Eligibilities for Aga Khan Foundation’s International Scholarship Programme

To be eligible for an AKF ISP award, the candidate must:

• have excellent academic records;
• hold a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent training/professional experience;
• demonstrate genuine financial need;
• construct a thoughtful, reliable, multi-source funding plan;
• be admitted to a reputable postgraduate institution; and
• have strong leadership potential, professional experience, extracurricular and/or entrepreneurial achievements, and volunteer contributions.
• preference is given to young professionals under 30 years of age.
• Awards are provided according to need, but please consider the AKF ISP a resource of last resort and secure multiple sources of funding to reduce the amount the candidate requests. See the section Examples of Other Scholarships and Financial Assistance Programmes below for a ‘starter’ list of other sources of funding that may be of interest.
• AKF ISP gives priority to Master’s programmes but will also consider applications for PhD studies. Local/regional universities and distance learning programmes are acceptable for ISP funding, only if the quality of the course is maintained. Applications for part-time programmes and short-term courses are not considered; neither are applications from students who have already enrolled in or commenced their postgraduate studies.

Eligible Regions: At present, the AKF ISP is available in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic, Madagascar, Mozambique, Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, and Uganda. In Canada, France, Portugal and the USA, applications are accepted from those who are originally from one of the countries listed in point earlier.