Students From Travel Ban Countries Denied a U.S. Education

"Muad Alsharif has been entrenched in American culture his whole life. Though the 20-year-old Libyan has never visited the country, three of his aunts are American citizens, born in Florida, and his grandfather studied and worked in the U.S. in the 1950s. He plays video games like Overwatch 2 and Among Us online with American friends, who he says are always welcoming and encouraging of his dreams to study in the U.S."

"In the end, he committed to the University of Buffalo-mostly due to the substantial scholarship the New York flagship offered him, but also because it had clubs for all his hobbies (creative writing, volleyball, photography)-and a beautiful campus in a historic city, though he never had the chance to visit in person. He also valued the diversity of the student body, which is 55 percent non-white and 12 percent international students, including a small cohort of fellow Libyans."

Muad Alsharif is a 20-year-old Libyan who has never visited the United States but maintains close U.S. ties through family and friends. Three of his aunts are American citizens born in Florida and his grandfather studied and worked in the U.S. in the 1950s. He plays online games with American friends and aspires to study chemical engineering in the U.S. He took two gap years to attend engineering lectures at Libya's top university and to improve his English. He committed to the University of Buffalo because of a substantial scholarship, diverse student body, extracurricular clubs, and a picturesque campus. Political developments and a pause on student visa interviews raised concerns about his ability to enroll.

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