Since the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the subsequent takeover by the Taliban in the summer of 2021, more than 80,000 Afghan refugees have sought asylum in the United States. Nearly 2,000 Afghan refugees have resettled in the Chicago area.
Northeastern Illinois University is proud to welcome Afghan refugees to our city, our community and our University. You, too, can play a vital role in supporting Afghan students and a Visiting Afghan Scholar at NEIU as they adjust to life in Chicago.
NEIU has established two vital funds to support Afghan refugees: The Afghan Transition Program Fund and the Visiting Afghan Scholar Fund.
Support Afghan Refugees at NEIU
AFGHAN TRANSITION PROGRAM
In October 2021, NEIU established the Afghan Transition Program (ATP) to provide a limited number of qualified refugees with full scholarships and housing for the Fall 2021, Spring 2022 and Summer 2022 semesters.
This program is not only consistent with the University’s stated values of Excellence, Access to Opportunity, Diversity, Community, and Empowerment Through Learning, but also communicates Northeastern’s readiness to lead with a sense of responsibility and accountability to those historically displaced and dispossessed by circumstances beyond their control.
Your contributions to the Afghan Transition Program will ensure the University is able to quickly meet the financial needs of these students. This fund provides students with money for groceries, clothing, childcare, transportation, books, school supplies, technology and more. Your support will also help us continue to support these students beyond the Summer 2022 term.
Other resources for students
NEIU provides all of our students with resources beyond academic support, to provide a holistic, social justice-oriented approach to education. These resources include:
To support our students through in-kind donations of groceries, toiletries, gently used professional clothing or practical household items, please contact Interim Associate Dean of Student Affairs Paola Vargas at p-vargas@neiu.edu or (773) 442-4609.
Partners
NEIU has partnered with RefugeeOne, Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago, Catholic Charities, World Relief of Chicagoland, and Heartland Alliance to support the transitions of the Afghan Transition Program students to the Chicago area.
Thank you!
Thank you for your consideration and support of our NEIU students! If you have any questions on the impact of your contribution, please contact Vice President of Institutional Advancement Liesl Downey at l-downey@neiu.edu or (773) 442-4248.
