Over two hundred refugee students obtained a higher education degree last year. This is a slight increase compared to the previous year, reports the UAF. The foundation is looking for student mentors for the upcoming academic year.
Many students find that it takes a while to get used to studying at a university of applied sciences or university. The first year is even more challenging for young people who came to the Netherlands as refugees from countries such as Syria, Iran or Palestine, as everything is new to them.
The UAF supervised over 1,900 refugee students last year, 27% of whom were enrolled at a university and 21% were enrolled in vocational programmes. The majority (52%) were enrolled at a university of applied sciences.
At the end of last year, 202 students had obtained their diplomas. This is slightly more than in 2018, when 191 refugees graduated.
Mentors wanted
To make things easier for first-year refugee students, the UAF finds them a Dutch student buddy. These student mentors help refugees find their way around campus, practise their Dutch, complete study assignments and build a social network. The programme currently has over 500 mentor-student pairs.
The UAF is now looking for 80 new student mentors for the upcoming academic year. Buddies are especially needed in the cities of The Hague, Leiden, Delft, Groningen, Almere and Zwolle, according to the foundation.