Rising rents are squeezing Charlotte’s international students
Plus: The final local crossword + News of the week — Jeff Jackson drops Senate bid — shot fired at West Charlotte High — city bans exotic animals in traveling shows — new hospital tower planned
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For Charlotte’s 4,000 students from other countries, higher costs are forcing some tough choices; Food pantries? Move to S.C.?
International students comprise most of the visitors to UNC Charlotte’s Jamil Niner Food Pantry. Student volunteer Vivian Ojimadu at the pantry. (Photo by Kat Lawrence/UNC Charlotte)
By Ahmed Alsaleh, Queens University News Service
Recent increases in housing costs are creating financial struggles for international students in Charlotte, with some students facing a decision to cut short their education and return to their home countries.
Other students are turning to a university-run food pantry for help with tight monthly budgets and considering moves to less-expensive housing in South Carolina. One thing that they can’t do is work longer hours, university advisors say. Student visas typically allow them to work only on campus for no more than 20 hours weekly.
Challenges vary by home country: Financial challenges vary, sometimes based on what country students come from, said Tarek Elshayeb, director of the International Students and Scholars Office at UNC Charlotte. Accounting for 2,500 international students, the university ranks third in North Carolina, behind only N.C. State and Duke. About 18,600 international students are in North Carolina, with roughly 4,000 in the Charlotte area.
Students from India — who comprise more than half of international students at UNC Charlotte — often finance their education with family resources and educational loans, Elshayeb said. Students from Africa and Latin America frequently have a tougher time.
Scholarships don’t cover everything: Students from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Qatar often arrive with scholarships paid by their home government. But they’re not immunized against higher rents.
Zahra Al-Masoud, 25, of Qatif, Saudi Arabia, is a single mom who started in UNC Charlotte’s nursing program in 2019. In May 2020, Al-Masoud cut short her education because of rent and daycare costs.
“Charlotte is a quiet and beautiful city, and I thought I could do it,” Al-Masoud said in an interview over Snapchat. But when rent increased from $890 to $990 in late 2019, and daycare increased from $570 to $760, she decided to leave.
Murtadah Abukallah, 23, of Dammam, Saudi Arabia, came to Charlotte in 2019 and lived in an affordable apartment near his school where he learned English. In 2020, when he began studying business at UNC Charlotte, his new apartment was $300 more. In July 2021, Abukallah and other students in the complex were hit with a monthly $100 rent increase.
“I know some students who already moved to South Carolina, but it is too expensive for me to move because I would have to apply for the school and find a place to live. Also, moving itself would cost a lot of money,” said Abukallah.
Haider Al Matouq, 25, of Jubail, Saudi Arabia, is a new computer science student at UNC Charlotte, in the same apartment complex as Abukallah. Al Matouq said moving is a better option than a high-cost apartment or cutting short an education. He is thinking about Gaffney, S.C.
Challenges for Venezuelan students: Sidra Freeman, international education advisor at Queens University of Charlotte, said about 25% of Queens’ 200 international students are post-traditional, meaning that they’re in their late 20s or 30s, live off campus and are not eligible for scholarships. Recently, economic instability and Covid caused job losses for the parents of some of these students.
Paula Azuaje, 26, originally from Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela, graduated with a degree in multimedia storytelling from Queens in December 2020. She is now on an extension of her study in a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services program called OPT, or optional practical training. Transportation is one of her biggest challenges. She commuted by bus for six years, which took two hours each way.
“If you see any international students from Venezuela, they are basically escaping the political and economic situation of their home country,” Azuaje said.
Maria Jimenez, 25, originally from Lecheria, Venezuela, graduated from Queens in December 2020 with a degree in communication. Until two years ago, Maria’s share of rent and utilities was about $450 for a two-bedroom apartment. She left when rent increases were justified solely on “market rates,” and now pays $900 monthly.
“Not having the privilege to take a week off to concentrate on finals because rent is due is a tremendous struggle for students like me,” Jimenez said.
International enrollment drops in the U.S.
A Nov. 15, 2021 report from the Institute of International Education and the U.S. Department of State showed the total number of international students at U.S. universities dropped by 15% from the 2019-20 academic year to 2020-21. They now total 914,095. New but incomplete data in the report point toward stabilization in the 2021-22 academic year.
Elshayeb said housing costs are a factor, but not necessarily the most important one. Students choose American universities for four reasons, he said. The first is the major field of study, with preference to fields that enable loans to be paid off quickly. The second is estimated total costs. The third is scholarships, and housing costs are fourth.
When UNC Charlotte learned that 60% to 70% of student visitors to the Jamil Niner Food Pantry were international students, Elshayeb said, they recognized the difficulties faced by these students and revised the products they offer.
Elshayeb explained that international students provide economic benefits to the U.S., which is by far the leading educator of international students worldwide. In North Carolina, the State Department/IIE report indicates international students spend almost half a billion dollars annually. And new reports from real estate firms CoStar and JLL indicate investors are optimistic about returns on student housing developments.
“We are all educators,” Elshayeb said. “We’re not after the money. We are focused on education, yes, but international education has become an export, because it brings hard currency to the country.”
Ahmed Alsaleh of Safwa, Saudi Arabia, is a student in the James L. Knight School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte, which provides the news service in support of local community news.
Today’s supporting sponsor is Soni Brendle:
The final local crossword in our 5-week series
OK, this is it — the final week, Week 5, of our Charlotte-themed crosswords.
This one has a little bit of an uptown flavor.
This is it for now: We hope you have enjoyed these. If you need to catch up on ones from previous week, they live at our Charlotte Ledger Crosswords page.
Like a lot of things we do, crosswords are an experiment. We are trying new things to see what readers enjoy. OK, so maybe crosswords aren’t exactly new things. But we’re guessing you’ve never had locally focused crossword puzzles delivered to you by an email newsletter before.
More from our crossword creator: The puzzles in this series were created by Chris King, edited by Tim Whitmire and presented by CXN Advisory. If you liked working these, you might check out some of Chris’ other puzzles, contained in several crossword books.
Let us know what you think, and whether we should create more crosswords in the future. Email crosswords@cltledger.com.
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This week in Charlotte: Red Ventures CEO gets generous; Jeff Jackson drops out of Senate race; gun fired at West Charlotte High; Boy Scouts face lawsuits
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Education
Guns in schools: (WFAE) Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools leaders are grappling with how to handle the crisis of an increasing number of guns showing up in its high schools, and some are arguing that they’re not moving fast enough or making wise decisions. But as previous efforts or plans have proven, there are no easy answers to protecting schools. Superintendent Earnest Winston on Friday evening announced some new initiatives including a “say something” app for anonymous reporting, increased school security personnel and clear backpacks for high schoolers.
Movement schools expansion: (Observer) Charlotte-based Movement Mortgage is investing $100M in expanding its charter school network across the country. The mortgage lender plans to build 100 new schools through its foundation over the next 10 years, beginning in cities like Atlanta, Houston and Dallas. Movement currently has three schools in Charlotte and has two more planned near South Boulevard and Beatties Ford Road.
Politics
Jackson drops bid: (Politico) N.C. state Sen. Jeff Jackson ended his bid for the U.S. Senate seat Thursday, endorsing his Democratic primary opponent, former state Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley. “Pat McCrory and Ted Budd are gearing up to spend millions of dollars attacking each other in order to be the Republican nominee. If we're going to flip this seat, we can't do that,” Jackson said in a video released on Thursday morning.
Cooper for president? (WRAL) There’s been talk of a possible presidential run for Gov. Roy Cooper after he was named chair of the Democratic Governors Association last week and an article in the New York Times said unnamed sources had been encouraging him to consider running. Cooper’s office didn’t issue a clear statement afterward about whether he would or wouldn’t consider a run, but Democratic party insiders said they hadn’t heard anything supporting a possible Cooper presidential run.
Exotic animals ban: (QCity Metro) In a surprise move, the Charlotte City Council on Monday voted to ban wild and exotic animals in traveling shows that visit the city. Charlotte’s ban would apply to elephants, felines and primates, but not to domesticated animals such as dogs, horses and camels. In passing the ban, Charlotte joins more than 150 U.S. cities and counties that have moved to restrict the use of wild animals for entertainment.
Local news
West Charlotte High shooting: (WBTV) A gun was fired during a fight at West Charlotte High School Monday afternoon, and the building was closed Tuesday with students learning remotely out of concern for student and staff emotional health. A juvenile who attends the school was charged with possessing a firearm on school grounds.
New hospital tower: (Observer) Novant Health is building a $169M tower at its Matthews Medical Center, which will add 150,000 s.f. to the facility, adding 20 acute beds and renovating another 50,000 square feet of existing space. The new tower will include seven operating rooms, three endoscopy rooms, a post-anesthesia care unit and an ambulatory care unit.
Mecklenburg Boy Scout lawsuits: (Observer) Three lawsuits have been filed on behalf of 31 former Boy Scouts who say that scout leaders with the Mecklenburg County Council of Boy Scouts of America sexually abused them. The alleged incidents took place between 1950 and 2007, the lawsuits say. The filings come as the state’s SAFE Child Act is set to expire, which will bring back a 3-year statue of limitations on sexual assault cases.
Business
SPX Flow sale: (Ledger) Charlotte-based SPX Flow is being acquired by Dallas-based private-equity firm Lone Star Funds for $3.8B. SPX Flow employs 5,000 people worldwide, including 130 in Charlotte and company officials said it and won’t have any staff reductions related to the sale.
Giving away millions: (Axios Charlotte) Red Ventures CEO Ric Elias has signed “the Giving Pledge,” a commitment by billionaires to give away more than half their wealth to charity.
Good reads
Why was Tony Hawk drinking coffee in NC? (North Carolina Rabbit Hole) Writer Jeremy Markovich has made a genre of spinning a gripping narrative out of the stories behind celebrities’ visits to random places in North Carolina. So when legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk popped up in Twitter feeds at two coffee shops on his way from Charlotte to Boone, Markovich uncovered the emotional reason behind his trip.
Is MLB in Charlotte’s future? (WFAE) Charlotte is one of just three cities in the country that has an NFL team and an NBA team but no MLB team. So what would it take to get one? In the most recent installment of its “FAQ City” feature, WFAE tackles the question, starting with the city’s long history with baseball.
Charlotte’s soccer market: (Assembly) As Charlotte enters the Major League Soccer universe, its soccer market is multi-faceted and divided along lines of race, gender, and class. Charlotte FC has a big challenge at hand if it wants to attract all the fans it can — bringing together those cultures.
The local reporter who dominates the Murdaugh story: (Guardian) Long before the deaths involving South Carolina trial lawyer Alex Murdaugh and his family captured national attention as South Carolina’s modern-day Chappaquiddick, there was one local reporter in town who was connecting dots and breaking huge stories about the case: Mandy Matney.
From the Ledger family of newsletters
Online liquor ordering: (Wednesday 🔒) To get around liquor shortages at local ABC stores, some thirsty Charlotte residents are ordering liquor through the mail online. It is not technically legal, but the state doesn’t seem to focus on ending the practice. Listen to “Frank” describe in his own words what drove him to go online — and how the process went.
David French Q&A: (Monday) It has been a busy last few months for Charlotte artist David French, whose prints of Charlotte restaurants and streetscapes are in tens of thousands of local homes. He got his start painting The Athens, Anderson’s and The Coffee Cup in 2006 and built it into a career with about 500 paintings of Charlotte scenes. He went full-time in 2008 when he told his boss to “kiss my butt.”
North End apartments: (Friday 🔒) Developers are planning at least eight new residential projects near Camp North End, an area of town that one neighborhood leader called the “last frontier” in Charlotte’s urban core.
The future of transit and transportation: (Transit Time) Ely Portillo of UNC Charlotte’s Urban Institute looks back at the big transit stories of 2021 and looks into his crystal ball to see what’s ahead in 2022 on vehicle safety, Charlotte’s transit plan, pedestrian and bike enhancements and more.
Charity spotlights: This week, The Ledger highlighted the important work of several local charities with brief profiles — Stand for Animals, the Homeowners Impact Fund and Promising Pages.
Eastover bakery: (Friday 🔒) Plans have been filed with the city for a bakery and office building on the site of Phil Aull Studios on Providence Road, which has been at the site for decades.
Marketing exec leaving Ortho: (Friday 🔒) Blair Primis, one of the city’s best-known marketing executives, is leaving OrthoCarolina after 12 years. He took a different approach to marketing in Charlotte, one that emphasized community involvement and backing local new-media ventures such as podcasts and digital publications.
She lifted people up: (Ways of Life) Liz Mills made a habit in her life of helping people — and it often started with inviting them to her family’s dinner table.
November’s rezonings 🔥: (Monday 🔒) Who is building what and where? The Ledger breaks down all of November’s glorious rezoning filings in our monthly members-only feature.
AvidXchange stock: (Wednesday 🔒) The stock price of AvidXchange has fallen more than 30% since its IPO in October, making it among the worst performing local stocks this year.
Restaurant relief fund coming soon: (Wednesday 🔒) The state is getting close to opening applications for a new $500M relief fund for the hospitality industry, to help offset Covid-related losses.
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