Ashinaga 2021 Undergraduate Scholarships for Orphans from Sub-Saharan African Countries

Ashinaga, Japan-based non-profit organization offers scholarship to students from select African countries to study for undergraduate degrees at the world’s leading universities in countries such as Japan, US, UK etc

Ashinaga presents the “Ashinaga Africa Initiative” aiming to provide higher education to 20 brilliant students from Sub-Saharan African countries each year, some of which are among the poorest in the world, and encourage them to become leading professionals in their own countries.

We search and screen for potential candidates: orphaned or bereaved students with academic potential but who cannot afford to apply to university. We provide them with a concentrated study camp for six months at Ashinaga’s facility, Kokorojuku, in Uganda and Senegal, where they are given dedicated support and assistance with their study of various subjects and languages, as they prepare to apply to highly ranked universities around the world. We also provide them with a full scholarship and living expenses for four years during their studies abroad.

We expect to see these young, educated people go back to their own countries and establish democratic and fulfilled societies, bringing people a higher national income and high-quality education. This movement will eventually contribute to the overall wellbeing of Sub-Saharan countries by helping to break the cycle of poverty, even though the effects will not be immediate, as they are when food or equipment is donated.

There is a theory that the African population will expand to more than three billion by the end of this century. We believe if we can create a bright future for Africa, a continent with so much potential, humanity’s global prospects will be bright as well

• Table of Content
• About Ashinaga Africa Initiative
• Ashinaga Undergraduate Scholarships
• Aim and Benefits of Ashinaga Undergraduate Scholarships
• Requirements for Ashinaga Undergraduate Scholarships Qualification
• Documents Required for Application
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About Ashinaga Africa Initiative

The Ashinaga Africa Initiative began in 2014. Its mission is to contribute to Sub-Saharan Africa’s expanding role in global development through increasing access to higher education abroad. We support orphaned students who are committed to returning home and initiating change, by providing access to full financial support to study at a university abroad (equivalent to an undergraduate degree). Ashinaga support covers tuition, accommodation, travel costs, and other necessary fees.... read more ... continue reading

Ashinaga Undergraduate Scholarships

Aim and Benefits of Ashinaga Undergraduate Scholarships

The Ashinaga (100-Year Vision) Scholarship provides a full scholarship that covers the cost of

1. Tuition,
2. Accommodation (during the terms and vacation),
3. Insurance,
4. Flight, and
5. Provides monthly stipend which covers food and necessary academic costs.

Requirements for Ashinaga Undergraduate Scholarships Qualification

Applicants must:

1. Have lost one or both parents. 
2. Have completed secondary school and passed national secondary school examination (technical and vocational degrees not accepted) within the last two years (any date after 1st September 2018, including all of 2019 and 2020) or will have completed secondary school and received final exam results before February 28th, 2021. 
3. Have citizenship and have completed/are completing high school in one of the following countries listed on the website
4. Were born after 1st September 1998.  
5. Do not have the means to attend university abroad without external financial support. 
6. Are proficient in English or French. 
7. Are regularly ranked in the top 10% of their class during their last 2 or 3 years of secondary school. Students without strong grades are unlikely to be successful.  
8. Are able to participate in the two Ashinaga preparatory programs, over the course of one year, before attending university. 
9. Are committed to return home, or to Sub-Saharan Africa, and contribute to society in Sub-Saharan Africa after graduating from university. 
10. Have no dependents who could interfere with academic progress. 
11. Have a good enough health condition to be able to study abroad. 

Documents Required for Application

1. Completed application form
2. Working email address and telephone number
3. Document proving the death of one or both parents, such as a death certificate
4. Proof of age, such as a birth certificate, national ID or passport
5. Secondary school/high school graduation certificate
6. Results from final national exams
7. Academic report cards from the last two years of high school/secondary school
8. Passport-style photo of yourself

Application Deadline

How to Apply

There are two stages to the Ashinaga Africa Initiative application process;  

1. Registration: all applicant must first confirm the eligibility by registering for the programme. Only students who register for the program and are deemed eligible (based on criteria/eligibility above) will receive the application form.  
2. Application: all students who register for the programme will receive an email with a link to the application form within 1 month of their registration if they are eligible for the programme. 

We strongly encourage you to apply online using the portal . However, if this is not possible you can also apply using our paper application form. This form can be downloaded here.

After downloading and completing your application you will have to send your scanned form and all relevant documents to [email protected]. 

NB: There is no application fee, and you must never pay anyone to apply or to apply on your behalf.

For more details, visit Ashinaga website