This resource is part of a package on the theme of scholarships for Syrian refugees. The main article in the package documents the fading donor interest in scholarships for refugees. Another article describes the continuing desire of Syrian youth to gain access to higher education and the obstacles they face.
Name of Program: Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative (DAFI)
Name of Organization: United Nations Refugee Agency, also known as UNHCR
Number of Scholarships: 6,723 scholarships awarded globally in 2017, of which 2,528 were awarded to Syrians in the Middle East and North Africa region. The total is expected to reach 6,800 in 2018, and more in 2019, depending on funding.
In Jordan, 689 scholarships awarded in 2018, with 40 new places for the 2018/19 academic year.
Location: 50 countries of asylum across the world
Type of Scholarship: Bachelor’s degrees
Number of Applicants: 12,570 applications from Syrians in the Middle East and North Africa region in 2017; 1,780 in Jordan in 2018
Graduation Rate: 98 percent in Jordan
Source of Support: German government and private donors
Name of Program: Al Ghurair STEM Scholars Program
Name of Organization: Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education
Type of Scholarship: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
Location: 16 universities in 10 countries across the Arab world, Turkey, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom
Number of Scholarships: 700 currently; to increase to 1,500 in 2019
Number of Applicants: More than 20,000
Source of Support: The foundation receives its funds from Al Ghurair Group, a Dubai-based business
Name of Program: Edu-Syria
Name of Organization: German Jordanian University
Location: Jordan
Type of Scholarship: Bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and vocational training for Syrian and Jordanian students
Number of Scholarships: 1,426 partial scholarships awarded between 2015 and 2018; possibility of accepting more students in the 2018-2019 recruiting cycle, depending on funding.
Graduation Rate: 11 percent on average
Source of Support: European Union
Name of Program: Emergency Scholarship Programme for Syrians
Name of Organization: Global Platform for Syrian Students
Location: Portugal and nine other countries around the world
Type of Scholarship: Bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and doctoral degrees
Number of Scholarships: More than 450 annual scholarships awarded globally
Number of Applicants: More than 6,800 since 2013
Graduation Rate: 99 percent
Source of Support: Public and private donors
Name of Program: Higher Education for Syrians
Name of Organization: Spark, a Dutch nonprofit organization that promotes higher education and entrepreneurship in conflict-affected countries
Location: Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine and Syria
Type of Scholarship: Bachelor’s degrees, technical and vocational education (TVET) diplomas (2 years), TVET certificates
Number of Scholarships: 8,398 scholarships available; 10,000 total scholarships expected by 2020
Number of Applicants: 43,972
Graduation Rate: 47 percent on average
Sources of Support: Dutch Foreign Ministry; Education Above All Foundation, Qatar; and the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis, often known as the Madad Fund.
Name of Program: HOPES
Name of Organization: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and partners
Location: Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Turkey
Type of Scholarship: Bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and vocational training certificates (the latter are for Egypt only)
Number of Scholarships: 653 scholarships awarded since 2016; funding ends in 2019.
Number of Applicants: A total of 2,039 in the last two intakes for bachelor’s and master’s degrees; 181 applicants in the first two intakes for vocational courses in Egypt.
Graduation Rate: 35 percent for bachelor’s degrees; 6 percent for master’s degrees; 46 percent for vocational courses in Egypt.
Source of Support: Madad Fund
Name of Program: Scholarships for Syrians
Name of Organization: Lebanese Association for Scientific Research (LASeR)
Location: Lebanon
Type of Scholarship: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees
Number of Scholarships: Approximately 1,200 scholarships awarded since 2013, including 40 bachelor’s and master’s degree scholarships for the 2018-19 academic year.
Number of Applicants: Over 4,000 applicants during previous intakes
Graduation Rate: Currently 98 percent
Source of Support: Spark, in the Netherlands, and several foundations from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait
Name of Program: New Perspectives through Academic Education and Training for Young Syrians and Jordanians
Name of Organization: German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ)
Location: Jordan
Type of Scholarship: Master’s degrees for Syrians and disadvantaged Jordanians
Number of Scholarships: 80 between 2015 and 2019; no new scholarships available
Graduation Rate: 36 percent
Source of Support: German government
Programs Awarding Scholarships Outside the Arab Region
Name of Program: Jusoor Scholarship Program
Name of Organization: Jusoor (“Bridges”), a U.S.-based association of Syrian expatriates
Location: 15 countries, with the majority placed in the United States
Type of Scholarship: Various degree levels
Number of Scholarships: 630 full or partial scholarships awarded
Source of Support: Donations from individuals and foundations
Name of Program: IIE Syria Consortium for Higher Education in Crisis
Name of Organization: Institute of International Education (IIE), a New York-based non-profit organization that manages scholarships, training, exchange and leadership programs
Location: United States; over 60 colleges and universities
Type of Scholarship: Various degree levels
Number of Scholarships: More than 330 full or partial scholarships since 2011
Source of Support: The higher education institutions that enroll the refugee students provide the scholarships
Name of Program: Integra
Name of Organization: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
Location: Germany
Type of Support: German-language instruction and subject-related preparatory courses to boost matriculation at German universities.
Number of Recipients: 10,404; rolling applications until 2019
Source of Support: German government
Name of Program: Welcome—Students Helping Refugees
Name of Organization: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
Location: Germany
Type of Support: Tutoring, mentoring and advising to facilitate integration of refugees at German universities
Number of Recipients: 670 student initiatives and 900 undergraduate assistant positions that reach 50,000 students
Source of Support: German government
Name of Program: Student Refugee Program
Name of Organization: World University Service of Canada, a non-profit organization that supports international development projects worldwide
Location: Canada
Type of Scholarship: Various levels; the program offers refugees scholarships for university studies and resettlement in Canada.
Number of Scholarships: More than 130 per year
Number of applicants: More than 300 per year
Graduation rate: 97 percent (according to 2007 figures)
Source of Support: Higher education institutions provide scholarships for students they accept; the Canadian government provides transportation funding to bring refugees to Canada
Name of Program: Japanese Initiative for the Future of Syrian Refugees (JISR)
Name of Organization: Japan International Cooperation Agency
Location: Japan
Type of Scholarship: Master’s degrees
Number of Scholarships: 20 scholarships for the 2019 academic year for Syrians who currently reside in Jordan or Lebanon and seek to study at Japanese universities; goal of 100 scholarships for Syrians by 2022.
Source of Support: Japanese government
Name of Program: Chevening Scholarship for Master’s Degree in the United Kingdom
Name of Organization: Chevening, the UK government’s international awards program
Location: United Kingdom
Type of Scholarship: One-year master’s degree at any UK university, open to Syrian and Palestinian students
Source of Support: British government
I need so much a scholarship as refugee I am to help me continue with my studies