OYE • Organization for Youth Empowerment

Students first complete an application with socioeconomic and educational details—including grades—and short essays about their lives, goals, and motivation. Those who qualify then take part in an interview and home visit, which give us a fuller picture of their personal circumstances and aspirations.

OYE then ranks eligible applicants based on who needs and will benefit most from scholarship support. Scholarships are awarded according to the number of open spots each year, and remaining qualified students are placed on a waiting list for future opportunities.

A high school scholarship costs $700 a year, and a university scholarship costs $1,300 a year.

Since 2005, more than 500 students have received OYE scholarships, most becoming the first in their families to graduate from high school or university. In 2026, OYE plans to support 95 students.

Because so many of our high school graduates continue on to university, approximately 60% of scholarships in 2026 will be at the university level. New scholarships will be prioritized for high school students.

Nationally, only 40% of young people graduate from high school and just 14% go on to higher education. At OYE, those numbers look very different—97% of students graduate and 75% enter university.

Most scholarship students receive support for two to five years, though some leave the program before completing university after finding work and go on to continue their studies on their own terms