Bridgeport International Academy aids Ukrainians with Scholarships

Photo courtesy of Bridgeport International Academy

“Given the current crisis in Ukraine, Bridgeport International Academy would like to offer our members what support we can,” says BIA Director of Admissions, Lily Shapiro. “We are offering families in our movement a sizable scholarship.” 

The private college preparatory academy, established by True Parents in 1997 in Bridgeport, Conn., is now providing overseas support through student visas and scholarships for young Unificationists from Ukraine. “As an international boarding school, we can issue student visas,” says Shapiro. “So if there are any families that wish to send their children out of any conflict zone, we would love to help.”

Shapiro says the school’s post-graduate program, typically for ages 18 to 20, is a seamless way for foreign students to transition to America. “This program is for international students who have graduated from high school but aren't confident in English to jump into an American college,” she says. “The program would give them an ‘extra year of high school,’ meaning they would take our English courses to strengthen their language abilities before college.”

For undergraduate students, Shapiro recommends applying to a nearby community college through its international enrollment program.

“Housatonic Community College, which is a five-minute walk down the road from us, can also issue international student visas for college-aged students,” says Shapiro. “We have a relationship with the college and can connect any interested students with an advisor for help. This could be a way to attend school at a community college rate with free housing [during the academic year] at BIA.”

Shapiro says BIA is working with agencies in Ukraine to give non-Unificationist students a similar scholarship as well. The school is approved by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to issue I-20 forms, which allows international students to obtain F1 non-immigrant student visas. While BIA offers swift enrollment, Shapiro says the school is unable to provide housing to students before the fall term. However, the school can assist students with finding lodging over the summer if needed. 

So far, some three million Ukrainians have fled their homeland, according to various news reports. U.S. officials said they expect most Ukrainian refugees will want to stay in Europe; however, millions more have been internally displaced and may need to find safe haven in other countries.

​​“This is not something that Poland or Romania or Germany should carry on their own,” said U.S. President Joe Biden during a March 24 news briefing in Brussels. “This is an international responsibility.” White House officials said refugees would be received through “the full range of legal pathways,” including the U.S. refugee admissions program, visas, or “humanitarian parole,” a temporary form of entry offered to displaced people in wartime and other emergencies.

At BIA, Shapiro says the school will extend visas to young adults as well, through their support staff program.

“We have support staff who live in our dorm for free in exchange for some simple jobs around the dorm and school,” she says. “Jobs include taking out garbage, checking on curfew, simple cooking, and other tasks. The support staff positions are really nice for young adults in their early 20s because it offers independence with a financial safety net.”

Shapiro notes that support staff does have the option to stay in the dorm over the summer, which gives young working adults more security. Over the last 25 years, BIA has continually drawn a diverse, co-ed student body, with as much as 45 percent of its students coming from different countries around the world.

You can receive more information about BIA’s international student visas and scholarships by emailing admissions@bridgeportacademy.org.