A liberal New England college says it will offer one full scholarship to a refugee fleeing his or her war-torn country — with special preference given to those from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
Dennis Hanno, president of Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts said the scholarship was created in response to President Donald Trump's Jan. 27th executive order banning immigrants and refugees from countries known to harbor terrorists.
"As educational leaders, we are committed to the mission of improving the world by developing and disseminating ideas … by fostering a diverse, global community in which ideas are civilly discussed, respectfully debated and openly shared," Hanno said in a statement.
"[Trump's order] endangers the broadly diverse learning environment that is essential to our mission. This new policy implies that international students are neither needed nor wanted. This is false, and we must counter that divisive message.
"To promote our mission, we announce today our intention to offer a full scholarship to a student refugee from a war-torn country with a special preference from one of the following countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen."
The ban, overturned by a federal judge and upheld by another jurist, is being appealed by the Trump administration.
Hanno hopes to create a network of colleges and universities offering scholarships to refugees.
"We call on our colleagues at institutions of higher education across the country to join us in making a clear statement about the importance of diversity and openness on our campuses," Hannon said.
"By providing scholarship support to refugees from these countries, we extend the hand of opportunity and friendship to those who need it most and offer a model to our nation for more constructive engagement with the world."
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