When Syrian national Hind Alhelou heard about the Tomorrow’s Leaders Scholarship Program — a scholarship that could give her the opportunity to study in another Arab region country — she jumped at the chance and immediately applied online.
“The application process took a long time and there were a few serious essays I had to write,” says Alhelou.
The next step required taking the TOEFL English-language test, followed by an interview before a panel in Beirut. Alhelou believes her strong command of English and a leadership role as a teacher and team leader in her village helped give her an edge.
She was awarded the scholarship through the U.S. Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative and AMIDEAST, a U.S.-based nonprofit that seeks to build bridges between the U.S. and the Middle East and North Africa. “A lot of people applied with me and I must say that I am extremely fortunate to be selected,” says Alhelou.
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The scholarship is geared toward high school seniors in the Middle East and North Africa from underserved backgrounds. It provides four-year university scholarships and internship opportunities for future leaders at the American University of Beirut, the American University in Cairo and Lebanese American University.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity without which I wouldn’t have dreamed of being here in Cairo,” says Alhelou, who chose to study at AUC in Egypt to experience a new culture.
She received a full scholarship that covers tuition fees, school expenses, health insurance, a monthly stipend and airfare to fly back to her home country once a year.
There are a variety of scholarships offered to Arab international students at universities in the region based on merit and need. These private scholarships are funded by sponsors, endowments and donors.
“Some of those scholarships are endowed scholarships for citizens of particular Arab countries,” says Sohair Saad, executive director of AUC’s Office of Student Financial Affairs and Scholarships. “For example, the Hayel Saeed Endowed Scholarship is for Yemeni students; the Riad Kamal Palestinian Endowed Scholarship is for Palestinian students; Sheikh Jamal Jawa Scholarship is for a student from Saudi Arabia; and others.”
Alaa Sami Adil Abu-Naji is a recipient of the Sheikh Jamal Jawa Scholarship, a scholarship that covers partial tuition for one student from Saudi Arabia attending AUC. The scholarship application requires a good GPA and brief interview. She says she’s grateful for the scholarship, though it is only $1,500 per semester. Undergraduate international students at AUC pay around $17,000 a semester for 18 credits, according to the school’s website.
“I chose AUC since Saudi Arabia doesn’t provide political science for girls,” says Abu-Naji, who majors in the subject. “Actually if I chose to study in Saudi Arabia it would have been for free, but I chose to go abroad for the experience and for the major.”
[Find out the factors to consider when choosing a university in the Arab region.]
There are also need-based awards. At New York University Abu Dhabi, for example, students of any nationality are eligible to apply for need-based financial support.
Anna Dechert, associate director of admissions at the school, says students can complete the CSS/Financial Aid Profile application online, which the school uses to evaluate a student’s ability to pay the entire cost of attendance. If students are unable to cover the full cost, she says, “they would be awarded financial support that matches their level of need, which could be up to a maximum of a 100 percent scholarship.”
Then there are universities that completely cover costs like King Abdullah University of Science & Technology in Saudi Arabia. The school offers all admitted students the KAUST Fellowship that covers tuition, a monthly living allowance, housing, medical and dental coverage, and relocation assistance, according to university’s website.
Scholarships — whether big or small — can help offset costs. Yemeni business and accounting major Shams Shamsan chose Lebanese American University for its “quality of education in a prestigious American university,” one she says she couldn’t find at home. Living abroad, out of her comfort zone with the ability to explore other cultures, become independent and develop as a leader were all appealing factors.
“Of course, the scholarship was a factor as I wouldn’t be able to afford studying here,” Shamsan says.
[Learn how to get comfortable at a coed Arab university campus.]
Prior to applying for her scholarship, Alhelou was accepted at Damascus University in Syria, where she had planned to study biology. However, she did not attend due to the political unrest in her country.
“The scholarship kind of saved my education and put me on track again,” says Alhelou, who is now majoring in communication and media arts with minors in international relations and business administration.
Alhelou says students should understand that a scholarship might not necessarily include their planned degree. Biology, for example, was not listed among the degrees covered by her scholarship program.
When researching scholarships, she suggests students keep an open mind and always have a backup plan. For Alhelou, though, everything fell neatly into place.
“I thank the Middle East Partnership Initiative for not offering me biology,” says Alhelou. “Because I found my voice and self in mass communication.”
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Scholarships Entice Students to Arab Region Universities originally appeared on usnews.com
