Aga khan Foundation Scholarships

Study Abroad Content Specialist

Every year, Aga Khan Foundation Scholarships offer students from developing countries a chance to study abroad. Recipients of the scholarship can apply for the universities of the US, Canada, the UK, France, and Portugal.

Aga Khan Foundation Scholarships are awarded on a 50% grant and 50% loan.
Students can opt to pursue any PG level program in Canada, the US, and other eligible countries.
- Preference is given to applications made for the master’s program.
- Short-term programs like PG diplomas or certificates are not covered.
Applications for Aga Khan Foundation Scholarships, 2025-2026, will open in early January 2025.

Applicants must note that the Aga Khan Foundation Scholarships are not applicable for the universities in Germany, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, Holland, Italy, Norway, and Ireland for the 2023-24 application cycles.

Highlights

Scholarship Type	Merit-Based, Need-Based
Offered by	Trust
Organization	N/A
Application Deadline	N/A
Number of Scholarships	N/A
Amount	Variable Amount
Renewability	No
International Student Eligible	Yes
Scholarship Website Link	https://www.akdn.org/our-agencies/aga-khan-foundation/international-scholarship-programme

Eligibility Criteria

The Aga Khan Foundation Scholarships are open for the students who are the residents of the country where the AK Foundation, AK Education Service, AK Education Board has its local office.

Citizenship: India, Pakistan, Kenya, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Mozambique, Uganda, and Madagascar.
Students of these nations are only eligible to apply.
Age Limit: Under 30 years of age (preferred)

Students who originally come from one of the formerly mentioned developing countries and are involved in development-related studies and have no other means to fund their education can send an application for a scholarship to study in the UK, France, Portugal, USA, and Canada.

Application Process

The application process for Aga Khan Foundation’s International Scholarship Program is decentralized.

Applications forms must be obtained from AKF office/ Aga Khan Education Services/Boards, January 1 onwards.
Completed AKF’s International Scholarship Program application should be returned to the agency.

Aga Khan Foundation Scholarship Application Deadline

As the Foundation’s notification for the Aga Khan Foundation Scholarships, the 2024-2025 award cycle is now closed. Applications for the next cycle, 2025-2026, will open in early January 2025.

Note: Applications are not accepted for short-term programs.

Selection Process

Recipients of the Aga Khan Foundation Scholarships are assessed on the following basis:

Consistent academic excellence
Genuine financial requirement
Admission to a reputed program and university in the US, France, UK, and Canada.
Relevance of the opted program to the focus areas of the AKF.

Candidates with relevant experience will be preferred. Furthermore, the selection committee also focuses on the applicant’s career goals, extra-curricular interests, and achievements.

To study abroad is every student’s dream. Therefore, an applicant’s potential and determination to achieve set goals, in a foreign environment, is also considered.

Aga Khan Foundation Scholarships: Selection Notification

The applicants of the Aga Khan Foundation Scholarships shall be notified by the foundation committees in late June or early July, in the Annual Scholarship Selection Meeting.

Aga Khan Foundation Scholarships: Interview

The Foundation may ask shortlisted applicants to appear for an interview session, to be conducted by the local scholarship committee. The interview will focus on their academic performance, extra-curricular achievements, and financial need.

Grant Details

Every year, students from developing countries hope to study in the universities of Canada, the US, the UK, France, and Portugal. The Aga Khan Foundation Scholarships are designed for the meritorious students of these countries, providing them an opportunity to fulfill their dream.

The Foundation provides tuition fees and living expenses to the recipients of the Aga Khan Foundation Scholarships.

Funding for Ph.D. programs in the UK, US, and Canada, is provided only for the first two years of study, after which the students are expected to find alternative sources of help.

The foundation may give preference to those candidates who have already acquired some part of financial assistance from other sources and the minimum amount of help is requested.

Half the borrowing is deemed a loan to be reimbursed with a 5% annual service charge.
The loan agreement has to be co-signed by a guarantor.
The payback period is five years, beginning six months after the period of study.

It is preferable that the students consider this International Scholarship Programme as the last resort and first try to obtain help from other sources to help the foundation in assisting other more needful students.

Application Form Collection Offices in India

Students applying from India may obtain the Aga Khan Foundation Scholarship Application forms from the following office addresses:

Aga Khan Foundation Office in Delhi –
Sarojini House, 2nd Floor,
6, Bhagwandas Road, New Delhi – 110001

Aga Khan Education Services / Aga Khan Education Board in Mumbai –
2nd Floor, Diamond Complex
Diamond Jubilee High School Compound
39/43 Nesbit Road, Mazagaon, Mumbai –400010