In response to the University of La Verne’s (ULV) recent email detailing the application for the CARES grant, we, the students of ULV, petition President Lieberman to provide equal opportunity to all students in accessing emergency relief funds.

The exclusion of undocumented and international students from the CARES act grant is racist and discriminatory. Our university’s decision to uphold and enforce this discrimination contradicts our core values and hurts our entire community. As a Hispanic Serving Institution, the University of La Verne receives additional federal funding to accommodate the higher education goals of the Hispanic population, a population that contains undocumented students. The university's decision to exclude undocumented students exemplifies ULV’s ongoing failure to support its Hispanic student body, which also includes the lack of support for a dedicated Latinx Studies program. Furthermore, undocumented and international students pay the same amount of tuition as our other students and should, therefore, be allowed to access the same amount in emergency relief funds. Stand with us in solidarity and support the marginalized students of our community. 

Update: The Latinx and Latin American Studies minor program is currently being reworked at the University of La Verne, for more information visit laverne.edu/programs/latinx-latin-american-studies-minor/

Disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, undocumented and international students are facing:

• Food insecurity
• Housing insecurity
• Loss of income 
• Increased racism and discrimination

This petition calls on members of the ULV community who are in positions of institutional power to support all of our students equally. 

Our demands include the following:

• Offer additional funding through the Student Emergency Fund to those who are ineligible for the CARES grant 
• Aid international students with I-20 renewals and visa application fees
• Establish a Latinx Studies program in order to further educate the ULV community on issues faced by our predominant Latinx student body
• Reduce tuition and fees for the Summer and Fall 2020 terms