'I might have to drop out': Worries rise for some international Ukrainian students in Canada

As the war in Ukraine rages on, the Ukrainian Canadian Students’ Union (SUSK) says that international students from that country are being left in the lurch, with little idea of how to support themselves.

“Many of us still have families that are back in Ukraine, and even if they managed to get out, like my mother and brothers who are now in Poland, they can no longer send us money for our tuition,” said Oleksandra Shelduko, a public relations undergraduate student at Humber College in Toronto.

Shelduko arrived in Canada two months ago for in-person classes, after spending a year and a half in Boryslav, western Ukraine, for online schooling. When the war started, she and many other Ukrainian students reached out to Humber College for financial support.

According to Shelduko, several of her friends who are living in Humber College’s residence have already run out of money on their meal plans.

The school, in partnership with the Ukrainian Students’ Club, has responded by giving out food vouchers and making mental health support available. Humber says on its website that it will accept deferred fee payments for the current and next semester.

However, not all universities across the country are responding the same way.

“What we are seeing are general statements from universities that they have put out on their websites, social media pages and emails to student bodies,” said Danya Pankiw, the president of the Ukrainian Canadian Students’ Union (SUSK).

“But (they) don’t seem to accommodate the specific issue.”

Pankiw said that SUSK is hearing from Ukrainian students across the country about how universities aren’t willing to offer academic and financial accommodations specifically to them, and are evaluating everyone on a case-by-case basis.

She cited students of the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto who claim to have not received enough accommodations.

Matthew Ramsey, director of university affairs at the University of British Columbia, said that while there isn’t a blanket policy to accommodate Ukrainian students, he wants to make clear that all students who need support will receive it. 

“There is a recognition that the events that are unfolding in Ukraine are particularly stressful, unnerving, unsettling and damaging to Ukrainian students,” he said.

“That's why the university and I have been very clear that those supports are available. What the students need to do is reach out … say: ‘Hey, I'm having a problem. I need some help.’ And then the university is in a position to help.”

Pankiw said that without a unified and holistic policy, many universities are moving forward with professors and students who don't know how to respond to the isssue. 

According to SUSK, students are hearing different responses from individual professors, with some willing to grant generous academic accommodations such as exam deferrals, but others also saying that it isn’t fair to accommodate only Ukrainian students as conflicts occur around the world.

“So, it really is that professors are sort of making their own decision on this while universities release a generalized statement,” she said.

The Ukrainian Students’ Club at the University of Toronto (U of T) released a post on its Instagram page on Feb. 28 about a professor they say dismissed a student’s request for a deadline extension.

According to the post on The Ukrainian Students’ Club Instagram page, the professor replied: “We need to be consistent, transparent and fair to all students. As you may know, there are other armed conflicts and humanitarian catastrophes all over the world which directly impact students and their families. If we grant an extension to students b/c of the situation in Ukraine, we have to consider other students.”

The post was later updated to note that the regular extension policy of two days had been increased to seven days.

In a statement to CTVNews.ca, a U of T spokesperson said that “the university is providing emergency living funds to students impacted by the war in Ukraine, and is also working with individual students on a case-by-case basis on tuition deferrals as needed.”  

The spokesperson did not address their policy on exam and paper deadline extensions and deferrals. 

A review of several university websites shows most don’t have specific policies in place to accommodate and support international students in times of emergency in their home countries. Instead, they adopt a case-by-case approach that assesses each student’s situation individually. 

However, it is not the first time that confusion towards policy has occurred.  

During the peak of the military coup in Myanmar, a York university student requested an exam deferral because of an impending countrywide communications blackout, but according to screenshots of an email exchange posted on Reddit, the instructor replied to the student saying: "Even the internet came down with COVID-19?” 

The professor was eventually dismissed, and York University released a statement that support will be available to all students needing accommodation. 

Pankiw said that all universities should have a mandate to accommodate different cultural groups dealing with humanitarian crises or wars around the world that impact them. 

Several community groups or community-partnered campaigns like the Pardesi Project at Sheridan College have also pointed out the need for specific policy and support for international students. 

“The important thing with universities and colleges is that you're there to learn … and if there's something happening back home with your family and loved ones, your mind is clouded," said Pankiw. 

Shelduko worries that she won’t be able to continue her education at Humber College if the fee isn’t reduced or she isn’t able to secure financial assistance from the school.  

For her, a fee deferral only delays the issue instead of fixing it, as she no longer has access to funds to pay her tuition. 

As an international student, she is only able to work 20 hours a week by federal law, which she says isn’t enough to pay her degree’s annual fee of $20,485 which is almost three times that of the fee of $7,160.76 for domestic students. 

“I don’t want to drop out, after having made it this far. It’s a shame we’re in this situation because war found us and our families. It’s not fair to us.” 

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