Brief description:
The
Aga Khan Foundation provides a limited number of scholarships
each year for postgraduate studies to outstanding students from
developing countries who have no other means of financing their
studies. Scholarships are awarded on a 50% grant : 50% loan basis
through a competitive application process once a year.
The
Foundation gives priority to requests for Master’s level courses
but is also willing to consider applications for PhD programmes,
when doctoral degrees are necessary for the career objectives of
the student. Requests will also be considered for travel and study
awards for PhD students doing their research in Third World
countries on topics judged to be of interest to the Aga Khan
Development Network. Applications for short-term courses are not
considered; neither are applications from students who have
already started their course of study.
Field of study:
Any; not specified.
Target group:
The
Foundation accepts applications from countries where it has branches,
affiliates or other AKDN agencies which can help with processing
applications and interviewing applicants. At present, these are
Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Syria,
Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, Madagascar, France,
Portugal, UK, USA and Canada.
Scholarship value/inclusions:
The
Foundation assists students with tuition fees and living expenses only.
The cost of travel is not included in AKF scholarships.
Applicants are requested to make every effort to obtain funding
from other sources as well, so that the amount requested from the
Foundation can be reduced to a minimum. Preference is given to
those who have been able to secure some funding from alternative
sources.
Eligibility:
Preference is given to students under 30 years of age. See selection Criteria below.
Scholarship Criteria:
The
main criteria for selecting award winners are: l) excellent academic
records, 2) genuine financial need, 3) admission to a reputable
institution of higher learning and 4) thoughtful and coherent
educational and career plans. Candidates are also evaluated on
their extra-curricular interests and achievements, potential to
achieve their goals and likelihood to succeed in a foreign
academic environment. Applicants are expected to have some years
of work experience in their field of interest.
Half
of the scholarship amount is considered as a loan, which must be
reimbursed with an annual service charge of 5%. A guarantor is
required to co-sign the loan agreement. The payback period is
five years, starting six months after the study period funded by
the Aga Khan Foundation.
Application instructions:
The
application procedures of AKF’s International Scholarship Programme
are decentralised. Students may obtain application forms as of
January 1st each year from AKF offices or Aga Khan Education Services / Boards
in their countries of current residence. Completed applications
should be returned to the agency from which the form was
obtained, or to the address indicated on the front of the form. They
should not be sent to Geneva. The deadline for submission of
applications is 31 March, although in certain countries internal deadlines may be earlier.
It is important to visit the official website (link found below) for detailed information on how to apply for this scholarship.
Website:
Official Scholarship Website: http://www.akdn.org/akf_scholarships.asp
Related Scholarships: List of Universities that offer Scholarships for Developing Country Students
