Aga Khan Foundation’s International Scholarship Programme (ISP) 2024

International Scholarship Programme:

The Aga Khan Foundation’s International Scholarship Programme (ISP) was established by His Highness the Aga Khan. The ISP aims to support gifted, outstanding students from developing countries, who have no other means of financing their studies, to pursue full-time postgraduate studies at reputable higher education institutions of their choice.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Excellent academic records.
• Genuine financial need. Financial assistance is provided according to the needs of students, but the ISP must be considered a resource of last resort.
• Applicants must demonstrate that they have explored and secured multiple sources of funding. The award funding need is determined individually, by deducting from the eligible student expenses, the total of other grants, loans (if any), parental contribution, and student employment income.
• All students are encouraged to try to reduce the amount requested from the Foundation by applying to other sources of assistance as well.
• Admission to a reputable postgraduate institution of higher learning. The program gives priority to Master's degree courses but also considers applications for PhD studies. Local/regional universities and distance learning programs are acceptable for ISP funding if the quality of the courses is maintained.
• Strong professional experience, extracurricular achievements, volunteer contributions, and leadership skills.

Selection Criteria:

• Award recipients are selected through an annual competitive application process. At present, the ISP is available in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Canada, Egypt, France, India, Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic, Madagascar, Mozambique, Pakistan, Portugal, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Uganda, and the USA.
• Applicants must be nationals residing in one of the aforementioned countries. As applications are handled by local entities, interested individuals must liaise with the appropriate country-based unit.
• As the ISP must be considered a lender of last resort, preference is given to those who have been able to secure funding from alternative sources.
• Preference is given to young professionals under 30 years of age.