Rutgers—Camden student group creates fund for undocumented, international students
The Rutgers—Camden Define American Chapter worked with Assistant Dean of International Students Elizabeth Atkins to create a crowdfunding page for its emergency fund.
The Rutgers—Camden Define American Chapter recently began a new initiative to provide financial support for undocumented and international students in the midst of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Daily Targum previously reported the University received $27 million to distribute to students from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, but undocumented and international students were ineligible for funding. University spokesperson Dory Devlin said $3.1 million from this fund was allocated for Rutgers—Camden students.
Tania Martinez, a Rutgers—Camden student and vice president of the Rutgers—Camden Define American Chapter, said students used the Rutgers—Camden application to submit questions to administrators about the CARES Act after it was announced. She said administrators responded to clarify that undocumented and international students could not apply, but did not provide information about alternative resources.
“So the initial shock was, one, figuring out and understanding that they can’t apply to this (funding), as they started looking into this website, they didn't have access to it,” she said. “And then second, was asking and seeing what the school could do to help, and their lack of response bugged, I think, a lot of students.”
Devlin said international students at Rutgers can seek emergency funding through a partnership between Rutgers Global and the Institute for International Education. She said additional emergency funding has been distributed to students from funds organized by various deans or schools.
Melani Cruz Stokes, a Rutgers—Camden student and president of the Chapter, said the organization wanted to create a fund to help students not supported by the CARES Act and reached out to Elizabeth Atkins, assistant dean of International Students at Rutgers—Camden, who suggested creating a crowdfunding page through the University.
Define American has 15 days to reach its goal of $5000 for the emergency fund, according to the crowdfunding page.
Cruz Stokes said the organization has turned to various fundraising methods, including selling T-shirts and reaching out to local businesses. Martinez said she and other students spread information using social media and were able to get donations through platforms like Instagram.
Cruz Stokes said to create an application for the fund, Define American will work with Atkins as well as the Rutgers—Newark Chapter, also known as RU Dreamers, an organization that has experience with creating an emergency fund.
“Essentially, we wanted to make it so this fund was accessible for whatever it was that these students needed. We know that these students — especially those who are undocumented or those who are international — they face different hardships than we otherwise would like to think,” Martinez said.
Martinez said the Chapter has been working with the Define American national network to learn how to bring more attention to the needs of international and undocumented students at Rutgers—Camden.
To help advocate for these students on a larger scale, she worked with an organization called NJ Working Families to submit a testimonial to state leaders asking them to include funding for these groups in the state budget.
Martinez said she is also reaching out to student organizations on the New Brunswick campus and at other New Jersey schools to coordinate efforts.
“The idea with the coalition is that we can showcase that this need isn't just our campus. It isn't just our numbers but it's happening across the country but specifically is happening across the state,” she said.
Cruz Stokes said Define American aims to uplift the voices of international and undocumented students because it can be difficult for them to speak out against the inequalities they face without fear of retaliation.
She said she hopes more attention will be given to these groups on campus in the future, not just during the pandemic.
“It doesn't stop with this emergency funding, (it) continues on with having these conversations with Rutgers—Camden administration, having a meeting with the chancellor and even the president of Rutgers,” she said. “Overall, just to have these conversations about what can we do to better support our undocumented and international students, because I see that Rutgers has a mission of being a diverse and inclusive environment, yet we are still leaving out these groups of students from the emergency fund.”
