Duolingo English Test’s University Access program, now in its third consecutive year, aims to assist refugee students through university and financial aid application processes, as well as support with visa applications and travel documents.
The competitive scheme received over 100 applications, whittled down to 46 finalists, selecting 26 scholars from 10 different countries of origin.
A portion of the scholars come from Uganda, which hosts the largest refugee population in Africa and the sixth largest globally, yet access to higher education for refugees remains a significant challenge.
Throughout the three cohorts, South Africa, India and Iraq were also common countries of refuge – Zimbabwe went from being a nationality of refugees in the 2022 cohort to being a country of refuge in 2023 and 2024.
“Students who receive scholarships often become beacons of hope and inspiration within their communities, exemplified by increased educational pursuits among others, such as the rise in school enrolments among Rohingya girls in Hyderabad following the notable admission of our 2022 and 2023 Rohingya Scholars,” Duolingo’s university access advisor Laura Kaub told The PIE News.
Of the 2022 cohort, 25 refugee scholars from India, Iraq and South Africa have just finished their first year of university – with students attending institutions largely in the US, but also in other parts of the world.
- North America: University of California Berkeley, Georgetown University, University of British Columbia, Northeastern University, Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, Drexel University, Dartmouth College, Bennington College, Emory University, Huron University, Wilfred Laurier and University of the People
- Australasia: University of Canberra
- Africa: University of Johannesburg
- Asia: American University, Kurdistan
- Europe:University of Dundee
The 2023 cohort have now been accepted into multiple universities on the 2022 cohort’s list, but has also seen students accepted University of Western Cape in South Africa and Charles University in Czechia.
“Universities benefit significantly from the diverse perspectives and experiences these Scholars bring, enriching the academic environment and fostering a more inclusive atmosphere on campus,” added Kaub.
Universities benefit significantly from the diverse perspectives and experiences these Scholars bring
Laura Kaub, Duolingo
The latest group will be now be actively applying for universities having just been selected, Duolingo told The PIE, so no information is available on where they will attend university yet.
Information provided to The PIE by Duolingo showed that refugee scholars also largely hailed from different countries each year; the 2024 cohort had Scholars from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Myanmar and South Sudan, which differed from the previous cohort, which had scholars coming from Burundi, Syria and Tanzania.
The nationalities that were consistently seeing refugee scholars through the program were the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Afghanistan.
