How Displaced Sudanese Students Can Continue Their Education During the War

The scale of the disruption

Fighting broke out in Sudan in April 2023 and has since forced most of the country's universities to suspend in-person teaching. Between April 2023 and December 2024, 104 higher education institutions were directly affected by the conflict, concentrated in Khartoum and Gezira states, according to a 2025 study on the war's impact on Sudanese higher education . If your campus sits in one of the worst-affected states, do not wait for it to reopen before exploring the options below.

Enrolling at a host-country university

Egypt has absorbed the largest share of displaced Sudanese students. A study of displaced medical and paramedical students found 45 percent relocated to Egypt , with smaller shares moving to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Egypt's proximity, established Sudanese community, and Arabic-medium teaching make it the default choice for many students who reach the border.

Transferring is not free of cost. Tuition for Sudanese students moving into Egyptian universities has risen sharply since the war started, with some reports describing as much as a fiftyfold increase for transfer students compared to pre-war rates, per the Christian Science Monitor . Contact the international students office at your target Egyptian university directly for a current fee quote before committing, since costs vary by institution and program.

DAFI scholarships for refugee students

If you are registered as a refugee, the DAFI scholarship programme , run by UNHCR with German government funding, pays for undergraduate study in your country of asylum. DAFI has historically operated in Egypt, Kenya and Chad, three of the main countries hosting displaced Sudanese, and has directly funded Sudanese refugee students completing degrees in Egypt.

Apply through UNHCR or its implementing partner in your country of asylum, not through the university directly. You typically need to be registered with UNHCR as a refugee or asylum seeker first, so start that registration process as early as possible if you have not already, since registration itself often takes time before you become eligible to apply for DAFI. Renewal of a DAFI award typically depends on maintaining a minimum grade average each year, so treat it as conditional funding rather than a one-time guarantee.

Getting your credentials recognized

Host universities generally ask for proof of your prior study before admitting you into a related program, so gather any transcripts, admission letters or course outlines from your Sudanese university even if the originals stayed behind. Many displaced Sudanese students carry only what they could bring across the border, so a scanned copy sent by a family member, a former classmate, or your university's registrar by email counts as a starting point while you request the original later.

If you need language support

Not every host country teaches in a language you already speak. Ask the international office at your target university whether it offers a preparatory Arabic, English or French language year before your main program starts, since several host universities run bridging language courses specifically to help displaced students transition into full-time study.

Continuing your original degree online

Some Sudanese universities moved teaching online or to asynchronous formats to keep students who fled the country enrolled in their original program, rather than losing them to transfer entirely, according to the Chr. Michelsen Institute . This route protects your progress toward a Sudanese degree and avoids a second set of tuition fees, but connectivity and electricity access where you are displaced to determines whether it is realistic. Contact your faculty directly, by email or through any WhatsApp or Telegram group your department maintains, to find out whether your specific program is running remote classes and how to keep your registration active.

A note on the campus-return order

Sudanese authorities have at times pushed universities to resume operations at their original campuses rather than continue in exile or online, with penalties reported for institutions that do not comply. Details of this policy, including exact deadlines and enforcement, have shifted over the course of the war, so confirm the current requirement directly with your university's administration rather than relying on a single news report.

Practical steps to take now

• Contact your home university's registrar, even if the campus is closed, to request an official transcript and confirmation of credits completed so far.

• Register with UNHCR in your country of displacement if you have not already, since refugee status is a prerequisite for DAFI and other emergency scholarship support.

• Check directly with host-country universities' international admissions offices for transfer or credit-recognition procedures for Sudanese students, since these change as the war continues.

• Ask your Sudanese university whether it has resumed any teaching, in person or online, before assuming your program will not run again.

Where to get updated guidance

Because conditions change quickly, treat this article as a starting map rather than a final answer. International agencies, including UNESCO, coordinate a broader emergency education response for Sudan covering displaced children and teachers as well as university students, so your nearest UNHCR or IOM office is a useful referral point for non-academic support such as shelter or a stipend while you sort out your studies. Check UNHCR's DAFI scholarships page for current eligibility and application windows in your country, and follow your Sudanese university's official channels for the latest word on whether and where it plans to resume teaching.