$5.75 Million for African Scholarships at Brown

From the Brown Daily Herald

A new endowment will increase financial aid for students from sub-Saharan Africa and will help them financially for two years after graduation if they pledge to return to work in Africa, President Ruth Simmons and Israeli businessman Idan Ofer P'12 announced Thursday.

The "Advancing Africa Scholarship Fund" was announced in Davos, Switzerland, where both Simmons and Ofer are currently attending the World Economic Forum. The scholarship requires students to sign a pledge to return home for at least two years after receiving their degrees - an effort to "build capacity" in the continent, Simmons told The Herald.

Ofer's gift of $5.75 million will fund $250,000 a year in scholarships for undergraduate students starting with the 2008-2009 academic year. The endowment will grow over time due to returns on investment, Simmons said, allowing the University to fund more students in the future.

The establishment of the fund marks an important milestone in Brown's efforts to attract international students. Until recently, Simmons said, it was hard to attract students from Africa. Even with financial aid, those students would have difficulty paying off loans or fulfilling the parent contribution. International students have long complained about a lack of economic diversity among their peers at Brown, something Simmons called "a valid concern." The endowment came as good news after years of "agonizing" over financial aid for international students, Simmons said.

Click here to read the rest of the story from the Brown Daily Herald.

Here's a list of US schools that offer aid to international students.

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