not currently available for
students from other tsunami-hit countries like Sri Lanka and India
because the scholarship draws on funds specifically for students
from Southeast Asia.
However, the Institute for International Education is trying to
acquire funding to expand the scholarship.
Last year there were 80,000 students in the United States from
India and Sri Lanka.
The funds being used were originally designated for students
from Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Korea who were affected by
the Asian financial crisis in 1997.
Houghton Freeman, chairman of the Freeman Foundation, said in a
statement, “By providing emergency assistance to students
from Southeast Asia whose families may have lost their homes or
livelihoods, our goal is to alleviate immediate financial burdens
and provide a measure of security during these difficult times when
so many have lost so much.”
“We wish to assist and encourage U.S. campuses to help
their students to be able to stay here and complete their
studies,” he said.
Last month, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake beneath the Indian Ocean
triggered a massive tsunami that devastated many areas of Asia and
Africa, with Indonesia being the hardest hit.
More than 150,000 people died in the disaster and more deaths
are expected from disease.
Jiin-Jen Lee, a University of Southern California professor of
civil and environmental engineering and expert on tsunamis, said
that the affected region was devastated, and students who came to
this country for educational purposes may find that their
family’s property has been destroyed, which could pose a
threat to their further study in the U.S.
The universities that have students who are granted awards will
also provide some sort of financial aid. Monetary funding may come
in many forms, including tuition waiver, scholarship, stipend, loan
or work study.
Students interested in financial aid should submit their
applications to the Institute for International Education by
February 1 to be considered in the first round of funding.
Students interested in applying for tsunami-related
financial aid should contact the International Institute at
UCLA.