Temple is a leader in the widespread #YouAreWelcomeHere social media campaign, which encourages international students to study in the United States. This new scholarship will provide financial support for international students who are committed to furthering the #YouAreWelcomeHere message through
“Concordia College is proud to join in launching the #YouAreWelcomeHere scholarship, advancing our college’s commitment to international students and to campuswide internationalization,” says William Craft, president of Concordia College.
Temple University’s director of international admissions and originator of the #YouAreWelcomeHere campaign, Jessica Sandberg, says the original initiative has built bridges between U.S. higher education and students worldwide and now is the time to do more.
“This scholarship is our way of meeting students halfway across that bridge,” she says. “It advances the campaign through meaningful action, adding concrete support for international students to our already well-received message and providing those students with a way to expand the conversation.”
Sandberg, along with Concordia’s director of international admission, Dr. Matthew Beatty, will present more details of this new initiative to their international education colleagues at the annual NAFSA: Association of International Educators conference May 29 in Philadelphia.
“I’m very excited for Concordia College to be part of this pioneering scholarship program from its point of inception,” Beatty says. “#YouAreWelcomeHere is a message of welcome from a community of U.S. higher education institutions to prospective students. I’m confident the new scholarship program will not only enhance this collective message but also make a meaningful difference to hundreds of students and families from around the world.”
The other institutions in the partnership include Eastern Michigan University, James Madison University (Virginia), Purdue University Northwest (Indiana), Seattle University (Washington), Shoreline Community College (Washington), Western New England University (Massachusetts) and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
About the #YouAreWelcomeHere Campaign
Following expressions of apprehension by some international students about studying in the U.S., in November 2016, Temple University expanded the #YouAreWelcomeHere hashtag into an international campaign to ensure that international students at U.S. universities and colleges feel welcome in the United States. Since then, more than 350 colleges and universities, 60 international education companies and organizations, and 20 high schools have joined. In recognition of its leadership efforts, the campaign has received several national awards.
For more information, visit ConcordiaCollege.edu/yawh.