Path to Success: Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Youth Access Higher Education

Group of women laughing

The Path to Success: Supporting Immigrant and Refugee Youth Access Higher Education project was a collaborative initiative between PIRS and UBC students Shogofa Alizada and Emilie Wang. This project, funded by the UBC Community-University Engagement Support (CUES) Fund, tackled the complex barriers faced by newcomer youth in their educational journeys.

The project’s cornerstone was the formation of a Youth Advisory Committee, bringing together newcomer immigrant and refugee women aged 17-25. The group provided crucial insights and co-developed solutions, ensuring the project’s relevance and impact.

Barriers to Higher Education

The following barriers were identified that make it challenging for immigrant and refugee youth to access and succeed in higher education in Canada:

  • Lack of Awareness and Accessibility of Existing Resources: Students often don’t know about or understand how to use available support services. This is compounded by the complexity of navigating the educational system in a new country. 
  • Dispersed Nature of Support: Help is scattered across different organizations, making it confusing for students to find what they need.
  • Cultural and Language Barriers: Many students struggle with adapting to the Canadian educational system, understanding course requirements, and engaging with peers and educators. 
  • Lack of Guidance on Educational Pathways: There’s not enough personalized help for students to plan their education and career paths.
  • Interrupted Education: Many students have gaps in their schooling due to the challenges of conflict, displacement, or migration. Without targeted remedial education, these students may fall further behind, as the standard curriculum often assumes a continuous educational background.
  • Navigating Cultural Adjustment and Identity: The pressure to assimilate or conform to the new culture can make it difficult for newcomer youth to feel a genuine sense of belonging, affecting their academic performance and overall wellbeing.

Final Project Report

Our project report provides a comprehensive overview of our journey and the outcomes we achieved. It explains in detail the key barriers to education we identified throughout the process, offering valuable insights into the challenges faced. Additionally, the report presents a set of targeted recommendations aimed at service providers, policymakers, and funders to address the identified barriers.

Read the final project report
Cues Impact Report

Path to Success: Newcomer Youth’s Guide to Post-Secondary

We created a series of online webinars to address the identified information gaps and support newcomer youth in navigating the Canadian post-secondary education landscape:

  1. Crafting a Winning Application: Learn to create a compelling application and portfolio
  2. Funding Your Future: Explore student loans, bursaries, and awards
  3. Minding Your Mental Health: Resources for a successful first-year transition
  4. Thriving in First Year University: Panel discussion: University insider tips

Crafting a Winning Application: Learn to create a compelling application and portfolio

  • 01:42 – Picking Your Programs & Schools
  • 14:19 – How to Make a Good Application
  • 24:35 – Scholarships
  • 28:22 – Planning Out a Balanced Schedule
  • 34:09 – Housing, Campus Life, GPA
  • 40:18 – Q&A

Funding Your Future: Explore student loans, bursaries, and awards

  • 08:28 – Types of Financial Aid
  • 14:14 – Scholarships, Bursaries, and Loans
  • 22:10 – Application Tips
  • 24:53 – Personal Statement
  • 36:25 – Common Application Mistakes
  • 47:15 – Q&A

Minding Your Mental Health: Resources for a successful first-year transition

  • 05:31 – Understanding Mental Health
  • 06:32 – Mental Health Resources in Post-Secondary Institutions
  • 14:52 – How to Seek Help?
  • 17:16 – Overcoming barriers
  • 21:18 – Self-Advocacy
  • 25:16 – Stress Management Skills
  • 31:12 – Q&A

Thriving in First Year University: Panel discussion: University insider tips

  • 01:35 – General Questions
  • 24:24 – Advice for Incoming/Current Students
  • 45:37 – Academic Experience
  • 55:03 – Future Goals and Career
  • 1:05:22 – Friendship, Inclusion, and Diversity

Ubc Cues