According to UNHCR, 68.5 million individuals have been displaced worldwide. One person becomes displaced every 2 seconds – less than the time it takes to read this sentence. Moreover, among those displaced people most of them are children or teenagers. To support their academic achievements and skills the UNHCR offers fully funded scholarships. Likewise, UNHCR’S scholarship program, DAFI gives Undergraduate for refugee students. Higher education nurtures a generation of future change-makers that can take the lead in identifying solutions to refugee situations. Especially, the scholarship covers wide range of cost including  tuition fees and study materials, to food, transport and accommodation.

Adding on, access to higher education motivates refugee children to stay in school and succeed academically. DAFI plays an important role in enabling refugees worldwide . Since its inception in 1992, the DAFI programme has grown considerably. It’s aim is to empower students to contribute knowledge, skills and leadership to the refugee community. Also, DAFI programme serves as a foundation for social and professional development, allowing them to build careers in competitive fields of employment.

Similarly, it has enabled more than 13,500 refugee students to study at universities and colleges in 50 countries of asylum. Not only to the undergraduate students but they ensure that 3 million refugee children have access to primary education. Furthermore, UNHCR promises to give more refugee students benefits that they deserve to get.

Benefits:

• Tuition fees
• Study materials
• Food, transport and accommodation

Who can apply?

In order to be eligible for UNHCR Scholarship candidate must:

• be a refugee with recognized refugee status;
• have successfully completed secondary schooling to a high standard;
• have no other means of support for university studies;
• select a course of study that is likely to lead to employment in the country of origin with maximum three to four years duration;
• not be older than 28 years at the beginning of studies;
• have no other family member receiving a DAFI scholarship.

In which countries are DAFI scholarships offered?

Mentioned below are,  available in 52 countries, namely:

• Sub-Sahara Africa: Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia & Zimbabwe.
• Middle East & Northern Africa (MENA): Algeria, Egypt, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Syria & Yemen.
• Asia & Pacific: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan &Tajikistan.
• The Americas: Ecuador & Mexico.
• Europe: Azerbaijan, Russian Federation, Turkey & Ukraine.