After President Trump signed his executive order that banned citizens from nine Muslim-majority countries to enter America, Wheaton College has been one of the universities that expressed their dismay over the rule. Now the college is backing up their words with action by setting up a refugee scholarship for the affected students.
Wheaton College, a liberal arts college located in Norton, Massachusetts, will give preference to incoming students who are citizens of the countries affected by the president's executive order. Moreover, they also created a refugee scholarship for one incoming student who will be accepted in the process.
When asked about the college's decision, Grant Gosselin, dean of admission, said that their move was not in defiance against President Trump's decision but that catering to international students has always been part of the school's mission.
Gosselin, however, added that the students who will be considered in the application process are those who are eligible or already have an eligible visa. He also emphasized that they would not cater to undocumented students.
After the announcement, Wheaton said that it has already received 10 applications and are expecting more in the next few weeks. Wheaton's tuition is reportedly around $61,000 a year and it has already been giving financial aid to its student every year which amounts to $41 million.
Wheaton College isn't the only higher ed institution that expressed their opposition against Trump's order. Some of the top universities across the country, including Harvard University and Boston University, have been very vocal about their criticisms. They even backed Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Heady's move to file a suit against the executive order.
The leaders of these academic institutions have each expressed their dismay with Martin Meehan, the University of Massachusetts president, encouraging all university presidents in the United States to speak up.
Another academe who was very vocal about his criticisms is Subra Suresh, who served as former president Barack Obama's director of the National Science Foundation. In an open letter he wrote, he said that the freedom and prosperity of America 'depend in part on the people who come to this country' from other nations.
