University Access for Refugees Living in Uganda's Settlements

Why so few refugees reach university

Higher education is out of reach for most refugee youth in Uganda. Only about 2.11 percent of refugees aged 19 to 35 make it into tertiary education, and women make up just 4 percent of that small group, according to UNHCR's Uganda Annual Results Report 2024 . Cost is the main barrier: most refugee families in settlements such as Bidibidi, Nakivale, Kyangwali, Kyaka II, Rwamwanja, Palorinya, Adjumani, Koboko, Kiryandongo and Palabek cannot pay university fees without a scholarship.

DAFI: the main scholarship pathway

The DAFI scholarship, funded by the German government, UNHCR and private donors, is the largest funded route from a settlement school into a Ugandan university. Windle International Uganda (WIU) runs the program with UNHCR Uganda, and refugees in settlements including Nakivale have completed secondary school and gone on to university through it, per the Daily Monitor . Since starting in Uganda in 2008, DAFI has taken close to 480 refugee students into tertiary education nationwide.

Eligibility

DAFI follows the same core global criteria in every country it runs: recognized refugee status, secondary education completed to a standard that supports university study, and demonstrated financial need with no other way to pay. Applicants are generally expected to be under 28, though exceptions apply where displacement interrupted earlier studies, or where a specific barrier such as disability or childcare responsibilities applies, according to UNHCR USA .

Registering as a refugee first

Every pathway here depends on formal refugee status. Uganda's Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), through its Department of Refugees, registers new arrivals and issues the documentation UNHCR and Windle require before considering a DAFI or UNICORE application. If your refugee status is not fully registered and documented, sort that out with OPM or UNHCR before applying for any scholarship, since incomplete documentation is a common reason applications get rejected.

How to apply for DAFI

• Finish secondary school with grades strong enough for university admission in Uganda.

• Watch for Windle International Uganda's annual DAFI call for applications, usually announced through settlement schools and UNHCR field offices.

• Submit refugee registration documents, academic transcripts and a statement of financial need.

• If shortlisted, complete any required interview, then wait for placement and enrollment support once awarded a scholarship.

Places are limited relative to demand, so a competitive secondary school result matters even before your financial need is assessed.

Other scholarship routes

DAFI is not the only door. UNICORE (University Corridors for Refugees) selects refugees from Uganda's settlements, including Bidibidi, Kyangwali, Kyaka II, Rwamwanja, Palorinya, Adjumani, Koboko, Kiryandongo and Palabek, plus Kampala, to study at universities in Italy, with funding and logistics support from FCA and UNHCR. A 2023 round of the program awarded 30 scholarships, according to FCA Uganda . These slots are far fewer than DAFI's, so treat UNICORE as a bonus route rather than a primary plan.

Studying without a scholarship

A refugee student who completes secondary school but misses out on DAFI or UNICORE still applies to a Ugandan public university as a self-sponsored student, the route Ugandan nationals without government sponsorship also use. Public university fees are lower than private university fees, though still a real cost for most settlement families without outside support, so students without a scholarship often look for smaller top-up grants from NGOs operating in their settlement alongside family contributions.

Where to start

Contact Windle International Uganda through your settlement's secondary school or the nearest UNHCR field office to find out when the next DAFI call opens and what documents to prepare. Uganda's National Council for Higher Education regulates universities, so any degree from an NCHE-recognized university carries standard national accreditation once you are admitted, scholarship or not.