Potential Sponsored Students

The Student Refugee Program (SRP) is a unique program that combines resettlement to Canada with access to post-secondary education for young refugees. It is managed by World University Service of Canada (WUSC), a leading non-profit Canadian international development agency. Note that the SRP is NOT a scholarship program - students are sponsored for one year and receive basic financial and social support.

The SRP is supported by WUSC Local Committees (made up of university, college, and CEGEP students, staff, and faculty) on campuses across Canada. Through its agreements with the Government of Canada and the Government of Québec (a Canadian province), WUSC enables students sponsored through the program to enter Canada as Permanent Residents.

Volunteer members of the WUSC committees arrange financial and social support for each sponsored student during their first year of study in Canada. Financial assistance is provided “in kind” – such as reduced or free tuition and accommodation fees – plus a small sum of money to buy basic necessities. Sponsored students do not receive cash to study.

How to apply

WUSC accepts applications from eligible applicants in the following countries of asylum: Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Tanzania, and Uganda.

As of October 2023, please note that the SRP no longer selects students based in Malawi.

If you wish to apply to the SRP, you must meet the following general eligibility requirements:

  • Be a refugee living in a country of asylum in which the program operates;
  • Have completed secondary school and have official and original transcripts of educational documents;
  • Be between 18-25 years old;
  • Be competent in English or French (oral and written);
  • Be single with no dependents/children;
  • Eligible and suitable for resettlement under Canada’s Private Sponsorship of Refugees program;
  • Be self-reliant, mature and suitable for integration in Canada; and
  • Be currently facing barriers to accessing or completing post-secondary education (i.e. university or college)
  • Please note: There are specific eligibility requirements for each country of asylum that will be posted in each year’s Call for Applications.

If you meet the above criteria, please read the following before beginning the application process:

  • You must live in the country of asylum from which you are sending your application and be recognized as a refugee by the authorities who are mandated to give this status, i.e. the host country government or UNHCR.
  • Approximately 150-175 candidates are accepted by WUSC each year globally. The number of SRP students by country of asylum will vary each year. There are no set targets of SRP students by country of origin.
  • The sponsorship process can take up to two years or more. Final decisions are made by Canadian immigration officials before SRP students are cleared for travel to Canada.
  • Applications are not accepted at WUSC headquarters in Ottawa. Your application must be processed through one of our field offices or partner organizations, listed below.
  • The application requirements will be listed in the Call for Application, available from our field office or partner organization. In general, you will be asked to:
    • Complete the SRP online application form
    • Include an up-to-date contact information i.e. an email and a phone number (either your own or that of someone who can take a message for you.)
    • Include a copy of your secondary school diploma and all important academic records, including any previous English or French language test results if available

Where to apply

Please see below for the WUSC office or partner organization responsible for launching the SRP Online Application process in each country of asylum. Note that we only accept online applications from refugees living in the countries indicated below and only during the recruitment period which is open for 2-3 weeks each year. The exact time frame when the Call for Application is open will vary by country but will be between November and April each year.

Jordan & Lebanon

WUSC Jordan is responsible for SRP selection in Jordan and Lebanon. The SRP is open to refugees living in urban/semi-urban situations or in refugee camps. For any further questions, please contact WUSC Jordan at [email protected]. You are encouraged to follow WUSC Jordan’s Facebook page for news about the next Call for Applications.

Kenya

WUSC Kenya is responsible for SRP selection in Kenya. The SRP is open to refugees living in urban areas or in Kakuma and Dadaab Refugee camps. For any further questions, please contact WUSC Kenya at [email protected].

Tanzania

WUSC’s partner in Tanzania is the International Rescue Committee. The SRP is open to refugees living in Nyarugusu Refugee Camp. For any further questions, and for news about the next Call for Applications, please contact IRC Tanzania by email at [email protected] or the community services office in Nyarugusu refugee camp at 0767 800 421.

Uganda

WUSC’s partner in Uganda is Windle International Uganda. The SRP is open to refugees living in any of the refugee settlements in Uganda, including Kampala. For any further questions, please contact the WIU office at [email protected]. You are encouraged to follow the Windle International Uganda Facebook page for news about the next Call for Applications.

Pakistan

WUSC will not be launching a Call for Applications for the 2024-25 cycle of the SRP in Pakistan. We will provide an update later in 2023 about the future of the SRP in Pakistan.

For any general questions about the SRP globally you can contact us at [email protected].