International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) has begun fundraising efforts for a new International Student Support Fund, which will go towards supporting UMD international students experiencing a crisis in their home country, providing cost assistance for basic necessities or educational expenses.
Katrina Knudsen, student advising manager for ISSS, has been an international student advisor for 14 years. “I can tell you the job has been made much more difficult by a sharp increase in global crisis events,” said Knudsen. “My colleagues and I have witnessed so many students struggling, watching from a distance while difficult and traumatic events unfold in their home countries. We often feel powerless to connect these students with sources of financial assistance…we're finally turning our passion into action to support our international Terps.”
In recent years, ISSS has worked with countless students impacted by famine, forced displacement, war, natural disasters, and other challenges—international Ph.D. student Tetiana Tytko shared that this kind of fund would have been extremely advantageous when the war in Ukraine broke out in 2022.
“I still remember the despair and terror I felt when I learned about it in the news. Being away from home and observing significant losses of human life, millions of displaced people, and the outbreak of the humanitarian crises—while constantly worrying about the lives of my family and friends was the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced…I found a lot of needed support at the UMD campus,” said Tytko. “There are no guarantees that other global crises won't strike in the near future. …ISSS must have the financial resources to support students in need.”
For those interested in supporting this new fund, ISSS has timed their launch of crowdfunding efforts in coordination with the annual UMD Giving Day on March 6, 2024 with a fundraising goal of $5,000—though they will continue to collect donations all year round.
We hope you join us in uplifting our international students on campus. Meeting the needs of all students is critical to UMD’s mission of pursuing excellence and making our world a better place.
To learn more about the fund and how you can support, visit their Giving Day page.