Get Refugees Into Higher Education - Community21

Campuses across the U.S. have implemented innovative programs and practices to aid refugees and other vulnerable communities access higher education, achieve degree completion, obtain career preparation, and find long-term success.

Campuses across the U.S. have implemented innovative programs and practices to aid refugees and other vulnerable communities access higher education, achieve degree completion, obtain career preparation, and find long-term success.

Of the 20.7 million refugees under our care, 7.9 million are refugee children of school age. Their access to education is limited, with almost half of them unable to attend school at all.

Education protects refugee children and youth from forced recruitment into armed groups, child labour, sexual exploitation and child marriage. Education also strengthens community resilience. Education empowers by giving refugees the knowledge and skills to live productive, fulfilling and independent lives.

School dropout rates and class failure rates were also significantly higher among refugee children as compared to local children (UNICEF 2015). Insufficient access to education is particularly likely in cases of urban displacement, as many urban schools are already stretched and lack space for new pupils.

Refugee student enrollment in tertiary education, such as college and university, rose to 6 percent in the 2020-2021 school year. While this figure is well below global levels, it is still a considerable improvement from recent years, when refugee enrollment in tertiary education stood at 1 percent.

Can Refugees Attend College in the U.S? Yes, a refugee with an approved status can attend any college or university of their choice in the United States.

Globally, only 3 percent of refugees are able to access university. The road that has taken him there has been a harrowing one.