University Scholarship Program V at the American University of Beirut

The program, funded by the USAID Higher Education Scholarships (HES), provides undergraduate scholarships to Lebanese public and private school graduates, as well as non-Lebanese refugees with refugee status and legal residency in Lebanon. The scholarships cover educational costs, including housing and transportation allowances, and stipends to attend high-quality universities that promote critical thinking, freedom, diversity, and respect. The program consists of two components: the University Scholarship Program (USP VIII) and the Refugee Scholarship Support (RSS). USP VIII aims to enable 40 meritorious and financially disadvantaged Lebanese public and private school graduates to access quality higher education, increasing their job readiness and potential to support Lebanon's democratic and economic development. RSS offers scholarships to non-Lebanese refugees to complete undergraduate studies, allowing the recruitment, selection, and enrollment of one cohort of 9 non-Lebanese refugee students for up to four academic years. During the reporting period from January 1st, 2019 to March 31st, 2019, HES dissemination and outreach material were printed, and public high schools and public technical schools were visited. Private high schools were reached out via email, and HES was publicly announced online on the AUB-USAID webpage and on various social media platforms. Broadcast appearances were made on several TV/Radio stations. Pre-recruitment activities took place on January 15, 2019, at the Lebanese American University (LAU) Beirut Campus. Attendees agreed on several key points, including the start of student recruitment in the first week of February, the exclusion of schools affiliated with FTOs, and the requirement for students from private schools to contribute towards university tuition. The tuition cap of 5,000,000 LBP was also established, applicable to private schools under the RSS component. Recruitment officers were appointed in early January 2019, with six officers selected for a three-month duration. The criteria for selection included Lebanese nationality, proper educational background, relevant experience, good English and Arabic language proficiency skills, and good soft skills. The recruiters underwent a two-stage training program, which included planning school visit schedules, introducing the HES Award, and training on how to approach school directors and collect applications. The recruitment team, led by the Director of Recruitment (DOR), visited public regular secondary schools and public technical schools in all districts of Lebanon. The recruiters were divided into three teams of two persons each, with one USP graduate and one non-USP graduate, to visit schools alongside the DOR. The team planned and organized school visits accompanied by USP scholars, who volunteered to accompany the recruiters during the visits.