The DAFI ( Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee Initiative) Scholarship for 2024 has commenced.
The scholarship offers qualified refugee students from eligible regions the opportunity to earn a degree in their country of Asylum or home country.
The DAFI scholarship is a fully funded scholarship awarded for a maximum of four years of undergraduate studies or its equivalent at an accredited university or higher institution. The scholarship does not apply to master’s or doctoral degree programs.
After the undergraduate scholarship program ends, you can pursue your Master’s degree through complementary education pathways in third countries.
In 2022, over 9,043 young women and men from 50 eligible countries enrolled in the DAFI Scholarship, a notable increase of nearly 1,000 students compared to the 2021 cohort.
The scholarship program collaborates with the German Government, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other private organizations.
Apart from financial assistance, you will receive additional support through close monitoring, academic preparatory, psycho-social support, mentoring, networking opportunities and language classes based on your needs.
You will also have the opportunity to participate in social, peer, and community engagement and skill development activities.
The UNHCR and its education partners will constantly maintain close contact with you and your institution of higher learning.
If you are a refugee wondering how you can apply for this scholarship, then this content is definitely for you. Make sure you read to the end.
Benefits of the DAFI Scholarship
DAFI Scholarship offers the following benefits to selected students
- Tuition
- Books
- Monthly Stipends
- Housing
- Local transportation expenses
- Health insurance
- Mentoring or psycho-social support
Eligibility Requirements of DAFI Scholarship
The following are the eligibility requirements for the DAFI Scholarship.
- Citizenship: You must be a refugee with a recognizable status in any of the eligible regions in the world
- Academic Qualification: You must have completed your secondary school education
- Show Financial Need: You must demonstrate a level of financial need and unwillingness to pay for your educational needs.
- Course of Study: You must select a course of study that will lead to your employment in the country of origin after your study program
- Age: You must not be more than 28 years old at the beginning of your study program
- Benefactors: You must not have any other family members receiving the DAFI scholarship.
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Documents Needed for DAFI Scholarship
- Refugee certificate
- Asylum Seeker Certificate
- Secondary School Certificate
Eligible Countries for DAFI Scholarship
Citizens from the following countries can apply for this scholarship.
- Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
- The Americas: Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico.
- Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Thailand.
- Europe: Azerbaijan, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Serbia, Ukraine, Republic of Türkiye.
- The Middle East & Northern Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Syria, Yemen.
How to Apply for the DAFI Scholarship
The following guidelines will aid you in applying for this scholarship; you must follow them carefully.
- Visit the Scholarship Portal: Visit the Scholarship Portal to create an account
- Fill out the application form: Once you’ve successfully created the account, proceed by filling out the form correctly.
- Select Country of Asylum: Select your country of Refugee where you want to undergo your study program
- Select Institution: Select your institution of study
- Select Course of Study: Select your undergraduate course of study
- Upload Documents: Upload the documents needed for the scholarship.
- Submit: Review your application, make the necessary changes, and submit it for review.
Factors Influencing the Allocation of DAFI Scholarship Across Eligible Countries
The number of scholarships offered in a country depends solely on several factors, some of which include
- availability of tertiary institution opportunities for Refugee
- Size of Refugee population and location,
- educational policies
- quality of educational institutions
- the overall cost of the scholarship
- Quality and availability of secondary school
- Support system available to students
- Post-graduate employment opportunities
FAQs | DAFI Scholarship
What is DAFI Scholarship?
DAFI Scholarship is a scholarship opportunity that offers qualified refugees from eligible countries the opportunity to acquire an undergraduate degree in their country of Asylum.
What is DAFI in full?
DAFI stands for Alber Einstein Academic Refugee Initiative. It was initiated in 1992 to cater to the educational welfare of Refugees who want to undergo a bachelor’s degree program.
- 2025 Khalifa University Graduate Scholarship in UAE
- 13 Available Scholarships in Nigeria
- Apply for Clarendon Scholarship 2024/2025
- 5 Fully Funded Scholarship in Germany for Undergraduate
- Apply Clark University Scholarship
Final Thought
The DAFI scholarship program has been in operation since 1992. Since its inception, it has supported more than 18,000 young refugees in pursuing an undergraduate degree.
In 2022, the program marked its 30th anniversary and celebrated its successes since its inception. According to the 2022 annual report, 15 percent of DAFI Scholars participated in job or career readiness training (1,396 scholars), 14 percent enrolled and completed their internship (1,273 scholars) and over 40 percent engaged in community development activities (3,895 scholars).
The application date and deadline for the DAFI Scholarship vary and solely depend on your country of Asylum. You can find out the application deadline for your country by visiting the scholarship website or by sending an email to them.
If you pass the application phase, you will be invited to an oral interview, which will determine your final selection process.
Aside from undergraduate courses, the scholarship also covers short-cycle tertiary education at the ISCED level of five courses, which are usually designed to provide participants with professional knowledge, skills and competencies.
DAFI Scholarship is renewable up to your four years of study program subject to your regular attendance, successful completion of each study semester, good academic performance throughout your study period and your participation in DAFI programs.
You are expected to study hard to meet these stated criteria. If not, your scholarship will be terminated. The committee will also cease to provide your scholarship if you are a victim of academic fraud or other forms of misconduct.
Tuition fees and other tuition-related expenses will be paid directly to your university based on your grade and academic performance, while the monthly stipends will be paid directly to you.
