UNHCR expands higher education access for refugee and host community students in South Sudan
UNHCR expands higher education access for refugee and host community students in South Sudan
650 refugee, returnee, and host community students have been awarded higher-education scholarships in South Sudan.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, announced the onboarding of 650 refugee and host community students onto higher education scholarships in South Sudan.
Funded by the UNHCR-Mastercard Foundation Partnership and delivered through the DAFI Scholarship Programme (Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), the scholarships will cover tuition fees and accommodation costs as well as a monthly living allowance, enabling students to focus fully on their studies.
The students were selected from refugee and host communities in Aweil, Jamjang, Juba, Maban, Yei, Renk, Makpandu, and Gorom and will be pursuing diploma and undergraduate studies at universities in Juba and Lobonok. They join 110 other students who began the programme in July 2026 under the Mastercard Foundation African Inclusion Pathways (AIP) initiative. Up to 900 students will be supported through the Partnership with the next selection planned for the end of January 2027.
“Every scholarship we can offer is an investment in a young person’s future and in the future of their community,” said Mesfin Degefu, UNHCR Deputy Representative in South Sudan. “At a time when humanitarian and development funding is under severe strain, the Mastercard Foundation’s commitment to refugee and host community students sends a powerful signal. Partnerships such as this one with the Mastercard Foundation allow us to keep doors open for young people who might otherwise see them close”.
This development comes as UNHCR South Sudan grapples with a severe funding shortfall, having received less than one-third of the $286 million required to provide much-needed assistance and protection services for nearly four million displaced people and vulnerable host communities.
Access to higher education remains severely limited for refugees. Globally, just 3 per cent of refugee youth are enrolled in higher education, compared to 37 per cent of youth worldwide. At the current rate, significant investment will be required to achieve UNHCR's goal of increasing refugee enrolment to 15 per cent by 2030.
As South Sudan's humanitarian response confronts one of its most severe funding crises in years, investments such as this offer a vital reminder that even amid scarcity, young refugees and their host communities can still look forward to a future built on opportunity rather than dependency.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
About the Mastercard Foundation
Mastercard Foundation is a Canadian organization and one of the world’s largest private foundations with assets of $45.3 billion (As of September 2024*). Its mission is to advance financial inclusion and education to improve the lives of those living in poverty. The Foundation’s programs are primarily focused on Africa and in Indigenous communities in Canada to enable 30 million young people to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030. The Foundation was established in 2006 by Mastercard as a separate and independent organization from the company. The Foundation’s Board of Directors and management determine its policies, programs, and funding decisions. To date, the Foundation’s programs have benefitted 146 million people. For more information on the Foundation, please visit: www.mastercardfdn.org
About DAFI
DAFI, the Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative, is UNHCR’s flagship higher education programme, offering refugee and returnee students the opportunity to earn an undergraduate degree in their country of asylum or origin. Since it was established in 1992, DAFI has supported over 27,200 students in 59 countries, thanks to the German Government’s long-standing commitment to supporting solutions for young refugees. DAFI forms one of the five pillars of UNHCR’s 15by30 Roadmap, which aims for 15 per cent enrolment of refugee youth in higher education by 2030.
About Lutheran World Federation
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is a global communion of churches working for justice, peace and reconciliation. In South Sudan, LWF partners with UNHCR to implement education, protection and livelihood programmes for refugees, returnees and host communities.
About UNHCR
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. We lead international action to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. In South Sudan, UNHCR provides protection and assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons while working toward durable solutions. For more information, visit www.unhcr.org/countries/south-sudan
For more information, please contact:
Reason Moses Runyanga, [email protected] +211 928 000 620
