Hey international friends. Since I’ve been helping USM international students through my job for the past 2 years, I have decided to publish a post full of resources updated every day. Internationals students suffer immensely during this pandemic due to the lack of resources available to them. That is why I address many of these below!
These include issues such as stimulus check, CPT / OPT, food, rides, essentials, rent payments, scholarships, laws, and immigration updates.
Groceries and Rides
• USM Eagles Nest food pantry provides to-go bundles of free food and utilities for any USM faculty, staff, or student > (www.facebook.com/usmnest/)
• Instacart delivers from winn-dixie, sams club, CVS and others (Instacart.com)
• Walmart offers online delivery and pick-up (https://www.walmart.com/cp/nextday-delivery/4563372)
• the iFriends group helps with rides and exchanges, giveaways (https://facebook.com/groups/ifriends.hattiesburg.ms/?ref=share)
Stimulus Check Eligibility
• I have created a link with the information we have applying to international students > (https://conta.cc/3eK1LNk)
• Please be mindful, accepting the stimulus may affect your future H1B (green card) application! > (https://hackinglawpractice.com/stimulus-immigrants-and…/)
Employment
Many of our students are no longer doing internships, getting gigs, volunteering, or working part-time due to this pandemic. If new opportunities arise, please message us at intl@usm.edu or me directly.
> I can help you get your CPT paperwork ready in 20 minutes through a Zoom/Skype workshop
Scholarships
International students often face the frustration of not being eligible for scholarships. I have made available a document with 20-pages worth of scholarships international students are eligible for!!
> (https://drive.google.com/…/1D2vBwd0dM…/view…)
Thank you for our friends from the Southern Miss Honors College for having gathered many of these opportunities.
Community Help
• The Hattiesburg Concert Association is a non-profit that has managed to raise money for international musicians at USM and William Carey University in this time of crisis > (hccca.org/artist-relief)
• For those USM students that may be struggling, here is a community group ready to help > (https://www.needsofusm.com)
Financial Help
• Have you experienced loss due to Covid-19 or the recent severe weather? The USM Foundation now has an emergency relief grant! > (http://usmfoundation.com/ERGP2020)
• Eagle Fever has three different help programs! > (https://eaglefever.usm.edu/project/20504)
Eviction Concerns
• Here is the motion that hopes to prevent evictions > (https://www.clarionledger.com/…/groups-seek…/3038923001/)
• MS Supreme Court Denies Prevention of Evictions > (https://www.wdam.com/…/mississippi-supreme-court…/)
FAQ’s
• Thank you for the overwhelming number of questions, keep them coming. Here is a link where I’ve tried answering many of them! > (https://conta.cc/2yTgDZe)
