Dubai: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Arab Alumni Association (MIT AAA) has set up a scholarship fund to support Arab students admitted to the institution.
The fund will be used to provide undergraduate financial assistance to students of Arab descent, who qualify for need-based financial aid. It is the first such fund at MIT that is targeted solely at Arab students. The MIT AAA was established in 1998 and currently has over 800 members.
The association hopes to raise at least $50,000 for the scholarship, at which point the fund can be invested with MIT’s endowment and the income generated will provide scholarship support for many generations of MIT students organisers said.
“Admissions to MIT from the Arab world are low compared to other regions,” said MIT AAA president Talal Kheir. “We hope this fund can encourage more students to apply to the institute, by bearing at least a part of the financial cost of their studies.”
MIT associate director of student financial aid and resource development Susan Wilson said, “We are delighted to offer this scholarship, which is the first at MIT for students of Arab descent. The world is becoming a smaller place, and we welcome students from Arab countries to take part in the MIT experience.”
Recipients of scholarships awarded through the fund are selected by the MIT Office of Student Financial Services. First preference will be given to students of Arab descent from Arab countries, and second preference to students of Arab descent from other countries.
The fund was established with an initial gift from the MIT AAA and will rely on financial contributions by alumni and others to grow further. Contributions to the fund can be made online at the Giving to MIT website http://giving.mit.edu.
