Aiming Higher Scholarship Program
Funding refugees through higher education
Photo: © UNHCR/Antoine Tardy
Refugee Scholarships in Canada
Only 7% of refugees are currently enrolled in higher education, compared to 42% of youth globally. Access to higher education is essential, not just for individual success but for the prosperity of entire communities. UNHCR’s Aiming Higher Scholarship Program seeks to change this by funding education opportunities for refugees through two innovative branches: In-Person Scholarships and Remote (Digital) Scholarships.
Are you a refugee or asylum-seeker looking for a way to study at a university or pursue other forms of higher education?
TWO PROGRAMS WITHIN AIMING HIGHER
1. In-Person Scholarships
Aiming Higher builds on UNHCR’s Refugee Scholarship Program (DAFI), the longest-running and largest higher education scholarship program for refugees. For over 28 years, the DAFI program has supported more than 18,500 young refugee women and men to pursue undergraduate degrees in 53 countries.
- Cost-Effective: An average scholarship costs just $3,200 per year – covering tuition, housing, transport and food.
- Fair and Inclusive: Actively ensures equal and inclusive access for all refugees.
- Career-Ready: Offers skills training, internships and mentoring to help scholars transition to employment.
Meet the Scholars
Bahati Hategekimana from Rwanda recently completed a Nursing degree on a UNHCR refugee scholarship.
“Thank you for being there for me and for supporting me when the doors of opportunity would open. Passing this exam means that I am finally a registered nurse!”
Monther Alhoshan from Syria, studying law on a UNHCR scholarship
“I was accepted in the programme in 2014. I cannot even describe how I felt that day. I was getting my hopes and my dreams back. Education is everything in my life. Eventually, I want to go back to Syria and serve our people there, by using my skills and my knowledge.”
Esther, South Sudanese scholar studying Commerce in Uganda
“UNHCR’s Refugee Scholarship (DAFI) has turned my life around, socially and academically. My family has hope that things will change for them. They are waiting for me to graduate, then they will send my younger siblings to university. They will walk in my footsteps.”
2. Remote (Digital) Scholarships
To meet the growing demand for accessible education, UNHCR has launched a new initiative to expand Digital Higher Education (DHE) for refugees. The program will deliver transformational opportunities for students initially in Ethiopia, India, Jordan, Malawi and Central African Republic. This branch delivers flexible, accredited learning through connected learning centers in partnership with global universities.
- Global Reach: Students connect with top universities like MIT, the University of Oxford and Southern New Hampshire University, from refugee camps and remote areas.
- Access to Education: Digital higher education removes policy and logistical barriers by bringing accredited learning directly to where refugees live, reaching some of the hardest-to-reach communities.
- Career Pathways: Programs focus on employability through skills training, internships and remote work opportunities.
- Innovative Learning: Combines offline and online capabilities, allowing education even in emergency situations.
- Refugee-Led Approach: Centers are managed by refugees, fostering leadership and community involvement.
- Solution-Driven Outcomes: Courses prepare students to secure work locally, online or in a third country, and graduates can receive grants to launch community solutions or entrepreneurial ventures.
- Scalable Partnerships: A cost-sharing model with universities and private-sector donors, waives tuition fees and enables the programme to grow sustainably.
- Offline-First Technology: New offline-first tools, including emerging AI, keep digital learning accessible even where connectivity is limited.
Success Story: Willy Mufungizi, Malawi
Willy began his education journey with an online English program, then pursued a permaculture course and a bachelor’s in Sustainable Development, all while living in Dzaleka Camp.
“Refugees can find solutions for themselves and their communities through digital higher education.”
Funding opportunity for UNHCR’s Digital Higher Education Expansion
Ethiopia: We will work with the regional government and UNHCR offices in the deep field in Oromia to provide access to skills and certification leading to employment for refugee youth in remote locations.
India: We will be used to mobilise education or labour mobility pathways for students to third countries, or access to remote work, providing a regional blueprint for learning to earning.
Jordan: A pledge by Jordanian universities on refugee inclusion at the 2023 Global Refugee Forum provides the platform for collaboration with national universities to bring higher education to refugees through digital learning.
Malawi: Refugee-led organisations support the students, provide the necessary space and equipment, contextualise the content and lead on delivery. UNHCR will work with existing refugee-led organisations in Malawi and elsewhere to ensure that digital higher education is refugee-led and builds on refugee innovation.
Central African Republic: Higher education for refugees often occurs in protracted situations. Digital technology, available through offline-first capabilities and with accredited and flexible content deployed rapidly, can ensure a localised response to an emergency.
Support Digital Scholarships
Your donation helps fund laptops, tuition and living costs, making education possible for students in some of the most challenging environments.
WHY SUPPORT AIMING HIGHER?
Your contribution directly supports refugees as they pursue higher education, helping them build brighter futures and stronger communities. Whether you support in-person or remote scholarships, your donation will have a transformative impact.
Donate Today
And fund a future scholar
Meet the Class of 2025
Learn more about the scholars currently on UNHCR Refugee Scholarship (DAFI), a group of talented young people embarking on higher education around the world. Follow their journey and see how a scholarship makes a difference to the lives of young people who have been forced to leave their homes.