Hampton University in Virginia has responded to victims of Hurricane Dorian by offering students of the University of the Bahamas-North to continue their education on Hampton’s campus.
Students from the University of the Bahamas-North will be able to attend classes, room and board for free at Hampton for the fall 2019 semester, as well as have the option of staying the historic HBCU at regular rates for tuition and fees, once the semester is over.
“I think this agreement is something that can be helpful to a great number of students and families, and is part of something I’ve tried to do my entire career – helping people to achieve and meet their goals,” Hampton President William Harvey said in a statement.
Hurricane Dorian hit the northern part of the island with wind speeds approaching 200 miles per hour, resulting in numerous deaths and creating a wide path of near-total destruction.
Harvey reached out with his school’s offer of assistance to Rodney Smith, president of the University of the Bahamas and a former administrative vice president and chief planning officer at Hampton University.
“Hampton has been the educational choice for many Bahamians over its long history,” said Lawrence Rigby, a citizen of the Bahamas who was student government president at Hampton University during the 2014-15 academic year. “I am grateful to President Harvey and university leadership on this demonstration of kindness and humanity to my home in our time of need.”