Education provides refugees with a sense of purpose and dignity after the trauma of displacement. It provides the building blocks they need to recover, to create new lives in their host countries and to gain vital knowledge and skills to take back to their country of origin.
USA for UNHCR and its compassionate donors have been strong supporters of Aiming Higher – the largest and longest-running higher education refugee scholarship program in the world – committing to fund 600 scholarships from 2022 to 2025.
The UNHCR scholarship program offers support that extends beyond academics. Scholars receive psychosocial services, preparatory courses and career readiness training. The program is designed to ensure that each student graduates not only with the certification and skills needed to pursue a career, but also with the motivation and experience to act as positive leaders for change, both in their community and the world.
- 2,533 new refugee scholars were enrolled in higher education with Aiming Higher scholarships.
- 4,619 existing scholars continued to be supported.
- 1,516 students graduated and obtained their degrees.