CAIRO: The American University in Cairo (AUC) announced on Wednesday that it has allocated 15 percent of its tuition income, $20.5 million annually, to provide AUC students with a wide range of scholarships and financial aid to assist them in meeting the expenses of their education. The scholarships this year include the Public School Scholarship Fund (PSSF); Empower Scholarship; the Academic Achievement Scholarship; the Honors Scholarship; Innovation, Cultural and Leadership Scholarship; and Sports Achievement Scholarship. According to Ashraf El Fiqi, vice president for student affairs, nearly 60 percent of AUC students receive some form of financial assistance, either through scholarships or financial aid. El Fiqi went on to say that the university is committed to providing students with stellar academic records with the opportunity to receive an education at AUC. The university's Public School Scholarship Fund (PSSF), which is partially supported through the contribution of corporations and individuals, has been one of AUC's most successful scholarship programs. PSSF scholarships provide annually funding for 20 new undergraduate students who have succeeded academically and have graduated from Egyptian public schools, but do not have the financial resources to attend AUC. “Since the establishment of this program in 1990,” El Fiqi noted, “it has provided more than 250 students with the opportunity to study at AUC. In fact, about 79 percent of these students have graduated with distinction, receiving high and highest honors, and honors" El Fiqi said. Starting this fall, AUC will launch Empower scholarship to give five top students from Assiut, Beni Suef, Menya, Sohag and Fayoum governorates the opportunity to pursue an AUC undergraduate education in the major of their choice. Empower is open to students from both public and private high schools who have demonstrated involvement in civil society or community service, as well as a history of academic excellence. Recipients of this scholarship will receive hands-on civic education and training, develop leadership abilities and build decision-making skills. They will also benefit from the University's academic programs, as well as the civic education and training they will receive through partnerships with well-established Egyptian nongovernmental organizations. Two additional programs – targeting students with exceptional academic records – are also offered to AUC students. The Academic Achievement Scholarship identifies the top 25 percent of enrolling students and reduces their tuition by 30 percent. The Honors Scholarship is awarded at the beginning of each academic year to the top five students who have achieved the highest scores at the national or regional level for their respective high school diplomas. This scholarship provides a 40 percent additional reduction in addition to the achievement scholarship. Moreover, students who excel in national and international sports or those who participated in cultural activities, have the opportunity to receive a 15 percent reduction in tuition.
