Local Scholarship Program FY2020 Q1 Progress Report

The program aims to provide scholarships to students from Egypt to pursue higher education at private universities in the country. The program has three cohorts of students, with a total of 210 awardees as of the end of FY2020, Quarter 1. The program has a strong focus on gender equality, with female representation among the awardees ranging from 48% to 64% across the three cohorts. The program also aims to increase the number of students with disabilities, with 12 students with disabilities among the awardees, including 3 females and 9 males. The program has established partnerships with three private universities in Egypt: the American University in Cairo (AUC), the Arab Academy for Sciences, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT), and the British University in Egypt (BUE). The universities offer a range of fields of study, including communication and mass media, economics, nursing, computing and information technology, engineering and technology, international transport and logistics, management and business technology, and business administration. During FY2020, Quarter 1, the program implemented various activities to support the awardees, including individual support meetings, academic and personal support, English language support, and enrichment sessions. The program also conducted campus visits to monitor the awardees' progress and provide support as needed. The program's reporting and monitoring and evaluation activities are ongoing, with regular updates provided to USAID. The program's progress is monitored through various metrics, including the number of awardees, their fields of study, and their academic performance. The program's geographic focus is on Egypt, with a strong emphasis on increasing access to higher education for students from underrepresented governorates. The program's timeframes are quarterly, with regular reporting and monitoring and evaluation activities taking place throughout the year. Overall, the Local Scholarship Program – Private Universities is a significant initiative aimed at increasing access to higher education for students from Egypt. The program's focus on gender equality, students with disabilities, and geographic diversity makes it a valuable contribution to the country's development.