After students were forced out of their homes and communities due to the U.S. Department of Labor‘s interruption of operations, two HBCUs in Georgia are coming together to assist those heavily impacted.

As Blavity reported, many Job Corps enrollees depend on their centers for more than just hands-on training in fields like welding, nursing and carpentry. They count on on-campus housing, meals and medical care. When these sites were forced to shut their doors overnight, over 29,000 students were left with an uncertain future, according to Axios.

Shorter College shows up with tuition, housing and heart

According to Black Enterprise, Shorter College, an HBCU located in Rome, Georgia, quickly mobilized to offer displaced Job Corps students an opportunity to enroll in summer courses. The college leveraged state and federal scholarship funds to provide free tuition to students in need, but securing housing and meals required an even broader, community-driven response.

“And so therefore, these individuals would have a place to lay their heads,” Shorter College President Jeffery Norfleet told NPR via Black Enterprise.

He added, “They would receive at least three meals a day, possibly snacks and more. The staff, the faculty, and the administration are willing to make this a success because we do believe in the future for these individuals.”

Morris Brown College extends a lifeline to Job Corps students in crisis

Additionally, Morris Brown College, another celebrated HBCU in Georgia, is also actively encouraging displaced students to apply. Kevin James, Morris Brown’s President and a proud Job Corps alumnus, expressed deep concerns over the implications these closures have for Black and brown students.

“Some of the changes that have been made have affected negatively Black and brown students directly,” James said, per Black Enterprise. “Job Corps is just one example that many students of color will negatively be impacted.”

Despite the challenges ahead, James and fellow HBCU leaders remain determined to protect students from becoming casualties of federal budget decisions.

“So we’re not just going to throw you in the deep end of the pool,” James said. “We’re going to make sure that you have all the resources that you need to be successful.”

Although Georgia’s proactive response provides hope for some, thousands of other Job Corps students and faculty across the country still face an unpredictable fate without alternative options.

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