Employment barriers for highly skilled immigrants lead to ‘brain waste’ in Maine
Hundreds of immigrants have moved to Maine in recent years, including those with expertise employers in the state desperately need. But many can t get a job in their field.
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Celia Mantovani stands outside her home in Portland on Feb. 12. Mantovani is a Brazilian psychiatrist who hasn t been able to work in her field since moving to Maine. She is one of thousands of foreign professionals struggling to use their skills in the U.S. because of education and licensing barriers. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographe
When Celia Mantovani moved to Maine from Brazil six years ago, she came with more than two decades of experience as a psychiatrist working in hospitals and universities.
Employment barriers for highly skilled immigrants lead to brain waste in Maine sunjournal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sunjournal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Increase State Financial Aid and Target Students in Need
About 74 percent of the $14.1 billion in grant aid that states awarded for the 2019 academic year was need-based (a slight decrease from the previous year), meaning it went to low-income students who struggle the most to pay for college. The other 26 percent was merit-based, meaning it was awarded to students who meet certain criteria typically measured by high school GPA or college entry exam scores regardless of household income.
Need-based aid is intended to expand access to higher education for low-income students. Financial aid is critical for their access to higher education and graduation. One careful study found that a $1,000 increase in grant aid reduces the likelihood that a student will drop out of college by 9.2 percentage points.
Two Texas state representatives co-filed a bill in January to deny in-state tuition to undocumented students, which would force undocumented students at UT to pay over $13,000 more a semester when switched to out-of-state tuition.