Aga Khan Foundation’s International Scholarship Programme

March 4, 2025 by Goher Iqbal Punn

Students interested in receiving funding or scholarships know about the Aga Khan Foundation Scholarship conferred to eligible students for their study goals. The organization has been quite functional for education and thus has been offering scholarships for a long time. The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is committed and dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of those in need, mainly in the regions of Africa and Asia, irrespective of their faith, origin, or gender. The organization works in more than 30 countries in the world. It presently operates more than 1000 programs and institutions, many of them dating back more than 60 years and some over 100 years. At present (according to the current online records), AKDN employs around 96,000 people, the majority of the staff is based in developing countries. Since it provides scholarships, if you are interested in getting one, you may learn about the details of the Aga Khan Foundation’s International Scholarship Programme next in the article.

Details Regarding the Aga Khan Foundation’s International Scholarship Programme

This scholarship opportunity offered by the Aga Khan Foundation is an opportunity for exceptional scholars from chosen countries (listed below), who have no other means of financing their education, to pursue postgraduate degrees.

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Through a global, annual and very competitive application procedure, award recipients are chosen. The Aga Khan Foundation’s International Scholarship Programme (AKF ISP) offers a limited number of new scholarships in each cycle. As far as the 2025-26 award cycle is concerned, it has opened in early January 2025 and will last till 31^st March 2025.

Eligible Countries Under the Aga Khan Foundation Scholarship 2025

Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Egypt
India
Kyrgyz Republic
Kenya
Mozambique
Madagascar
Pakistan
Syria
Tanzania
Tajikistan
Uganda

Note: In France, Canada, Portugal, and the USA, applications will be accepted from those applicants who are originally from one of the above countries. The scholarship is not offered to those students who would like to study in the U.K.

Eligibility Criteria

To be considered for this opportunity of the Aga Khan Foundation’s International Scholarship Programme, the candidates are required to meet the eligibility requirements.

Applicants must possess exceptional academic records
They need to have a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent training/professional experience
They must demonstrate their genuine financial need*
They are required to show a thoughtful, reliable, multi-source funding plan that covers all years of students’ study*
They must be admitted to a renowned postgraduate institution**
They must be commencing the first year of programme***and
They must have a strong leadership potential, extracurricular and/or entrepreneurial achievements, professional experience, and volunteer contributions

Note: Professionals under the age of 30 years will be prioritized.

*Since the awards/scholarships are offered according to need, but the applicants are advised to consider the AKF ISP a resource of last resort. They are advised to secure various sources of funding to lessen the amount they request.

**Although master’s programmes are given priority, but applications for PhD studies will also be considered. Regional/local universities and distance learning study programmes will be acceptable by the organization for ISP funding, provided that the quality of the study programme is maintained. Part-time programmes and short-term courses will not be taken into consideration.

***Candidates/applicants have to enter their first year of study in a postgraduate study programme. Remember, those applicants/students who have already enrolled in, or have started their postgraduate study programmes, are not eligible for the scholarship.

Financial Coverage (Award Conditions)

You must be wondering about the Aga Khan scholarship amount, well, the chosen or successful candidates will be provided with the funding. Let’s find out the details. The awards/scholarships will be structured as half grant and half loan, meaning that the students need to repay 50% of the scholarship/award amount*.

Master’s studies scholarships will be offered for the whole duration of the degree programme. For PhD students, the scholarships will be conferred for the first 2 years of studies, after which the students will be expected to arrange funding from other or alternative sources.

Remember, the scholarship covers expenses for tuition, and living expenses. International travel expenses, furniture, clothing, or living costs for family members will not be covered or provided. During the course of the studies, students are required to demonstrate their good academic standing plus ongoing financial need to maintain the scholarship.

*To co-sign the award agreement, a guarantor is required. Repayment of the loan component that carries a service charge starts 6 months after the first of the following events:

a) graduation
b) studies termination or
c) the withdrawal of support following failure of meeting the academic standards expected of ISP students.

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The Aga Khan Foundation Scholarship Deadline

The last date to submit the applications for the scholarship is 31^st March 2025.

Application Procedure for the Aga Khan Foundation’s International Scholarship Programme

Local units of the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), Aga Khan Education Board (AKEB), or Aga Khan Education Services (AKES) handle the applications. Those who would like to apply for the award need to answer the questions in the eligibility tool available on the official announcement. If the applicants are found eligible, they will receive an email for one of the Aga Khan Foundation’s local units who will then administer the application procedure. Visit the official announcement for complete details.

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Also Visit: Australian Government Scholarships in Australia for Masters and PhD Programs

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