Hardship Fund

Context

The Jusoor Hardship Fund, first launched in 2016, aims to retain students in higher education to invest in the future of Syria and the region. This program is open to Syrian university students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, who are enrolled at academic institutions in their final year of study and are at risk of dropping out due to financial need. 

The program provides financial assistance of up to $5,000 for one time, which the student uses towards university tuition. The funds are awarded as an interest-free loan, with the agreement that the student will repay their loans within 2 years after graduation, and where the returned funds will support new students in the future.

Impact so far

• Till now, 44 Hardship Fund Scholars have been supported to continue their education in various majors in engineering, medicine, social sciences, design, business, and health sciences. 
• In the past 7 years, Jusoor’s Hardship Fund Scholars have earned degrees in Lebanon, Jordan, Türkiye, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Cyprus, Spain, France, Austria, and Canada. Scholars have attended universities such as Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Salve Regina University McGill University, University of Essex, Gaziantep University, Al-Ahliyaa Amman University, and many more. 
• Hardship Fund alumni have given back to Jusoor in various ways, such as repaying their loans, volunteering, and mentoring other students. 
• Hardship Fund Alumnus, Hadi Althib, who is now pursuing an MA in Psychology as a Said Foundation Scholar at Essex University, supported Jusoor in several ways: in 2022, he hosted an online fundraising event for our new High School Scholarship Program in Lebanon, he volunteered as a mentor in Jusoor’s Academic Mentorship Program, and in 2023,  he supported the Scholarships Program in creating a Mental Health Guide for the Jusoor scholar and alumni community.
• In August 2022,  The Jusoor mentorship program hosted a webinar with one of our Hardship Fund alumni in Turkiye, Hasan Daadoush, who graduated with his Ph.D. where he discussed university access/scholarship opportunities in Turkiye. 

Quotes

• “It was truly an honor to be a part of the Jusoor Scholarship Annual Meeting and to receive such wonderful support and recognition from the Jusoor family. Becoming a Jusoor Alumni means a lot to me, and I am excited about the journey ahead. I am eager to explore opportunities for giving back to Syria, and I look forward to being an active member of the alumni community. Whether it's through mentoring, fundraising, or any other means, I am ready to contribute to the cause. I am immensely grateful for the opportunities Jusoor has provided me, and I'm excited to pay it forward and make a positive impact.“- Iehab Kahwati, Hardship Fund Alumnus, MBA MEU, Jordan
• “Graduating and joining the Jusoor Alumni Program is a significant milestone in my life, and I am truly honored and humbled by the support and appreciation from the Board of Directors, Trustees, and the Jusoor team. Jusoor community is the most important community for the Syrian youth and because of the impact, it has on his life.  I promise that I will be there and contribute to any offer requested from you, and I hope that you will allow me to change someone else’s life just as you contributed to changing my life. I look forward to staying in touch and contributing to the Jusoor community in any way I can. As a Jusoor alumnus, I am committed to giving back to Syria and its youth.” - Zeidan AlSbehe, Hardship Fund Alumnus, BA Mechanical Eng. AUM, Jordan

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