Scholarship Overview
- UNHCR provides, on a limited basis, scholarships for refugees at the tertiary level in universities and polytechnic institutions through the Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative Fund (DAFI). Funding for this programme is provided by the Federal Government of Germany.
- The purpose of the DAFI Programme is to contribute to the self-reliance of refugees by providing them with a professional qualification for future employment. Scholarships are granted only for studies in the country of asylum. Preferably, UNHCR would like to see the graduates return home and contribute to the reconstruction of their home country, or to the development of the country of asylum or the refugee community at large.
Host School
Fields of Study
What does the scholarship cover?
How many scholarships are given?
Which countries are targeted?
In 2006/2007, the following countries are participating in the DAFI programme:
In Africa:
- Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
In Asia:
- India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Syria, Thailand and Yemen.
In Central- and South America:
- Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Panama, and Uruguay.
In Eastern Europe:
- Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Georgia, Russian Federation, and Serbia & Montenegro.
Am I Eligible to Apply?
In order to be eligible, a candidate should:
- be a refugee with recognised refugee status;
- have successfully completed secondary schooling to a high standard in campbased
- refugee schools, or in national schools of the country of origin or asylum;
- 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;
- not be older than 28 years at the beginning of studies (An exemption could be applied to health and education courses of shorter duration provided to health staff and teachers with previous working experience or employment);
- select a choice of study course with maximum three to four years duration.
How to Apply – Next Steps
- If there is a current DAFI programme in your country of asylum and you meet the above-mentioned criteria, you should complete an application form (Application for Educational Assistance) to be submitted to UNHCR directly. Forms are available at UNHCR offices. All UNHCR offices will receive your application.
Closing Date
How do I get more information?
Aden Ali Iftin says
Dear sir/madam.
RE: THE PLIGHT OF A REFUGEE STUDENT IN NAIROBI KENYA
Iam ADEN ALI IFTIN. A refugee from Dadaab, Kenya. I came to this country precisely 18 years ago, at the onset things weren’t so difficult as it’s these days because before I was a student and having completed secondary school, these is where one finds it quit uneasy to get employed because of lack of jobs in the country and a large number of secondary graduates in the camps create a room for competition of jobs and survival for the fittest.
One morning I have decided to go and look for a job outside the camps and the nearest possible area for getting employment opportunity. So I went Nairobi Kenya to meet the family sustenance since there is no father and the rest of my families’ lives below the poverty line. I have worked hard day and night and have managed to send little money back home for my little brother and sisters’ to buy school stationeries to pursue their vision.
Shortly afterward one thought swiftly came into my mind that I could perhaps, be much more in better position to help my family and my community as well if I could study more to obtain higher academic level because during my childhood my lovely mother use to persuade me that Education is the knowledge of putting one’s potentials to maximum use. One can safely say that a human being is not in the proper sense till he is educated And told me that The first is that the training of a human mind is not complete without education.
Education makes man a right thinker. It tells man how to think and how to make decision. And finally man is enabled to receive information from the external world; to acquaint himself with past history and receive all necessary information regarding the present. Without education, man is as though in a closed room and with education he finds himself in a room with all its windows open towards outside world. And from ageniuing point of view Education has an immense impact on the human society. One can safely assume that a person is not in the proper sense till he is educated. It trains the human mind to think and take the right decision. In other words, man becomes a rational animal when he is educated. In this juncture I do here by appeal fro your support to revive this vision.
Looking forward to hear from you.
Thanks and GOD bless you.
Best regard;
Aden Ali Iftin
East Leigh Nairobi Kenya
Email: iftiin_143@hotmail.com
Phone number: +254721463240
fasil million demissie says
i am fasil million. i am ethiopian refugee when i am know refugee in uganda, i have diploma in law from university so how can i get this DAFI scholarship please help me. thank you.
saud says
I graduated last year and I am a genius and thinker, educator and artist in poetry, music, literature, good at writing and persuasion and discourse and other
But I am poor and unable to do anything .. I can not find money to study
So please please please
Can you help me
Please !!!!????
I am Burman refugees, held in Makkah
Please help me????
m.s-7-a.t @ hotmail.com
I`m Waiting
intekhab says
hello sir
i belong from swat and i am a student of M.B.B.S.now i have my final year after that i will apply for internship and i am looking for master in scholarship.please help me.
Ghebrengus Tesfamariam says
I am male graduate of nurse-midwife,with work experienc of 3.6years with my profesion ,Eritrean nationality,i am now in Sudan as refugee registerd with UNHCR ,and looking for scholarship in PhD/Master degree ,related to my prifession.I am lookng forward to hearing from you .