Aiming Higher

Investing in the future

Our vision is a future where all refugees are included in the communities that host them, and where refugees can find meaningful employment. We look forward to a future where refugees are not only self-reliant but vital contributors to local economies.

Yet, right now, refugees are still battling against the odds. Just 7% of refugees are currently enrolled in higher education, compared to a global average of 42%.

UNHCR is calling on companies, foundations and individuals to help us reach our 15by30 goal of enabling 15% of refugees to access higher education by 2030.

Join our Aiming Higher campaign and invest in the best chance we have for the future – supporting smart, dedicated young minds.

Higher education for refugees not only helps individual scholars, but their whole communities. It paves the way for employment and helps refugees realise their potential to actively contribute to their local economies, whether they have been resettled, are living in a host community, or have returned home.

UNHCR’s refugee scholarship programme (DAFI) is the longest-running and largest, standalone higher education scholarship programme for refugees. It has been running for more than 30 years, and in that time, it has supported more than 24,000 young refugees to pursue their undergraduate degrees.

The UNHCR Refugee Scholarship programme not only includes tuition and fees, but also associated costs like housing, transport, materials and food. This means that refugee scholars can focus fully on their learning and reach their potential.

Helping refugees overcome challenges

Refugee scholars face many challenges, but it does not stop them from excelling in their chosen disciplines. The programme has an extremely low dropout rate, of 1% on average.

The UNHCR refugee scholarship programme is:

• Cost-effective: On average, a scholarship costs just $3,200 per year, including tuition, fees and living costs.
• Fair and inclusive: The programme actively ensures there is equal and inclusive access.
• Focused on career readiness: Students have access to career readiness trainings, skills training, internships and mentoring, as well as volunteering and networking opportunities, to improve their employability and preparedness for the world of work.

Digital higher education

Since the COVID pandemic, there has been an increased focus on the role that digital technologies can play in unlocking higher education opportunities for refugee students.

Digital higher education combines in-person and online learning to bring flexible, accredited and contextual learning to refugees. It also enables students to connect with top-tier universities all over the world, wherever they may be living.

Digital higher education programmes are hosted in connected learning centres, within refugee communities. These centres are managed and facilitated by refugees themselves, who collaborate with UNHCR and universities to make academic courses and support services available to students.

There are a range of benefits to digital higher education programmes. This way of learning creates opportunities for refugees who can’t otherwise access higher education due to policy or logistical barriers. They also have access to a wide range of courses and greater flexibility in how to study.

Learning digitally also helps refugee students to find online employment, whether that’s in their host country or somewhere else entirely, giving them the greatest chance to find work.

It costs an average of $3,200 to cover the cost of a year’s scholarship place and $12,800 for the whole length of a degree.

By joining our Aiming Higher campaign, you’re not just helping individual students, but their families, their communities, and beyond. The potential impact of your support is limitless.