Hello! I'm an international student at Bard College with a refugee background. This summer, I'm staying in Bard dorms — for now, it's my only home. I'm grateful for the chance to finish my college education at Bard, but life here is still very difficult.

The issue is that Bard has not allowed refugee students, international students, and others in vulnerable situations to stay in the dorms for free during summer break. Living in a small room, sharing a kitchen and bathrooms with more than a dozen people, costs between $100 and $150 per week, depending on the student. That might not sound like much, especially compared to the rent market in the area, but I want to add some important context.

Students aren’t staying on campus because of comfortable life — they’re here because they have no better options. Among us are refugee students, international students afraid to go home because they might not be able to return due to visa issues and current U.S. policy, students with past experiences of homelessness who’ve lived in shelters, students afraid of being drafted into the army if they go home, and students whose situation at home is simply unsafe.

Students aren’t staying on campus because of wealthy life. One of my friends said, “The average monthly salary in my country is $200. I simply can’t ask my parents for this kind of money.”

International students are only allowed to work on campus due to visa restrictions. During the semester, on-campus jobs are limited, and those that exist are paid minimum wage and offer very few hours. In the summer, some students were able to get five jobs just to cobble together enough hours, while others can only find one job that doesn’t even cover their basic needs.

Refugee students have work authorization in the U.S., but most don’t have access to transportation. So their situation is only slightly better — they can work in Red Hook or Tivoli, where the Bard shuttle goes, but not beyond.

I feel so vulnerable — and at the same time, so angry. I want to help all of my peers who are struggling. I’ve started an initiative, you can follow it — summer.housing.bard on Instagram. This summer we were fundraising money for housing, organizing community dinners, and created a chat for transportation support.

At least 20 people reached out to me this summer for support with covering housing costs. At least 9 more students owe money to the Student Financial Office.

If you have any questions, approval of payments, or would like to support in other ways, feel free to reach out on our Instagram. We’ll do our best to share more stories of the students we’re helping.

Thank you so much for your care and solidarity!