St. Cloud State University had 10 Afghan refugee students graduate last week during spring commencement as part of the Qatar Scholarship for Afghans Project (QSAP).
QSAP has provided full scholarships for Afghan refugee students to continue their education at a U.S college or university, and it is the largest single-country scholarship for displaced students in higher education.
More than 40 colleges and universities in the United States have accepted 250 Afghan refugee students since the government in Kabul, Afghanistan, fell in 2021. This has allowed displaced students to continue their higher education journeys and help contribute to the next generation of Afghans rebuilding after a time of crisis.
The project is supported by the Afghan Future Fund, Education Above All Foundation (EAA), the Yalda Hakim Foundation (YHF), Institute of International Education (IIE) and Qatar Fund For Development (QFFD). Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota also provided local support in St. Cloud.
Representatives from IIE, EAA and AFF were present in Atwood Memorial Center on May 7, where Interim President Larry Dietz was joined by the campus community to celebrate graduates.
SCSU has one of the nation’s largest cohorts of 18 total students. Ten graduated this spring, while the remaining eight will complete their degrees in the summer and fall.
