Local Scholarship Program FY2020 Q2 Progress Report

The program aims to provide scholarships to students from Egypt to pursue higher education at private universities in Egypt. As of FY2020, Q2, a total of 210 students have been successfully recruited, selected, and awarded scholarships. The program has three cohorts of students, with Cohort 1 consisting of 65 students, Cohort 2 consisting of 65 students, and Cohort 3 consisting of 80 students. The students are enrolled at 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). IIE was able to increase the number of Cohort 3 students from 65 to 80, including 11 students with disabilities. The program has a strong focus on gender equality, with female representation in Cohort 1 at 52%, Cohort 2 at 64%, and Cohort 3 at 48%. The overall female representation in the program is 54%. The program also has a strong focus on geographic diversity, with students from 24 governorates in Egypt. The program provides a range of academic and personal support services to students, including academic progress monitoring, English language support, and study abroad opportunities. The program also provides leadership development opportunities through the IIE-Led Leadership in Action Activities, which include cultural and community service trips, gender-related issues meetings, and entrepreneurship leadership discovery programs. The program has faced challenges related to COVID-19, including academic challenges, study abroad challenges, and leadership in action challenges. However, the program has taken actions to mitigate these challenges, including remote monitoring and evaluation of program activities. The program has made significant progress in FY2020, Q2, with a 27% increase in the number of students recruited and selected for the program compared to the previous quarter. The program has also made significant progress in terms of academic and personal support services, with 95% of students reporting satisfaction with the program's academic support services and 90% reporting satisfaction with the program's personal support services. The program's monitoring and evaluation framework is designed to track progress against the program's annual work plan and to identify areas for improvement. The framework includes regular monitoring of program activities, evaluation of program outcomes, and reporting to USAID. Overall, the Local Scholarship Program – Private Universities has made significant progress in FY2020, Q2, in terms of student recruitment, academic and personal support services, and leadership development opportunities. The program continues to face challenges related to COVID-19, but has taken actions to mitigate these challenges and ensure the continued success of the program.