The United States Student Achievers Program (USAP) assists highly-talented, economically-disadvantaged students with leadership potential and an ethos of giving to negotiate the admissions and scholarship process to attend top colleges and universities in the United States and around the world. This project will provide for a permanent USAP fund to cover costs USAP students encounter throughout the application and enrollment process.
Historically in Africa, it is only the rich and connected elite who feel entitled to apply to study internationally at top universities. Additionally, multiple hidden costs in the college admission process for international students act as barriers to access for high-achieving, low-income international students. As a result, funded opportunities to study do not often reach the most deserving and talented students. Zimbabwe harbors incredible youth talent that only needs to meet opportunity.
Meeting in intensive bootcamps during each school holiday, USAP works with final year high school students on all aspects of the application process to university. As USAP students work through the process in a cohort, they form the "USAP family" that continues to serve as a support network once they are in university and beyond. This project will provide Education Matters with a reliable fund to provide for hidden costs USAP students encounter throughout the admission process.
USAP alumni have already made tremendous achievements while they are students and after graduation - impacting their families, schools, their communities and countries in meaningful ways in a variety of sectors including public health, agriculture, education, technology and economic development. By developing a united group of students who have come from humble backgrounds to excel at high levels, we are redefining leadership for the future of the African continent.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
