Welcome Refugee Students on Your Campus
Colleges and universities have a rich legacy of welcoming refugee students, embracing the diversity of perspectives and backgrounds that newcomers bring to America. A first-of-its-kind program, the Welcome Corps on Campus links higher education to U.S. resettlement and a pathway to U.S. citizenship.
Campus communities can support refugee students who were forced to flee their homes and now face barriers to continuing their education. Campus private sponsor groups help newly arriving refugee students enroll in classes, provide academic support, and help them take part in campus life as they adapt to life in America.
Sponsoring refugee students is a significant commitment. Campus communities are uniquely positioned to welcome refugee students, and we provide ongoing support and guidance at each step of your sponsorship journey.
Get Involved
Sponsoring as a campus community makes adapting to life on campus and in the United States easier for refugees and can be deeply rewarding for everyone involved. Successful sponsorship of refugee students is an all-of-campus approach which requires the commitment and buy-in of a variety of campus stakeholders to work together to secure financial, logistical, and academic support.
Welcome Corps on Campus is not currently accepting applications from campus sponsor groups. To receive updates for the next cohort, sign up for our newsletter. The next application cycle for campus sponsor groups will open in Spring 2025.
Forming a Campus Private Sponsor Group
Campuses participating in the Welcome Corps on Campus must form a campus private sponsor group to welcome refugee students. Groups provide refugee students with a softer landing and an educational pathway, setting them up for academic and overall success. View the On Campus Mobilization Toolkit to get started.
Campus sponsor groups should include a variety of campus stakeholders (staff, faculty, and students) and community members to provide holistic support during the 12-month sponsorship period. View this Sample Group Structure for guidance on forming your group. Each group should have a designated “group coordinator,” who will create an account and complete the application.
Groups must have a minimum of five members, and all sponsors must meet the same minimum eligibility requirements:
- Private sponsor groups must have a minimum of five members over the age of 18.
- Everyone in your group must be an American citizen or permanent resident.
- Members must have a connection to the campus and surrounding community where the refugee student will resettle.
Ways to Welcome
There are two ways to welcome refugee students through the Welcome Corps on Campus:
- Welcome Corps on Campus can match your group with a refugee student recruited in Jordan, Kenya, and Ecuador and identified as an academic fit for your institution.
- Institutions can form a campus private sponsor group to refer a specific refugee student to the program. Use the Refugee Eligibility Tool to determine whether the refugee student you would like to sponsor is eligible for referral. The application to refer a specific refugee student is currently closed.
All refugee students resettled through the Welcome Corps on Campus must meet the definition of a refugee under U.S. law and the following criteria:
- They live outside their home country.
- They do not live in the United States.
- They live in a country where the U.S. government is able to interview sponsored refugees and process their cases.
- They are already registered on or before September 30, 2023, as a refugee or asylum seeker by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) or by the government of the country where they live.
- They are between 18-24 years old at the time of application.
- They are single (unmarried) with no children. Refugee students will not be able to bring family members with them to the United States. The broader Welcome Corps program provides opportunities for family sponsorship.
- They are enrolling in an associate or bachelor’s degree program.
- They have not been previously denied for resettlement to the United States through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
How to Apply
The application for campus private sponsor groups is currently closed. Here’s how you can prepare for the next application cycle which will to open in Spring 2025.
Learn more about the application process by taking the Application Support Session E-course.
Share the Opportunity
Review the On Campus Mobilization Toolkit to learn how private sponsors and institutional leadership have the capacity to welcome, enroll, and support refugee students on their campus.
Take the Training
At least one member of your group must complete the Sponsorship Essentials Training. Be sure to select “Welcome Corps on Campus” from the list of options when you register. Download the certificate of completion to upload as part of your group’s application.
Make a Plan
Supporting refugee students on your campus requires preparation and research. Campus sponsor groups commit to providing core sponsorship services with the support of institutional leadership. This includes securing housing, tuition, academic support, and connecting refugee students to medical services. Welcome Corps on Campus provides resources and training for sponsor groups.
We recommend watching an Application Support Session with program coaches before applying.
Complete Your Background Check
Every member of your sponsor group must complete and pass the required background check. The Welcome Corps does not accept third-party background checks. Background checks can take several weeks, and we encourage sponsors to complete this step before you apply.
Gather Application Materials
Institutional leadership plays a key role in welcoming refugee students. Each sponsor group must work with institutional leaders to submit the required application materials.
All groups must submit the Private Sponsor Group Commitment Form and Institutional Commitment Letter.
Groups applying to be matched with a refugee student must complete the Academic Admission Information Form.
Groups applying to refer a refugee student must complete the Letter of Intent.
Begin Fundraising
Key to successful fundraising is early and sustained coordination. Work with institutional leadership, relevant departments, and the surrounding community to determine the cost of sponsorship for your community. To apply, you must upload a document that shows you have secured at least 60% of the total cost of sponsorship. View this fundraising guide for best practices to support your fundraising goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
View answers to frequently asked questions about the application process below or contact campus@welcomecorps.org.
Who can apply?
Campuses interested in sponsoring one or more refugee students must form a private sponsor group. Sponsor groups have at least five American citizens or permanent residents who are over the age of 18. Groups should include campus stakeholders (staff, faculty, and students) and community members to provide academic, logistical, and peer-to-peer support. We encourage recruiting off-campus group members who can provide support when classes are not in session.
If your group applies to sponsor more than five refugee students, the minimum number of group members is 10.
Collectively, private sponsors and institutional leadership must demonstrate that they have the capacity to welcome, enroll, and support refugee students on their campus during the official sponsorship period. View the On Campus Mobilization Toolkit to get started.
Can you tell me a little more about the refugee students welcomed under this program?
Students identified for the program will be between 18-24 years old, meet the program’s academic eligibility criteria, and are proficient in English. Students pursue associate or bachelor’s degrees.
Welcome Corps on Campus can match your group with refugee students recruited in Jordan and Kenya and identified as an academic fit for your institution, or institutions can form a campus private sponsor group to refer a specific refugee student to the program. All refugee students resettled through the Welcome Corps on Campus must meet the definition of a refugee under U.S. law and program eligibility criteria outlined above.
What are the responsibilities of campus private sponsor groups?
Campus sponsor groups commit to providing core sponsorship services such as academic support, housing, and social connections for a minimum of 12 months. Groups, in collaboration with institutional leadership, must secure funding to cover all academic and living expenses during the 12-month sponsorship period. Expenses include tuition, room and board, books, health insurance, laptop, phone, clothing, transportation, pocket money, etc.
As part of the Institutional Commitment Letter, sponsor groups submit a budget for the total cost of sponsorship. To apply, groups must demonstrate that is providing at least 60% of the total funds required to support a student for 12 months or your group must upload additional documentation that shows your group meets the fundraising requirements. The Welcome Corps on Campus encourages campus leadership and sponsor groups to leverage networks and relationships to successfully fundraise. View this fundraising guide for best practices to support your fundraising goals.
Private sponsor groups are required to outline how refugee students will cover post-sponsorship academic and living expenses. In most cases, this will require ongoing institutional commitment, such as student services, financial aid, scholarships, or tuition waivers.
How is the Welcome Corps on Campus different from a scholarship for refugee students?
Scholarship opportunities for refugee youth overseas require an international student visa. Students sponsored through Welcome Corps on Campus arrive with refugee status, putting them on track to become permanent residents and citizens of the United States. All refugee students must meet U.S. Refugee Admissions Program eligibility and admissibility criteria to be approved for resettlement.
Join the Movement
When refugees are forced to flee their homes in search of safety, many refugee students are left without adequate access to continue their education and secure the futures they planned for. Now the Welcome Corps is making it possible for you to make a difference in the lives of refugee students.
Sign up to learn more about the Welcome Corps on Campus!
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About the Consortium
The Department of State funds a consortium of non-profit organizations with expertise in resettlement and higher education to implement the Welcome Corps on Campus. The Welcome Corps on Campus is implemented through the collective efforts of these organizations under a cooperative agreement with the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration at the U.S. Department of State.