University Scholarship Program V at the American University of Beirut

The program's overarching goal is to increase access to quality education and equip beneficiaries with technical, soft, and leadership skills needed to excel in the labor market. The HES program consists of two components: the University Scholarship Program (USP VIII) and Refugee Scholarship Support (RSS). USP VIII enables meritorious and financially disadvantaged Lebanese public and private school graduates to access quality higher education, increasing their job readiness and potential in supporting Lebanon's democratic and economic development. RSS offers scholarships to non-Lebanese public and private school graduates with refugee status and legal residency in Lebanon to complete undergraduate studies. The recruitment phase of HES Cycle III began in October 2020, with an official launch meeting attended by AUB HES team, LAU Office of Admissions, and USAID AOR. Both universities agreed to switch all recruitment activities to an online format, including the HES dissemination material, school visits, and private school fairs. A virtual outreach campaign was implemented, with HES announced on social media and broadcasted on TV channels. Several meetings were held during the quarter to discuss activities related to HES Cycle III recruitment. The meetings addressed the transition of the traditional recruitment process to a virtual one, including the HES online application, virtual outreach to schools and public, social media campaign, and HES promotional video. Key issues addressed and agreed upon during the recruitment meetings included the online format of the HES application, promotional video production, and virtual outreach activities. A timeline for recruitment activities was set, highlighting key milestones such as designing and reviewing the HES Cycle III online application, publicly announcing recruitment on social media, conducting webinars and online chatting forums, and broadcasting the HES Cycle III on TV channels. The deadline to receive complete applications was set for March 31, 2021, and additional documents requested by the university were due on April 9, 2021. A meeting was held between AUB HES team, AUB Office of Admissions, AUB Office of Communications, and MEMAC representatives to discuss the production of a common promotional video for AUB and LAU. The video aimed to enhance the visibility of the HES program, particularly among underprivileged Syrian and Palestinian communities, and highlight the transformative aspect of the scholarship program. An estimated budget of $2,600 was set for the joint promotional video, with MEMAC responsible for producing the script and AUB and LAU sharing the costs. A preliminary draft script was sent to AUB Office of Admissions, reviewed by LAU Office of Admissions, and forwarded to USAID-AOR for approval. A final draft of the script was approved, and the promotional video was scheduled to be shared on AUB, LAU, and USAID social media platforms during January 2021. The HES Cycle III Steering Committee meeting took place virtually on December 15, 2020, providing an overview of the recruitment activities adopted for Academic Year 2020-2021. The meeting highlighted the program benefits, academic and civic engagement requirements for graduation, successes, and recent challenges post COVID-19 pandemic.