Quarterly Progress Report, FY2020, Quarter 4: USAID Scholars Activity

The program aims to provide scholarships to Egyptian students to pursue higher education in the United States. The activity began in 2020 with the recruitment of project staff and partner universities. The program's outreach and recruitment efforts involved holding orientation meetings with American Field Service (AFS) and Newton to familiarize them with the selection criteria and terms and conditions. Discussions were initiated with AFS and Newton to coordinate outreach activities, and regular meetings were held to coordinate outreach efforts in light of the evolving COVID-19 situation. The program designed outreach materials for USAID's approval, which were used to disseminate information about the USAID Scholars Activity. The application, financial assessment form, and rubrics were also designed and developed for applicants and application reviewers. A marketing/outreach campaign was launched, and information was disseminated via Al-Ahram newspaper, social media channels, websites, and other platforms. The program received 4,406 applications, of which 2,201 were eligible. Interviews were conducted for 529 shortlisted candidates, and home visits were conducted for the short-listed applicants. The program also collected Thanaweya Amma results and Tanseeq results to place students in their respective target majors. The program's monitoring and evaluation plan was submitted to USAID, and a capacity building session was provided to AFS on how to deal with students with disabilities during interviews. A meeting was also conducted with the Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) to discuss the implementation of the USAID Scholars Impact Assessment. The program's communication strategy was developed, and a factsheet was created to provide information about the program. The program's advisory board kick-off meeting was convened, and partner university presidents attended to ensure strategic support for the program. The program's office equipment was procured, and temporary office space was assigned within the AUC New Campus. The project's VAT letter was submitted to the Taxation Authority to obtain the project's relevant exemption, and the tax exemption letter was issued on June 30, 2020. The program's first-year activities implementation plan was developed and submitted to USAID, taking into account the redirection of activities in light of the COVID-19 situation. The plan included the English language component for the Pre-Academic English Language and Cultural Experiences month, preparation year, and supplemental English programs. The program's geographical distribution of eligible candidates was also documented, and a technical steering committee evaluation rubric was developed to assess the program's progress. The program's internal observation form for physical and online interviews was also developed to monitor the program's activities. Overall, the USAID Scholars Activity made significant progress in the fourth quarter of FY2020, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program's outreach and recruitment efforts were successful, and the program's activities were implemented in accordance with the approved work plan.