Refugees face $20,000 fee for high school

Two refugees living in Regina are facing tuition fees of $10,000 each for high school, fees they have no way of paying.

The family caring for Lino and Angelo Kuol are hoping to raise the tuition money by appealing for donations.

The two boys, who are Sudanese, arrived in Regina Friday from Kenya. Before that, they were rescued from a refugee camp in Uganda.

"I never thought I would be in Canada," Lino, 17, told CBC News. "I didn't even dream it, not even once. But this amazing thing just [happened] like really quick."

It was so quick everyone was scrambling.

First on the list was to find a place for the boys. Kerry Avery said her family was happy to open their home.

"We really didn't hesitate," Avery told CBC News. "You can't say no when someone asks you for something like that."

Lino and his brother Angelo, 15, were also quickly enrolled at Sheldon Williams High School in Regina, which has allowed them to start classes.

However, the boys are considered international students and are expected to pay $10,000 for the school year.

"These two boys, they don't have any financial support at all," Avery said. "The charitable organization they're with did cover the cost of their flights to come here, but they're not in a position to help with their tuition."

The boys have been to the school and said they are a bit nervous.

"It's big," Lino said. "All the schools we have been in ... were just tiny schools. This is like a big step."

The brothers are hoping to go on to university. They have been living as refugees for over ten years and have only sketchy information about the fate of their parents.