Aug 25, 2011, 03.51PM IST
VIRGINIA: A University of Northern Virginiastudent, who is seven months pregnant with twins, fears deportation after immigration officials raided her college last month.
Vandana Bhargav, 32, who is working on a doctorate in education, said that she is worried about her ability to remain in the U.S. and by the side of her husband Sudhindra, who works as a software developer for the national lender Fannie Mae.
"I've been looking at other universities, but admissions are closed for the fall, so I don't know what I will do," said Bhargav, who will have to begin her program afresh, since credits from the unaccredited UNVA cannot be transferred to other schools.
"We don't want to think about going back. We want the university to run," Bhargav said, adding that she hopes to eventually return to India to work for the betterment of primary school education.
"I have seen my wife struggle through UNVA for the past one and a half years. It is a shame to see all her time and effort go to waste," Sudhindra Bhargav sasid, adding that Vandana always gets top grades at the university.
UNVA, which bills itself as the most popular American college for Indian students, was raided by U.S. immigration officials July 29 for allegedly failing to comply with federal regulations for administering foreign student visas. Almost 90 percent of UNVA's students are from Andhra Pradesh.
Officials from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Student and Exchange Visitor Program served UNVA officials in Annandale, Virginia with a notice of intent to withdraw the college's ability to accept foreign students. The college has until the end of August to respond to the ICE notice.
The university is still allowed to function and is still certified, ICE spokeswoman Cori Bassett said in an earlier interview, but cautioned however that as an investigation gets underway, UNVA students' records may be terminated on a case-by-case basis.
If a student's record is terminated, his visa status - and ability to remain in the U.S. - would be in jeopardy. Bassett said students would have the option to transfer to another university or leave the country.
In January, ICE officials raided Tri-Valley University in Pleasanton, Calif. Several TVU students - who were mostly from Andhra Pradesh - were taken into custody following the January raids and held in detention or fitted with ankle monitors, which restricted movement to within 50 miles of the school. TVU has since shuttered its doors.
But UNVA was nothing like TVU, said Vandana Bhargav, in a telephone interview from her Herndon, Virginia home. "UNVA has followed all the regulations regarding classes and assignments. They are very strict," she said, adding that she was required to attend classes in person, rather than online, as was the case with TVU.
"It is a fallacy that UNVA is a degree mill," stated Bhargav. "It is just like any other university."
TVU and several other universities have come under the ICE radar for allegedly charging students about $4,000 per semester and immediately allowing them to work in the U.S., under a provision called curriculum practical training. Normally, foreign students are not allowed to work in the U.S. until they have completed three quarters.
UNVA maintains that it is officially accredited and therefore able to enroll foreign students. But the university was not recognized by any accrediting organization certified by the Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education.
UNVA claims accreditation from the American University Accreditation Council, which is not recognized by the Department of Education.
Bhargav said she knew UNVA was not properly accredited but she enrolled nevertheless, jumping at the chance for good research opportunities and to be close to Sudhindra. Tuition fee was also much less than similar institutions, she said.
The North American South Asian Bar Association, a group representing South Asian and Indian American lawyers, has pledged to provide legal support for students who have been impacted by the closure of TVU and the raid of UNVA.
"Recent raids have created a lot of fear and confusion for these students and their families in India," said Jolsna John, NASABA president, in a press statement. "Many students still lack representation and a clear understanding of their rights and obligations under their student visa status."
Meanwhile, according to PTI, a group of UNVA students, under the leadership of TANA, earlier this month met with senior officials of the Indian embassy in Washington, D.C., and urged them to take steps to ensure continuation of their studies in the U.S.
VIRGINIA: A University of Northern Virginiastudent, who is seven months pregnant with twins, fears deportation after immigration officials raided her college last month.
Vandana Bhargav, 32, who is working on a doctorate in education, said that she is worried about her ability to remain in the U.S. and by the side of her husband Sudhindra, who works as a software developer for the national lender Fannie Mae.
"I've been looking at other universities, but admissions are closed for the fall, so I don't know what I will do," said Bhargav, who will have to begin her program afresh, since credits from the unaccredited UNVA cannot be transferred to other schools.
"We don't want to think about going back. We want the university to run," Bhargav said, adding that she hopes to eventually return to India to work for the betterment of primary school education.
"I have seen my wife struggle through UNVA for the past one and a half years. It is a shame to see all her time and effort go to waste," Sudhindra Bhargav sasid, adding that Vandana always gets top grades at the university.
UNVA, which bills itself as the most popular American college for Indian students, was raided by U.S. immigration officials July 29 for allegedly failing to comply with federal regulations for administering foreign student visas. Almost 90 percent of UNVA's students are from Andhra Pradesh.
Officials from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Student and Exchange Visitor Program served UNVA officials in Annandale, Virginia with a notice of intent to withdraw the college's ability to accept foreign students. The college has until the end of August to respond to the ICE notice.
The university is still allowed to function and is still certified, ICE spokeswoman Cori Bassett said in an earlier interview, but cautioned however that as an investigation gets underway, UNVA students' records may be terminated on a case-by-case basis.
If a student's record is terminated, his visa status - and ability to remain in the U.S. - would be in jeopardy. Bassett said students would have the option to transfer to another university or leave the country.
In January, ICE officials raided Tri-Valley University in Pleasanton, Calif. Several TVU students - who were mostly from Andhra Pradesh - were taken into custody following the January raids and held in detention or fitted with ankle monitors, which restricted movement to within 50 miles of the school. TVU has since shuttered its doors.
But UNVA was nothing like TVU, said Vandana Bhargav, in a telephone interview from her Herndon, Virginia home. "UNVA has followed all the regulations regarding classes and assignments. They are very strict," she said, adding that she was required to attend classes in person, rather than online, as was the case with TVU.
"It is a fallacy that UNVA is a degree mill," stated Bhargav. "It is just like any other university."
TVU and several other universities have come under the ICE radar for allegedly charging students about $4,000 per semester and immediately allowing them to work in the U.S., under a provision called curriculum practical training. Normally, foreign students are not allowed to work in the U.S. until they have completed three quarters.
UNVA maintains that it is officially accredited and therefore able to enroll foreign students. But the university was not recognized by any accrediting organization certified by the Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education.
UNVA claims accreditation from the American University Accreditation Council, which is not recognized by the Department of Education.
Bhargav said she knew UNVA was not properly accredited but she enrolled nevertheless, jumping at the chance for good research opportunities and to be close to Sudhindra. Tuition fee was also much less than similar institutions, she said.
The North American South Asian Bar Association, a group representing South Asian and Indian American lawyers, has pledged to provide legal support for students who have been impacted by the closure of TVU and the raid of UNVA.
"Recent raids have created a lot of fear and confusion for these students and their families in India," said Jolsna John, NASABA president, in a press statement. "Many students still lack representation and a clear understanding of their rights and obligations under their student visa status."
Meanwhile, according to PTI, a group of UNVA students, under the leadership of TANA, earlier this month met with senior officials of the Indian embassy in Washington, D.C., and urged them to take steps to ensure continuation of their studies in the U.S.
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