Egypt Presidency approves $214 million US Aid for Higher Education

Egyptian presidency endorses the Cairo Initiative Scholarship Program between U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the country’s Ministry of Higher Education.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued presidential decree No. 479/2014 to approve USAID’s scholarship agreement signed with Egyptian Higher Education in 2014.

This scholarship would be activated after the approval of the Egyptian Cabinet.

The Cairo Initiative scholarships were signed to pursue post-graduate studies in the United States.

The Cairo Initiative Scholarship Program selects scholars on the basis of their ability to fill crucial skills gaps necessary to increase Egyptian efficiency and economic growth.  Upon their return to Egypt, the scholars have committed to work in their ministry or institution in a job already identified and defined as needing the skills the scholars will learn.  The Cairo Initiative Scholarship Program was launched in 2011 during a critical transition period in Egypt and the first two cohorts of participants are already benefiting from the program.

Through this program, MOHE and USAID are providing approximately 250  scholarships to professionals from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of State for Antiquities, Forensic Medicine Authority at the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Irrigation and Water resources; as well as Egyptian universities including Al Azhar, Ain Shams, Cairo, and Helwan Universities.

USAID participates with US$ 214 million provided through payments to be completed in 30th of September 2022.

Through USAID, the U.S. Government has provided undergraduate scholarships for nearly 600 talented Egyptian students from disadvantaged backgrounds to study at Egyptian universities and provided scholarships to 70 professionals representing 30 ministries and institutions to pursue post-graduate studies in the United States.