Every Campus A Refuge (ECAR)

Every Campus A Refuge (ECAR) is sponsored by Presidents' Alliance. ECAR mobilizes colleges and universities to host refugees and support their resettlement. Funding is available to institutions that plan to host newcomers in alignment with ECAR's mission and best practices and officially join the ECAR network.

Campus | Community Sponsorship Hub Expanding Higher Education Access for Refugee Students Information for Institutions Information for Students "When we combine the moral imperative with the economic imperatives, it's an easy sell to talk about helping refugees be successful from within [our] state."

- large public university in the Midwest Too often, structural barriers and a lack of resources, information, and targeted support prevent qualified and ambitious students of refugee background from pursuing an undergraduate degree at a U.S. university or college.

A recent study led by Community Sponsorship Hub (CSH) found that higher education institutions have an interest in recruiting high-achieving students of refugee background in their communities to develop their local workforce and enhance integration outcomes. Students in turn recognize the importance of a degree for upward economic mobility and full civic participation.

Additionally, 81% of campus stakeholders surveyed are motivated by their institutional missions to help refugee students access higher education. To meet this desire, we are launching a new program aiming to increase participation of students of refugee background in higher education. Public and Private Institutions: The Expression of Intent to Participate deadline has been extended.

Submit by December 31, 2025. Students: The application is now closed Public & Private Institutions Submit your Expression of Intent by December 1, 2025, to welcome students in the 2026-2027 cohort. Student Enrollment for 2026-2027 Review student eligibility criteria and apply by October 29, 2025, for consideration.

Attend an Upcoming Information Session HEI sessions: Wednesdays, 12 p. m.

ET, Sept 24 – Nov 19 Led by the Community Sponsorship Hub in coordination with the Institute of International Education (IIE) and with support of Every Campus A Refuge (ECAR) and the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, this new program provides an opportunity for higher education institutions interested in supporting students of refugee background in their state who resettled to the United States on or after January 1, 2021, earn an undergraduate degree (Bachelor or Associate).

The program builds on the successes of the Welcome Corps on Campus, a first-of-its-kind program linking higher education to U.S. resettlement and a pathway to U.S. citizenship.

Based on best practices and lessons learned from the Welcome Corps on Campus and other programs supporting first generation and displaced student populations, the program supports selected students from academic application to admission and enrollment to ongoing mentorship, while building capacity at participating campuses to empower refugee-background students to earn their degrees and thrive on campus and in their communities.

Join a network of U.S. colleges and universities committed to opening doors for refugee students. Learn more about a new program for refugees who resettled to the United States on or after January 1, 2021. Where is the program offered?

To roll out this program in the most efficient and sustainable manner, the program is launching in select states, with the first student cohort beginning their studies in the 2026-2027 academic year.

At this time, we look forward to working with private and public institutions and students in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington state, Wisconsin.

Students interested in the program who do not reside in one of the above listed states, are not eligible to apply for the program at this time. Private and public institutions in states not listed above might still be able to participate in the program. Read the FAQs for higher education institutions to learn more.

Higher Education Institutions – FAQs Community Sponsorship Hub Higher Education Institutions – One-Pager Community Sponsorship Hub Community Sponsorship Hub Students of Refugee Background – FAQs Community Sponsorship Hub Students of Refugee Background – One-Pager Community Sponsorship Hub Join our email list to receive updates on Community Sponsorship Hub’s new higher education access program for U.S. colleges and universities to welcome students of refugee background who have already been resettled to the United States.