UAB is home to over 1,000 international students representing more than 85 countries. While they enrich our campus with diverse perspectives and talents, these students face unique challenges when financial or personal crises strike.
In response, the UAB Graduate School & Global Affairs (GSGA) created the International Student Emergency Fund (ISEF) to serve as a safety net for unexpected medical bills, travel expenses for family emergencies, or other bureaucratic issues.
Since its creation in 2022, the fund has covered one student’s medical debt after surgery, helped another travel back home to Nigeria to attend his father’s funeral, and aided with tuition after another student’s mother passed.
“This emergency fund has been a lifeline, providing critical support during emergencies that could have ended international students’ academic career here at UAB,” GSGA Dean Shadi Martin said. It was Martin’s passion for international students that caught the attention of the fund’s initial donor, Rota Rosaschi.
When Rosaschi heard stories about the challenges international students face—access to health care, food, and transportation foremost among them—through her friendship with Martin, she found it so compelling that she had to contribute.
“My hope is that these students are able to complete their education and take this knowledge they’re gaining at UAB back to their homelands, which would benefit the whole world,” Rosaschi said. “If the money I contributed saves them from not having to lose their opportunity to continue their education—well, then it was money well spent.”
While the ISEF has been a vital resource, the increasingly pressing need of this fund highlights the challenges facing international students and just how essential donor contributions are.
When one nursing student from Vietnam first arrived in the U.S., she didn’t anticipate how difficult it would be to do simple tasks, such as ordering food at a restaurant in her second language or navigating life apart from her family. The stress began to take a toll, causing her mental health to rapidly decline.
Since overcoming her initial doubts and asking a friend to accompany her to the emergency room, the student has responded well to her medication. However, not long after her appointment, she was met with a hefty medical bill that has threatened her ability to stay at UAB.
The majority of UAB’s international students are pursuing graduate degrees. Azait Imtiaz, who founded the Global Student Association and serves as the international student liaison for the Graduate School Government, said funds like these are crucial for international students.
“A lot of international students take out loans to study in America,” Imtiaz said. “If a student doesn’t have enough funds to back their loan, they might have to sign off their house or their car. By contributing to this fund, you could be saving not just one student, but an entire family overseas.”
Additional support from donors can ensure that this fund remains a reliable lifeline for UAB’s international students, helping them to complete their studies and enrich UAB’s global character when unforeseen crises arise.
To donate, visit UAB's giving site. For more information, contact Matthew Porter at
