Aid offered to Indonesian students in N. America
Aid offered to Indonesian students in N. America
JAKARTA (JP): More than 15,000 Indonesian students studying in
North America can breathe easier following announcements by the
Canadian and United States governments that assistance would be
accorded to the many cash-strapped students.
A statement received here yesterday said the U.S.-ASEAN
Business Council, the U.S. Information Agency and NAFSA:
Association of International Educators had announced a series of
temporary measures to assist Asian students studying in colleges
and universities in the U.S.
"Providing a small amount of 'stop gap' assistance to these
students is in the U.S. national interest," USIA director J.
Duffey in Washington said.
Among the initiatives are partial scholarships funded by the
private sector.
The USIA intends to provide an administrative grant supporting
fund-raising efforts for partial scholarships to highly qualified
and financially needy students from Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines and Thailand currently studying in the United States.
The U.S.-ASEAN Business Council, in cooperation with corporate
sponsors, is working to provide US$2 million in scholarships.
The USIA and the Department of State have encouraged the
Immigration and Naturalization Service to grant exceptions to
current regulations restricting foreign students from working and
further expedite hardship employment applications.
There are an estimated 15,000 Indonesian students in the U.S.
The Canadian government has also announced plans to help the
700 Indonesian students studying in Canada.
Canadian Secretary of State for the Asia-Pacific Raymond Chan,
who ended his three-day visit here yesterday, said his government
would also extend working visas to Indonesian students there.
"Canada will allow Indonesians studying in my country to work.
We will help them find solutions to the difficulties so that they
can continue their studies in Canada," he said Tuesday.
There are about 60,000 Indonesians studying abroad. An
estimated 10 percent have returned home, unable to continue their
studies since the monetary crisis began in July. (mds/emb)