By KRWG News
Las Cruces – As of June 30, Libyan college students studying at New Mexico State University and other institutions in the U.S. and Canada can breathe a sigh of relief. While their country is still in turmoil, the funds supporting their education, which were frozen in May, have now been restored.
The Canadian Board of International Education, which manages Libyan-North American Scholarship Program funds from the Libyan Ministry of Education and Scientific Research, has sent all of the affected students a letter informing them that the situation has been resolved and that July monthly living allowances have been issued. The letter also stated that eligible reimbursement requests for recent covered expenses are being processed as quickly as possible.
This restoration of scholarship funding will affect about 10 Libyan graduate students studying at New Mexico State University, according to Mary Jaspers, associate director of admissions. She reported that in a May meeting attended by Libyan students and NMSU administrators, the university made it known that it would do everything possible to ameliorate the situation.
"We were working closely with the students and with CBIE all along to stay abreast of the situation," said Greg Fant, associate vice president and deputy provost. "Early on, indications were that the money would be delayed but forthcoming, so we allowed students to carry over balances until the money came through."
The Libyan-North American Scholarship Program supports more than 2,000 students, scholars and dependents, providing them with funds for tuition, living expenses and health insurance. This new funding will cover them through May 2012.