Business

Career School commits $3.7 million in scholarships for Haitian immigrants

MIAMI – Florida Educational Institute will commit $3.7 million to assist the Haitian relief effort. The funds will take the form of scholarships to provide critical career training for 398 Haitian immigrants in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, who have been granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) by President Barack Obama.

Many Haitian workers in the U.S. faced an uncertain future when their work permits expired and they may have been forced to return to their earthquake ravaged homeland. Thanks to President Obama; however, these individuals were granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS). While the change in status was certainly welcome, many in this category still face serious economic hardship.

Most of these TPS recipients were working in the construction and hospitality industries. When the U.S. economy experienced its recent historic downturn, they found themselves unemployed. In some cases, they were faced with layoffs even before their work permits expired.

scholarships for Haitian immigrants
Photo courtesy: Depositphotos.com

“Today, these areas of the economy remain weak. At the same time, the U.S. healthcare system faces a critical shortage of qualified support staff in allied health fields,” said Jhonson Napoleon president and CEO of the Florida Educational Institute. “In short,” he added “healthcare is still hiring. By providing nearly four hundred individuals with an opportunity to pursue careers in allied healthcare fields, we are supplying them the tools they need to support themselves and their families. This turns them into valuable contributors to the U.S. economic recovery and the effort to improve the U.S. healthcare system.”

The scholarship recipients will be able to enroll in any of the Florida Educational Institute’s (FEI) seven (7) Allied Health training programs. These include Medical Assistant Technology, Surgical Technology, Radiology, Medical Billing & Coding, Hemodialysis Technology, Mental Health Technician, Psychiatric Technician, and Patient Care Technology.

According to Dr. Betsy F. Napoleon, Dean of Academic Affairs, “Haitians need to help rebuild their country. But, they will not be able to do so, if they can’t work here in the US. Before the earthquake, Haiti’s economy depended heavily on money sent by Haitians living abroad. To survive today, the country depends even more on these contributions. Haitians living in the U.S. need jobs and the Allied Health field needs qualified workers. This scholarship will have an almost immeasurably large positive impact on participants, families and many thousands of healthcare patients in hundreds of hospitals and clinics in the United States.”

Scholarship Qualifications

To qualify for the scholarship, recipients must hold Temporary Protected Status and be a High School graduate. The selection process requires a 450 words essay, explaining why the applicant should be selected for the scholarship, and how they plan to use their new career to improve their lives here and how they will use it to help rebuild Haiti.

The scholarship will cover Full tuition and enrollment fees. Recipients of the Florida Educational Institute TPS Scholarship must successfully fulfill all FEI admission requirements prior to commencing their studies and must begin attending classes no later than May 2010 (based on availability in selected program of entry).

Interested students may obtain applications by visiting the school admission office, sending a written request to [email protected] or calling Mr. Frank Davis, Jr., Director of Admission at 305-751-0001 X 301. The scholarship application deadline is April 15, 2010.

 

Related Articles

Back to top button