PAAIA Urges the Obama Administration to Take Measures to Assist Financially Beleaguered Iranian Students

Urge the Obama Administration to Assist Financially Beleaguered Iranian Students

According to data from the Institute of International Education, there are currently 6,892 students from Iran studying at colleges and universities in the United States. PAAIA has been contacted by Iranians on F-1 visas who are currently experiencing severe financial hardship due to the devaluation of the rial (Iranian currency) and who are finding it difficult to pay for and complete their studies.  PAAIA has been in contact with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding possible assistance for these students.

With the permission of the  DHS, it is possible for Iranian students to work off-campus.  A student with F-1 visa staus facing unexpected financial difficulties beyond his/her control may apply for off-campus work permission from the DHS.  

Click here to read more and take action.

Click here to read PAAIA’s letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Iranian Students Facing Financial Distress in the U.S.
February 19, 2013, Washington, DC –
Pouran (not her real name) is a young graduate student studying at one the most prestigious universities in the United States.  With only six credits left, she has been looking forward to completing her degree and moving on with her professional pursuits. However, due to the declining value of the rial (Iranian currency), Pouran has been unable to finish her education because she can no longer pay the needed tuition for her remaining six credits. She is trying hard to raise the necessary funds, but without a work permit or other means of employment, her chances of doing so are slim. 

To gather information on the extent of the hardship experienced by these students and how it was impacting them, PAAIA launched an online survey last month that was completed by nearly 1,000 students.

Click here to read more.

Click here to take action.

Click here to read PAAIA’s letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Meet PAAIA’s Spring 2013 CHIP Fellows
 

February 15, 2013, Washington, D.C. – There are two new Iranian Americans on Capitol Hill this spring. Hadi Sedigh and Shahrooz Shahandeh are PAAIA’s Capitol Hill Internship Program (CHIP) interns and are bringing the voice and contributions of Iranian Americans to both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The PAAIA CHIP program recognizes that congressional internships are often the inspiration and launching point for the careers of some of the most distinguished public servants in the nation. Serving as a congressional intern gives both Hadi and Shahrooz an important vantage point on American public life, valuable professional networking and communications skills, and an important credential to work full time as a congressional staffer or elsewhere in federal or state government.

Click here to read more.