International ACAC Scholar Program

The mission of the International ACAC Scholar Program is to support under-resourced, high-impact advising professionals facilitating students' access and transition to higher education. 

   

About
Scholar Program Alumni
Scholar Testimonials
Scholar Mentors
Nomination & Selection Process

 

About

International ACAC promotes access to higher education opportunities for the neediest students around the world by supporting those who work directly with them. Since 2014, the International ACAC Scholar Program has supported 50 scholars from 37 different countries with the capacity to reach over 30,000 students. Scholarship recipients are funded to attend the annual International ACAC Pre-Conference Institute and Conference, as well as a higher education counselor bus tour following the Conference.
*Pictured right is the 2019 Scholar Cohort at Western University.

Scholar Program Alumni

Over the past five years, your contributions have supported counselors in the countries highlighted on the map below. 

Scholars 2018-2022

 

Click on the links above the columns to read each year's scholar biographies.

 

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Colombia 

Botswana

Burundi

Afghanistan

Botswana Bosnia and Herzegovina Barbados Barbados Armenia Armenia

Honduras

Ethiopia

El Salvador

Afghanistan

Cameroon Brazil Brazil Brazil Cameroon Brunei

Indonesia

Indonesia

Ghana

Bangladesh

Colombia India Brunei Brunei Kazakhstan Burundi

Nepal

Jamaica

Latvia

Chile

 Ethiopia Ireland China China Serbia Cameroon

Nigeria

Kenya

Macedonia

Costa Rica

Georgia Kazakhstan

Democratic Republic of Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo

 

Ghana

Nigeria Mongolia Malawi Egypt Ghana Mongolia  Eswatini Eswatini  

Kazakhstan

Rwanda Rwanda Mongolia Kenya  Kyrgyzstan Nigeria   Ghana Ghana   Kenya
Rwanda Senegal Nepal Madagascar Montenegro Swaziland  Kazakhstan Kazakhstan   Mongolia
Tanzania Tunisia New Zealand Mexico Nepal    Kenya  Liberia   Philippines
Uganda United Kingdom Zimbabwe Togo  Tanzania    Lebanon     Thailand
      Trinidad & Tobago
   

Liberia

 

 

Uganda 

      Uganda     Moldova      
            Uganda      

  

Scholar Program Impact Report, 2014-2017

 


Scholar Testimonials

“When you empower a counselor, you’ve empowered a generation.” Watch the video to hear what former cohorts Samuel Birondwa and Moses Illunga have to say about the Scholar Program, and read about additional benefits in the testimonials below.

 

New Relationships with Admissions Officers

"The great thing is that now my students have a wide range of universities to choose from. I came across all of these schools when I attended the University Fair. I am now working with admissions counselors I met. It makes a big difference."
- Flavia Murengezi, Green Hills Academy, Rwanda

An Increase in Applications Overseas

"Before the conference, my years as a counselor were quite frustrating. I've always wanted to reach out to my students but I found myself confined by certain limits. Before this program, students would come to me for advice but I sent them to the Embassy due to lack of information. However, my training has given me a groundwork to give more accurate and precise information to my students. Our numbers applying overseas have increased."
- Mercy Nwogbo, Federal Government Academy, Nigeria

Improved Advocacy for Students

"I have developed a strong working relationship with International ACAC members. This network of resources is already helping me to better serve my students as they select the right university or college for their growth as a global citizen. I have also learned which parts of our students' lives to highlight in their recommendation letters. While reading the case studies provided at the conference, I learnt what a comprehensive recommendation should include. I am already finding ways of sharing this with other members of Loyola's career guidance team as well as subject teachers whom our students may ask for recommendations." 
- Columba Thadey, Loyola High School, Tanzania


Scholar Mentors

The Scholar Mentor Program partners each scholar with an International ACAC member to provide year-long support and professional mentorship. This program, which won a NACAC Rising Star Award in 2016, will allow scholars to put into practice new knowledge, skills, and best practices for their students, communities, and regions.  

Nomination & Selection Process

We encourage and rely on International ACAC members to identify and nominate counseling colleagues who are high impact counselors working in schools (or with student populations) that do not have professional development funding to attend such an event. Each year, in the months following the International ACAC annual conference, a call for nominations is sent to our membership. The application window also opens soon after for the following year's Scholar Program. The selection panel is comprised of members of the Inclusion, Access, and Success Committee, and includes representation from admissions officers, counselors, board members, and EducationUSA.