Education Providers

As a potential or active scholarship provider, whether from a government, institution or the private sector, there are a number of considerations that can help to ensure the scholarship programme anticipates and addresses the protection needs some refugees face.

 UNHCR recommends scholarship programmes that meet the following basic requirements:

• Non-discrimination/equitable access—Scholarship eligibility is fair and impartial. Applicants are not disadvantaged based on religion, ethnicity, gender, sexuality or other characteristics.
   
• Provide access to functioning asylum procedures and protection from refoulement­—Refugee students should not find themselves in a situation of forced return or statelessness once their studies are completed due to expired residency permits, lack of access to asylum procedures or inability to support themselves.
   
• Offered by a nationally accredited institution—Scholarship programmes must be offered by a recognized academic institution and result in a widely-recognized and transferable degree or certificate.
   
• Adhere to data protection principles—Providers refrain from the use or sharing of personal data with any external party or used for any purpose other than the identification and selection of student participants, unless permission has been granted by the refugee student.

• Ensure that participation in the education programme does not jeopardize the legal status or negatively affect the protection space for refugees in the country.
   
• Reach out to students in secondary level education and inform them about scholarship opportunities. The prospect of higher education opportunities fosters retention at primary and secondary level, particularly among women.
   
• Negotiate availability of places in academic institutions in host countries with Ministries of Education and other competent bodies to ensure host country agreement and support, and so as not to overload host institution capacity.
   
• Check if accreditation and programme equivalency recognition are arranged with the authorities of the host country to ensure that students obtain a widely recognized and transferrable degree upon completion.
   
• Advocate for documentation requirements for admission to the programme to be lowered or lifted to avoid putting at risk candidates whose documentation may not be readily accessible.
   
• Engage with existing coordination mechanisms on (higher) education for refugee students.
   
• Consider available holistic support mechanisms i.e., what mentoring, academic or psycho-social support is provided and are these support options relevant to/account for refugee students.
   
• Anticipate the need to provide financial support to families of students that are found to be socio-economically vulnerable or where students’ enrolment in a full-time university course will impact family stability.
   
• Manage expectations to minimize possible tensions within the refugee community, or with humanitarian/development actors, over the limited places available.
   
• Know refugees’ right to work context in their country of asylum and set graduates up for success by building partnerships with industry, advocating for and expanding options for employment or further students upon graduation. Many refugees face de jure and/or de facto restrictions to work in host countries, even when they hold a higher education degree.

 A helpful reference are UNHCR’s DAFI policy and guidelines. 

• Legal status: What legal status will students have in country of study? What limitations apply?
   
• Access to asylum procedures: Should a refugee student decide to apply for asylum in the country of study, will this affect their student status and related benefits? 
   
• Travel documents and visas: What support will students need with visa and travel documents? Do students have access to a national passport or refugee travel document (often called a convention travel document or CTD)? Will the student be able to renew their travel documents and/or visa from the country of study? 
   
• Termination of programme: What happens if a student fails or drops out for any reason?
   
• Support: What mentoring, academic or psycho-social support is provided? Do these support programmes consider needs that may be relevant for refugee students? 
   
• Arrival and self-sufficiency: What resources exist to help refugee students access basic services when they arrive (e.g. banking services, SIM card, housing)? Will the refugee student be able to legally work on campus or be eligible for any off-campus work? 
   
• Additional qualifications: Is the student able/allowed to obtain (additional) qualifications required for the completion of studies (e.g. internships)?
   
• Completion and next steps: What options for employment or further studies in the country of study are available upon graduation? Are there other legal options to stay in the country? What legal and administrative preparations will be necessary for the students’ return to their country of asylum or their country of origin, if it is possible to return? 
   
• Family unity: May family members accompany the refugee student? What is their legal status and how is their income ensured?
   
• Safeguards and flexibilities: What safeguards and flexibilities are in place to mitigate protection risks, such as forced returns due to cessation of legal status, lack of required documentation, dual intent provisions or other legal/administrative obstacles? 

Scholarship programmes for refugees hosted in some countries around the world, particularly in the MENA and Asia regions, must anticipate and plan for the fact that in many cases refugees are not permitted or may have restrictions to re-enter the country of asylum once they have departed, even if they plan to leave for a temporary period of study. In light of the prohibition on return to the country of asylum, refugee students must have means to ensure their legal status and ability to support themselves once the period of study has ended. The impact of prolonged separation from family and options for family reunification should also be taken into consideration.

UNHCR country offices often may be able to assist in advertising scholarship programmes and identifying refugee applicants for programmes that meet the above factors. UNHCR can also assist potential or active scholarship providers in developing programmes that adequately anticipate the range of issues refugee students may face during application, selection, departure, study and post-graduation periods. The range of questions outlined below should be considered prior to announcing or implementing a scholarship programme. Please contact UNHCR for assistance with any of these issues.

Please consult our Higher Education Considerations for Refugees in Countries Affected by the Syria and Iraq Crises for more information. The document is a general good reference for Higher Education Considerations beyond the MENA region. 

• What are the eligibility criteria? Who is the target population?
   
• What is the target age range?
   
• What are the minimum education and language requirements to participate?
   
• What is the timeline for advertisement, application, selection and departure? Do you have resources in place to carry out each of these phases? If not, what additional support is needed?
   
• Is the programme inclusive and non-discriminatory in all respects?
   
• Does the programme support the participation of women/girls in equal proportion to men/boys?
   
• Does the programme support candidates with special circumstances, such as students with interrupted education, students without proof of education certification, or students who wish to transfer academic credits from a previously attended higher education institution?

• Will the initiative be focused on study exclusively, or linked to resettlement, temporary asylum, named sponsorship or family reunification options?
   
• How will the scholarship initiative coordinate with other third country solutions, like resettlement, that may be ongoing in the country and manage expectations towards achieving a durable solution?
   
• What is the desired impact of the scholarship initiative on the participants, as well as on their families and communities e.g., completion of higher education degree, transition into employment or continuing education opportunity, etc.? 
   
• Is there any aspect of the programme that could affect social cohesion, lead to other negative consequences or be perceived to be discriminatory?
   
• Does the programme intend to contribute to post-conflict reconstruction, social cohesion and peace building processes in the participants’ asylum communities and countries of origin?

• Will the initiative ensure adequate certification upon completion of studies?
   
• Does the initiative take into account potential language barriers of students who otherwise qualify, for example in the form of language support courses?
   
• What specific measures are implemented as part of the selection process to ensure transparency and inclusiveness in line with the considerations outlined above?
   
• In cases where the scholarship does not provide full financial support, how will students be guided or facilitated in covering all direct study costs (registration and tuition fees), indirect study costs (e.g. books, supplies, research and other expenses), housing and cost of living without affecting their academic performance?
   
• Does the scholarship initiative include options for short-term diploma studies, such as a preparatory year needed to qualify for a degree programme?
   
• Is there a focal person in your organization responsible for coordination and communication at all stages of the programme?
   
• What support will be in place for the students to plan beyond their studies including career counselling and guidance?
   
• What learning, experiential or practical/work-readiness opportunities will be available to the students during academic/semester breaks?

For examples of comprehensive design of scholarships outside of the country of asylum, please refer to:

• UNHCR, WUSC, UNESCO, Doubling our Impact, Third Country Higher Education Pathways for Refugees, February 2020
   
• Building Education Pathways for Refugees: Mapping A Canadian Peer-to-Peer Support Model, 2017. 

UNHCR welcomes higher education institutions, NGOs, civil society partners, governments and other actors to share information related to higher education and scholarship opportunities by setting up an account and filling in the respective form.

The information provided will be reviewed and verified by UNHCR before posting it on the site.