How Refugee Students in Kenya's Kakuma and Dadaab Camps Reach University

Secondary school inside the camps

University starts long before university for a refugee student in Kakuma or Dadaab. Windle International Kenya (WIK) runs the secondary schools that prepare camp-based refugees for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), the exam every Kenyan public university uses for admission. WIK works in both camps, alongside vocational training and English language programs, and its secondary schools reach thousands of refugee and host-community learners across Dadaab and Kakuma, according to Windle International Kenya .

Students register for KCSE through their Windle-supported school, the same way any Kenyan candidate does, but with identification issued through Kenya's refugee registration system rather than a national ID or Kenyan birth certificate. A strong KCSE result is the first requirement for any refugee student aiming at a Kenyan university, scholarship or not.

Windle International Kenya and the DAFI scholarship

The main funded route from camp to campus is the DAFI scholarship, a UNHCR program that pays for refugee students to complete an undergraduate degree. Windle Kenya is UNHCR's partner for DAFI in Kenya and runs the application process directly inside Dadaab and Kakuma, then supports admitted scholars through enrollment at their chosen university, per Windle International Kenya . The organization has managed DAFI in Kenya for close to two decades and oversees a wider portfolio of tertiary scholarship schemes for camp-based students beyond DAFI itself.

DAFI eligibility follows the core rules used across the program globally: recognized refugee status, secondary education completed to a standard that supports university study, and financial need with no other way to fund your studies. Applicants are generally expected to be under 28, though exceptions apply for candidates who had to interrupt earlier studies because of displacement, or who face a specific barrier such as a disability or childcare responsibilities, according to UNHCR USA . A scholarship covers tuition, accommodation and a living stipend for the length of the degree.

How to apply

• Finish secondary school through a Windle-supported school in Kakuma or Dadaab and sit KCSE.

• Watch for Windle International Kenya's annual DAFI call for applications, announced inside the camps.

• Submit your KCSE results, refugee documentation and a statement of financial need through the Windle application process.

• If shortlisted, complete any required interview or assessment, then wait for placement confirmation and university enrollment support from Windle.

Demand for DAFI places far outstrips the number of scholarships available each cycle, so a strong KCSE grade improves your chances even before financial need is assessed.

Applying without a scholarship

A refugee student with a qualifying KCSE grade also applies through KUCCPS, the same central placement system Kenyan students use, since KUCCPS does not exclude refugee candidates registered through the national exam system. The obstacle is funding rather than admission. The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), Kenya's main student loan scheme, requires Kenyan citizenship, so refugee students placed through KUCCPS without a scholarship generally lack access to a HELB loan and need another funding source to cover fees.

That gap is why organizations like Windle, UNHCR and partner scholarship providers matter so much for camp-based students. Beyond DAFI, some refugee students access separate scholarship programs run through the same camp networks, including opportunities aimed specifically at women, since female enrollment lags behind male enrollment in both camps.

Studying away from the camp

Admission to a university usually means relocating from Kakuma or Dadaab to a campus town, most often Nairobi or another city with a public university. Kenya's Refugees Act gives registered refugees the right to move and reside outside a designated camp for purposes such as education, so a university offer generally supports the paperwork needed to leave the camp for study. Confirm the exact movement pass process with the Refugee Affairs Secretariat and Windle before you travel, since requirements vary by county and by camp.

Where to get help

Start with your school's Windle International Kenya office in Kakuma or Dadaab. Staff there run the DAFI process, know which other scholarships are open in a given cycle, and guide you through KCSE registration as a refugee candidate. The UNHCR DAFI program page also lists general program information relevant to camp-based applicants in Kenya.