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VicWISE continues to strive to support our international students during COVID-19!
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BRIDGING THE GAP

Helping international students bridge the financial gap as they maneuver the post-pandemic complexities of living and studying in Victoria.

OVERVIEW

One in five residents in Melbourne’s CBD are international students, bringing a vibrant and multicultural society.

International students injected almost $40 billion into the Australian economy in 2018-19, making it our largest service export, supporting more than 240,000 jobs and lifting the living standards of all Australians .

$1 million of economic activity is generated for every three international students studying in Australia .

During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, international students were simply told “it’s time to go home” forcing many to make the impossible decision: abandon their studies and their future, or stay and try to make it work with no support and record job losses.

Many international students were forced to work in cash-in-hand jobs, making them ineligible for any kind of financial support

Financial grants available to international students has been minimal at best, with
stringent criteria.

Food relief services and charities are supporting international students with material
aid, but students now face becoming ‘illegal’ due to non-payment of educational fees, impacting their visa status.

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OUR MISSION

To support international students in Victoria, who have fallen through the cracks of mainstream grant programs during the COVID19 pandemic.

OUR VISION

To ensure international students realise their academic ambitions in the aftermath of Covd-19.

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OUR VALUES
STUDENTS HELPING STUDENTS

We ourselves are international students and recent graduates who joined together to help fellow international students impacted by Covid-19.

We’ve faced similar struggles - losing jobs and unsuccessfully applying for grants from the government, universities, charities and other relief agencies, and wanted to help.

STUDENT EMPOWERMENT

We view international students as an accomplished cohort who have shown resilience in the face of incredible hardship, alone and separated from family and friends, losing jobs and income with little or no support. We see the potential they have to convert their educational and life dreams into reality while adding to their local community.

TRANSPARENCY

We are forthcoming about how we support international students that have fallen through the cracks, and ensure that every dollar raised (excluding the Chuffed transaction fees) goes towards supporting international students.

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Bridging the Gap is split into 2 phases with a goal of raising $10,000 by the end of 2021. We aim to raise $5,000 in Phase 1 running from March to July and a further $5,000 in Phase 2 from August to December.
Our volunteer-driven initiative will empower students to share their unique personal stories of extreme hardship that excludes them from mainstream financial support.
We are using crowdfunding platform Chuffed to leverage our diverse networks and the broader community to support these determined, yet struggling students.

All funds raised will directly support international students and their immediate financial needs to maintain their education and receive the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential despite the challenges imposed by the pandemic.
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