Are you looking for a refugee or asylum seeker to study at a university or enroll in other forms of higher education? Click here to browse scholarships and academic programs.
Our vision is to build a future where refugees are included in their host community; They are able to engage in education and work and become not only self-reliant, but also active contributors to the local economy.
Expanding refugee access to secondary and tertiary education is a cornerstone of achieving this key vision under the 2030 Agenda for Global Compact and Sustainable Development on Refugees. Nonetheless, refugee access to tertiary education currently remains a challenging struggle, with only enrollment in tertiary education. Only 3%.
For this reason, in December 2020, we launched the Ambition Up Campaign aimed at changing this reality by funding scholarships for eligible refugees.
Public and private funds contribute 68% of the funds needed to reach our goal of enrolling and pursuing the education of 9,200 refugee students.
Now, Ambition Up is calling on companies, foundations and individuals to help raise an additional $ 23 million to fill the funding gap and ensure 1,800 refugee students are not left behind.
You can change
The broader ambition campaign includes a call for all to invest in the best opportunities available to us to achieve a better future; It is represented among smart and hardworking youth.
Providing higher education not only helps refugee students, it helps society as a whole, as it paves the way for them to access employment opportunities and realize their potential to contribute effectively to the local economy, whether the refugees have been hosted, resettled or home in asylum countries. Back ..
Esther is a South Sudanese student studying commerce in Uganda
UNHCR Scholarship (DAFIIt has completely changed my life, both socially and academically. My family members are hopeful that their situation will change and they are waiting to send my younger brothers to the university to follow in my footsteps until I graduate. ”
We invite you and their companies, organizations, institutions and employees to help raise $ 23 million by 2023 to enable refugee students like Esther to enter higher education.
Make a personal donation
Give a refugee student the opportunity to enter higher education or contribute to the cost of books, transportation and living expenses.
To donate now
Engage your organization by launching a fundraising challenge for refugee students
We can help you and your team create an unforgettable experience for staff or members and raise funds for refugee students.
Please contact Paula Holloway ([email protected]) For more information.
Support ambitious upward campaigns through your company or organization
Your company or organization can ensure that refugee students become future leaders. For more information, contact Simon Jackson ([email protected])
UNHCR Scholarship Program for Refugees
UNHCR Scholarship Program for Refugees (Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative Program)DAFI)) The oldest and largest independent higher education scholarship program of its kind, currently assists students in 53 countries. In its 28-year history, the program has supported more than 18,500 refugee youth and men for their university studies.
Are you a refugee or asylum seeker looking for a scholarship? Explore opportunities here.
Munther al-Hoshan of Syria is studying law for a scholarship from the UNHCR.
“I was accepted into the program 2014. I can’t describe how I felt that day, when I got my hopes and dreams back. Education is everything in my life and in the end I want to return to Syria to serve my countrymen there with my skills and knowledge. ”
Help students like Munther with your grants
The multiple challenges that refugees face do not prevent students from acquiring skills in their studies. In 2020, only 1% of students in the Albert Einstein Initiative had to repeat the school year, noting that the drop-out rate for students in the program is very low and not more than 3%.
The UNHCR Scholarship Program for Refugees features:
- Cost-Efficiency: On average, the cost of a scholarship is only $ 3,200 per year, including tuition, fees and all related expenses such as accommodation, transportation and meals.
- Equity and Inclusion: The program ensures that access to scholarships is always fair and comprehensive.
- Focus on job preparation: The program improves students’ job readiness and qualifications, including job preparation training, skills development, job training and mentoring, as well as volunteer and networking opportunities.
What have you achieved so far?
In the first five months of the campaign, Ambition Up raised more than $ 4 million through generous corporate and private investments, enabling 1,250 students to complete four years of higher education.
Rwandan Bahati Hatigekimana recently earned a nursing degree for a UNHCR scholarship.
“Thank you for standing by me and supporting me when the opportunity arises. My success on this test means I am finally a licensed nurse.”
When we consider the society and the individuals who feel the effects of education, its impact becomes difficult to measure.
This is just the beginning, as the UNHCR Scholarship Program is ready – through the Aspiration Up Campaign – to help a growing number of refugees become part of a global family of scholarship alumni.