"Education is the most

powerful weapon

which you can use

to change the

world."

- Nelson Mandela

The ability to attend university and achieve a higher education is well beyond the reach of most young Cambodians even if they are able to graduate from high school. Some attempt to make it happen by using family savings or borrowing from relatives for their first year, but as many of these students struggle to make enough money for food and housing they eventually are forced to leave as the expenses becomes too great. Considering that tuition for one year of university only costs $400 this can be hard to believe, yet in a country where the average annual family income is $350, this reflects the reality faced by most Cambodians.

Sponsor a student for one year of university - $400

Provide a student with 4 years of tuition - $1,600

Through donor sponsorships, JWOC gives university scholarships to deserving Cambodian students. Each scholarship covers the full cost of tuition as well as textbooks. In order to receive these scholarships, a student must submit an application, write an essay in English, and pass an interview conducted by a panel of JWOC staff members. The students are chosen based on a demonstrated desire to gain a higher education, their past academic performance, current financial need, and English speaking ability.

The JWOC scholarship students are the driving force behind everything we do. In return for receiving a scholarship from JWOC each student volunteers up to 10 hours per week with a JWOC project of their choice. Not only does this instill the ethic of giving back to your community, but it also provides valuable experience for each student in their field of study. Students who are majoring in English or education are the teachers in the JWOC language schools, while students studying finance and banking work in our micro-finance program. Currently JWOC sponsors 40 scholarship students and is seeking to expand that number.

One of the innovative approaches of the program is to match sponsors with university students so both can learn more about their respective cultures. By sponsoring a university student, donors not only pave the way for the future of Cambodia, but also help in the overall development of JWOC projects.

Many of these students will become future local and national leaders for Cambodia. By instilling the ethic of giving back to their community, we hope that one day each of them will play a part in building a better Cambodia.

Download the JWOC University Scholarship Application here:

JWOC SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION