51 Puerto Rican law students have signed up to enroll in universities. 18 schools, including seven in Florida, have agreed to help students fleeing the battered island.
Dozens of Puerto Rican law students will be able to continue their educations in spite of Hurricane Maria. That’s thanks to a group of Florida universities, as well as schools in New York, Connecticut, Iowa and Pennsylvania. Anthony Suarez is the president of Florida’s Puerto Rico Bar Association, and he’s helping coordinate the program.
“Of course getting them out of Puerto Rico was not an easy task. We had to hire a private plane to get them out. And now we’re in the process of raising funds to be able to assist them in transition,” Suarez said.
The Puerto Rican students will be considered "v isiting students". Suarez says the schools are accepting the students despite differences in qualifying scores.
“So that’s been wonderful because they don’t have to go through the process of taking LSATs, or taking an application…if they’re already matriculated in a Puerto Rican law school, these deans here we’re willing to take them over here,” he said.
The participating Florida law schools are FSU, FIU, FAMU, UF, Barry, Nova Southeastern and St. Thomas.
The first 18 students will start class at Florida State University on Monday. Students who already paid their dues in Puerto Rico will have their tuition and fees waived.
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