Hope through higher education: Fugee's university scholarship for refugees returns for 2025
The 2025 intake runs from June 2 to July 31, offering life-changing opportunities to refugee youth who face overwhelming barriers to higher education.
DANIAL HAKIM06 Jun 2025 11:31am
The Fugee HiEd Scholarship aims to reverse that disparity by providing refugee students with a pathway to academic achievement and long-term self-reliance. Photo courtesy of Fugee Malaysia.
The 2026 intake runs from June 2 to July 28, offering life-changing opportunities to refugee youth who face overwhelming barriers to higher education.
In Malaysia, fewer than 1 per cent of refugee youth access higher education, a stark contrast to the global average of 7 per cent for refugees and 42 per cent for non-refugees.
The Fugee HiEd Scholarship aims to reverse that disparity by providing refugee students with a pathway to academic achievement and long-term self-reliance.
This initiative directly supports United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)’s “15by30” goal, which envisions increasing global refugee enrolment in higher education to 15 per cent by 2030. As such, Fugee’s commitment is both urgent and necessary.
“We’re incredibly excited to onboard our 5th cohort of scholars.
“Having witnessed the success of previous cohorts, with students who have gone on to study and work abroad, it’s clear that this programme is truly life-changing, not only for our scholars but also for their families,” Fugee Programmes director Sarah El Massaoudi said.
Fugee’s scholarship programme is not only the first of its kind in Malaysia, it’s also producing extraordinary results.
In 2024 alone, 22 outstanding refugee students were awarded scholarships, making it the largest cohort yet.
Past scholars have gone on to break boundaries, like Zalaan, who completed an online degree with the University of Bolton before resettling in Vancouver, Canada through TalentLift.
Another notable alum was Sehan, who not only benefited from Fugee’s scholarship but also became the youngest member of the Connecting Refugees to Tertiary Education (CERTE) Advisory Board, after participating in a UNHCR meeting and continuing to shape refugee education policies from within.
These stories stand as proof that the programme goes beyond academics, it builds leaders.
Fugee, Malaysia’s leading advocate for refugee education, has officially opened applications for its Fugee HiEd Scholarship Programme, the nation’s only university scholarship dedicated solely to refugee students. Photo courtesy of Fugee Malaysia.
Fugee doesn’t stop at tuition aid. The HiEd Scholarship provides a full ecosystem of care and development to ensure long-term success.
“What makes it powerful is that it goes far beyond tuition support.
“Our scholars receive holistic care, are connected to a strong network of peers and professionals, and gain access to opportunities and pathways that would otherwise remain out of reach,” Massaoudi stated.
That support includes mental health assistance via partnerships with Humankind, and career mentorship through FutureLab, where students receive guidance on CV preparation, job interviews, and career mapping.
Refugee youth across Malaysia are encouraged to apply and seize this rare opportunity. Applications for the 2025 intake are now open here.
To sustain and expand the programme’s reach, Fugee is also calling on the support of the public by launching a fundraising campaign. Public contributions will directly fund scholarships for the incoming cohort. Donations can be made here.
“Every contribution, big or small, directly empowers a refugee student to pursue higher education and build a brighter future for themselves and their communities,” El Massaoudi said.
With each new cohort, the Fugee HiEd Scholarship continues to transform lives, not only by making university accessible, but also by cultivating resilience, leadership, and long-term impact.
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