Lethbridge College main entrance. (Image: Lethbridge College)

By David Opinko

Lethbridge College to offer domestic tuition to some refugee students

Sep 7, 2022 | 2:56 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Lethbridge College looks to offer some refugees an easier time affording to train for a new career.

The post-secondary school has created a Humanitarian Program, which gives financial assistance to students recognized under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Under the Humanitarian Program, up to 10 international students will be eligible for domestic tuition rates instead of having to pay international fees.

Applicants must be in Canada on a study permit and enrolled at the college full time. They will have to submit a brief essay on their aspirations and how Lethbridge College can help them to achieve their goals.

Thanks to a donation by local philanthropist Steve Meszaros and the Meszaros International Fund, the cost of tuition and textbooks will have waived entirely for two students per academic year for a maximum two-year program.

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Meszaros was born in Budapest. His family fled Hungary during the revolution in 1956 and settled in Lethbridge two years later.

Graduating from the Business Administration program in 1976, he says Lethbridge College offered him the opportunity to provide for his loved ones in their new home.

“I owe a great deal to Lethbridge College and am pleased to give back to the place that opened so many doors for me in my life,” says Meszaros. “Supporting international students who are working toward a better life in Canada benefits not only them, but our entire community, as they share their strong work ethic and values with us.”

Below are a few comparisons of tuition costs for domestic and international students at Lethbridge College:

• Criminal Justice Policing:
  • Tuition for domestic students (two years): $9,363
  • Tuition for international students (two years): $30,514
• Early Childhood Education:
  • Tuition for domestic students (two years): $7,175
  • Tuition for international students (two years): $26,415
• Agriculture Sciences:
  • Tuition for domestic students (two years): $9,568
  • Tuition for international students (two years): $28,065

To be considered for the Humanitarian Program, international students must provide one of the following: documentation of a pending refugee claim; a pending claim for permanent residency status under humanitarian or compassionate grounds; official notice confirming Protected Persons status; or documentation demonstrating they qualify under special measures by the Government of Canada such as Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET).

Awards will be given to those who demonstrate the greatest financial need, including those who are in Canada on government sponsorship.

More details on the Humanitarian Program are on the Lethbridge College website.

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