CISA Aids Internationals’ Woes

By Matt Weafer
The Broadcast

When an international student applies to attend Brescia University, the student is required to show a savings account large enough to pay for the four years of tuition. When an international student applies for a social security number to work in the United States, the student is required to show the amount in his/her savings account. When the social security office sees the same large sum Brescia looks for, the student is often denied the social security number.

This is just one of the many concerns international students face attending Brescia. To alleviate the burden the Council for International Student Affairs (CISA) has established a monthly forum for students to express their concerns.

“We set up CISA,” SGA President Josh Clary said, “because there wasn’t a Dean of Students and we wanted some way for an international student’s voice to be heard, and to make international students feel like the university cared about them.”

At CISA’s first meeting several international students were present with several international woes.

One major concern for some international students was knowing whom to go to when they have questions about their VISA, tuition payments, social security number, or I-20 form.

“We wanted someone to be the director of international students,” Clary said. “Someone they know and can go to to tell them where they need to go. But that doesn’t exist.”

Dean of Students Erik Krauss has offered to assist international students any way he can.

“Our goal,” Clary said, “is to gather information and give international students a forum to get their concerns passed along to the appropriate people.”

At the end of each CISA meeting, Clary forwards the minutes to the chair of the Student Welfare Committee and the Dean of Students to find out the answers to students’ questions and direct them to the right people.

“Nothing is in writing,” Clary said in reference to international student procedures. “It’s kind of fluid.”

According to Clary, a lot of international students don’t acquire a social security number because they don’t need to work. Others do, however. Since some students are denied a social security number, Clary said, “it alludes that we may have students working illegally and that’s not a good situation for them to be in. It would be some violation of their VISA.” Which could possibly lead to deportation, he said.

Any student with concerns or questions, contact Clary or Dean Erik.