UBC Okanagan students arrange free tuition for two refugees from Syria

KELOWNA – The UBC Okanagan Student Union are finalizing a deal with the administration to provide free education for two young refugees who came to Kelowna from Syria.

Student Union vice president of finance Ryan Kaila says the deal is still being finalized with administration, but he hopes to see it happen soon.

"We met with a former refugee family in Kelowna this past weekend and had the opportunity to eat with them" Kaila says. "Hearing their stories and seeing the pain in their eyes was truly heartbreaking. We surprised this refugee family with our commitment to sponsor two refugee students to take part in our UBCO education."

World Univeristy Service of Canada will choose which two students receive the scholarship. 

Meanwhile, the campus Muslim Students Association is also organizing a Syria Relief Drive to send badly needed medical supplies to camps in affected areas. They ask that anyone who would like to contribute either supplies or money stop by the UBCO Student Union office.  

To contact a reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infonews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

— This story was corrected Dec. 3, 2015 at 7:50 p.m. to clarify that the two students have not yet been chosen.