Millions of Syrian high school graduates and college students are unable to pursue their dream of a college degree. Thousands of schools have been destroyed, unfairly depriving Syrian students from their right to education. Millions of Syrian students are now refugees, with no nearby school. And millions more are to afraid to go to school because a bomb could fall on the school at any time.

While host countries and the UNHCR can provide primary education to Syrian children, the young Syrian men and women pursuing a higher education face a much more difficult task. With language, logistical, and financial barriers to overcome, these students are unable to continue their education without institutional assistance.

While the world fails to stop the fighting in Syria, we need to do what we can to help our fellow university students. Syria needs a next generation of lawyers, architects, doctors and teachers; that is why we are urging UBC to create scholarship opportunities specifically for Syrian students to pursue a higher education.

UBC accepts over 13,000 students every year, offering many generous scholarships . With support from the AMS and university administration, we seek not only to raise the annual fee students pay to support refugees studying at UBC from $2.61 to $5.22 per year but also call for the designation of 10 scholarships to Syrian refugees who deserve the chance to learn from and contribute to the academic community on campus.

Tuum Est, it is up to us to prove that The University of British Columbia can be a leader to universities around the world by offering these Syrian refugee students a second chance at getting their education.