Have an exceptional record of service, leadership, and activity in your school and/or community.
Demonstrate a desire to give back to your home community.
Demonstrate that financial constraints have prevented or restricted your educational opportunities.
Be 35 years or younger at the time of application.
Have obtained a Bachelor’s degree that meets the equivalency and eligibility requirements for the program of your choice.
Have NEVER registered for, nor completed a master’s degree.
You will receive the application form for the Scholarship after attending the information session on 28 July 2025 at 5AM Kigali time (10 PM EST). You can register for the information session through this link.
You must apply to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program first. Only once you have been successfully pre-screened will you be invited to apply to your chosen program of study through the McGill admissions process.
Between 18 and 25 years old as of June 30th, 2025.
A registered refugee currently in Rwanda (you must have proof of registration and/or refugee ID)
Graduated from a secondary school from any country and you are in possession of the secondary school certificate.
Available full-time for the one-year intensive residential German language course. You will have to move from your current residence for the training from July 2025.
Not yet completed a vocational training program, diploma course, or Bachelor’s program.
And you are interested in a one-year intensive German language training followed by 1-3 years of Vocational training under the Apprenticeship Program to become a qualified professional in Germany in one of the following fields: Nursing, Assistant Nursing, Roofer, Electrician, Mechatronics Technician, Industry Mechanic, Production Mechanic and Plant Mechanic for Heating and Climate Technology.
If you are shortlisted, You MUST be available for interviews, admission tests, potential home visits by Kepler staff, a physical onboarding workshop and travel to Kigali starting on July 23th. The program will begin towards the end of July 2025. You must be available to participate in the program full-time. Your living expenses and travel will be covered.
Note that the program is financed by an Income share Agreement. Participation is initially free of charge for you, but you will be required to contribute a share of your income back for a limited period of time, once you earn a sufficiently high income. This will allow another group to have the same opportunity after you.
Kigali Independent University ULK is a private institution of higher learning founded on 15th March 1996, and now governed by the Law N° 010/2021 of 16/02/2021 determining the Organization of Education; the Law N° 66/2018 of 30/08/2018 regulating Labour in Rwanda; the Ministerial Order N°001/MINEDUC/2021 of 20/10/2021 establishing quality standards in higher learning institutions; the ULK Statutes, the present Internal Regulations and Academic Regulations. Kigali Independent University ULK is destined to stand out as a remarkable University for excellence at the heart of Africa with highly motivated students and high-qualified personnel endowed with elevated ethical values.
The mission of ULK is to educate, teach, conduct research and serve the community. The fundamental mission of ULK is to provide the students with a training, which will enable them to become actors and organizers of a complete development of the nation.
UNHCR’s Tertiary Refugee Scholarship Programme (DAFI) offers qualified refugee and returnee (in selected countries*) students the possibility to earn an undergraduate degree in their country of asylum or home country. The scholarship package varies from country to country and covers a range of costs including tuition and study materials, food, transportation, and accommodation. Beneficiaries of this scholarship are expected to participate in community engagement and skills development activities linked to their studies. Kigali Independent University/ULK and UNHCR, alongside the education implementing partner, maintain close contact with each scholar to ensure the academic success and well-being of each student. The scholarship is designed to provide students with academic and/or professional knowledge, skills, and competencies, leading to a first degree or equivalent qualification.
Kigali Independent University is offering 20 scholarships to refugees, starting from the 2025-2026 academic year on 8th September 2025. The University will cover registration and tuition fees while UNHCR will cover monthly living allowance including accommodation, transport and food. UNHCR will also facilitate refugee students under this scholarship to get enrolled in Community based Health Insurance (CBHI).
The scholarships are open to all undergraduate and polytechnic courses.
Students who meet the following eligibility criteria are invited to apply for this scholarship program by 15th July 2025.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
The applicant must be a recognized refugee or asylum seeker living in Rwanda.
Priority will be given to those who achieved excellent academic performance. (graduates of 2024, 80% and above; graduates from 2023 downwards, general education 60 and above, TVET 50% and above.
Applicant must submit admission letter from Kigali Independent University/ULK
Applicants currently benefiting from another Higher Education scholarship programmes, are not eligible to apply for ULK-DAFI scholarship.
Applicants who have been confirmed to depart for resettlement to third countries are not eligible to apply for this scholarship.
Female and persons with special needs education are highly encouraged to apply.
APPLICATION FORM:
All application should be submitted through an online application form, available at the following link: https://forms.gle/swvXFx2NofVbcSE76
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS TO BE ATTACHED OR UPLOADED
Please attach your UNHCR Proof of registration
Please upload your official/certified copy of the high school diploma.
Please upload Kigali Independent University admission
Please upload the equivalence certificate from the Ministry of Education of the country of asylum (in case your secondary education diploma is from a foreign country)
TIMEFRAME
Applications will be received from 30th June to 15th of July 2025. Application submitted after the deadline will not be processed.
If you encounter any difficulties accessing internet connectivity or require technical assistance for uploading the required documents, kindly reach out to the nearest Digital Career Counsellors at the camp level or Community Centers in your vicinity.
Meron Semedar from the University of California, Berkeley will lead an online information session to present available academic programs, explain the application process, and provide guidance on how to apply for the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship.
The information session will take place ONLINE on 25 June 2025 at 16h00 (Kigali Time). All interested students should register to the Teams event through the link below:
Art & Humanities (Applied Linguistics, History, Gender Justice, Migration Studies, Sociology for Development)
Community & Health Sciences (Public Health)
Economic & Management Sciences (Development Studies, Information Sciences)
Law (Governance and Human Rights)
Natural Sciences (Biological, Computational, Mathematical and Physical Sciences)
Graduate eligibility criteria
Max. 30 years old
Have applied for academic admission: CLICK HERE to APPLY ONLINE (can apply for up to 2 choices) CLICK HERE to SUBMIT DOCUMENTS (no emailed documents will be accepted)
NOTE that no proof of proficiency is required if you have obtained (or is about to obtain) an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognized foreign institution where English is the language of instruction
To support your scholarship application you will need to provide documentary evidence of your refugee or displaced persons status. This must be current and include a valid start/end date. The accompanying evidence should be submitted via the Enquiry Hub here, select Admissions and then Scholarship/Bursary Opportunities as the categories.
If you need English Testing for applying to this opportunity, please reach out to [email protected]
NOTE that you must be able to demonstrate that you have access to non-financial support (study space, computer and internet, academic and pastoral guidance) in order to successfully undertake a University of London distance-learning programme. UNHCR is not able to provide this support.
The University of Edinburgh will offer 20 scholarships for eligible refugees and displaced students studying towards a part-time distance learning programme offered by the University.
Explore the DAAD scholarship opportunities available for potential applicants below:
Notes:
UNHCR is not in the position to assist with the cost of language testing.
UNHCR is not responsible for granting the opportunity and cannot respond to questions. For further information, please contact the master’s courses’ contact persons.
Note that these opportunities are not specifically tailored to the refugee situation. If you feel comfortable disclosing your situation, do not hesitate to discuss your specific situation with the master’s courses contact persons.
The scholarships offer foreign graduates from development and newly industrialized countries from all disciplines and with at least two years’ professional experience the chance to take a postgraduate or Master’s degree at a state or state-recognized German university, and in exceptional cases to take a doctoral degree, and to obtain a university qualification (Master’s/PhD) in Germany.
Candidate works either for a public authority or a state or private company in a developing country and, is engaged in the planning and execution of directives and projects with emphasis on development policies having a bearing on technological, economic or social areas.
Candidate holds a Bachelor’s degree (normally four years) in a related subject.
Candidate has completed an academic degree with far above average results (upper third) and at least two years of related professional experience after the first degree (bachelor) at the time of application.
His/her academic degrees should normally not be more than six years old.
Language requirements:
For courses in German: level of B1 at the time of application is a requirement
A curriculum vitae in reverse chronological order without any unexplained gaps (please use the europass template)
One Letter of Motivation with detailed reference to academic, professional and personal reasons for applying for the programme. IMPORTANT: When applying for more than one postgraduate course (maximum 3 courses), please also give detailed reasons for your choice of courses and prioritisation in the letter of motivation. Please submit a uniform letter of motivation to all postgraduate degree programmes of your choice.
Letter of recommendation from your current employer; the letter must include official letterhead, signature and official stamp and must be of current date (not in a sealed envelope)
Certificate(s) of Employment from the employer(s) showing at least two years of relevant work experience after the Bachelor’s degree up to the time of application and if possible, a guarantee of re-employment from your current employer upon returning home. The certificate of employment from the current employer should, if possible, include a guarantee of re-employment after returning to the home country.
Recent proof of Language Skills: o English – IELTS or TOEFL (Note: The institutional TOEFL is not accepted) o German – required for courses taught in German
Copies of your higher education degree certificates. Please provide a certified translation if the original is not in German or English, and make sure these are clearly legible.
Copy of your full set of transcript of records. Please provide an explanation of the grading system if this is not part of the transcript.
IMPORTANT: keep a soft copy of your application readily available in case selected. You will need to upload your application to the DAAD Portal if contacted by DAAD.
The Helmut-Schmidt-Programme, the DAAD strives to contribute to promoting good governance and civil society structures in developing and emerging countries. You can find the available Master’s courses in this brochure and the scholarship announcement here.
Application requirements:
a conclusive account and motivation of your academic, professional and personal motivation for the study endeavour in Germany and for choosing and prioritising the master’s courses (this motivation should clearly relate to the goals of the Helmut-Schmidt-Programme)
practical experience relevant to the programme (professional experience or internships, political activities or service to your community, such as volunteering or work for charities or NGOs)
a first higher education degree completed with above-average grades (upper third)
The candidates’ last university degree should not date back more than six years (date of issue not before 1 January 2019).
All master’s courses have their own selection criteria (degree, grades, language skills, practical experience, etc.) that must be met in addition to the DAAD’s selection criteria
Language proficiency is dependent on the chosen master’s course
Application deadlines: from 1 June until 31 July 2025
Application procedure: Applications have to be sent to the respective course directly
a ticked off checklist and list of criteria, signed by hand (print it out, sign it by hand, scan it and include it in your documents), indicating place and date of issue
a single letter of motivation (even when applying for two master’s courses) including the date of issue and a precise account of your academic, professional and personal reasons for wishing to participate in the Helmut-Schmidt-Programme, as well as a detailed explanation of your choice of master’s course(s), indicating why your first choice of master’s course is your first choice, why your second choice is your second choice and how they will advance you academically and professionally, max. two pages long. You must provide the same letter of motivation to both courses you are applying for.
a curriculum vitae in reverse chronological order including the date of issue (format: europass, please note: the europass template does not include a date, please add it yourself) with exact information about your studies and practical experience; gaps of three months or more must be explained
copies of your higher education degree certificates. Please provide a certified translation if the original is not in German or English and make sure these are clearly legible.
a copy of your full set of transcript of records including an explanation of the grading system. Please provide a certified translation if the original is not in German or English and make sure these are clearly legible.
confirmations of relevant professional experience or internships and/or proof of relevant political activities or service to your community, such as volunteering or work for charities or NGOs, on headed paper, including an original (not scanned) or code certified digital signature, the date of issue and a stamp. If necessary, please provide a certified translation
proof of English language skills
a current written reference from your current employer or from a university lecturer only if you are a student at present, on headed paper, including an original (not scanned) or code certified digital signature, the date of issue and a stamp. If necessary, please provide a certified translation
The WUSC-DREEM team is organising WOMEN-ONLY virtual outreach on 13th June 2025 from 3:00 PM to 5:35 PM (EAT)about undergraduate and Graduate opportunities offered under the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. The Session will be hosted in English and live translated into French. This session will provide valuable insights into the application process, eligibility criteria, and opportunities available for potential scholars.
In case accessing the QR code is challenging, here is the direct registration link for the session.
