U.S.-Central Asia Education Foundation Enterprise Fellowship Program (U.S.-CAEF)  

 U.S.-CAEF is a scholarship program that provides citizens of Central Asia with the opportunity to receive financial support for admission to the American University of Central Asia (AUCA) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.  U.S.-CAEF is not a university. 

 The following institutions work in collaboration to implement the U.S.-CAEF Program: 

• The U.S.-CAEF Board of Directors, whose members are the founders of the Foundation, oversees the program and funds part of the program. 

• The U.S. Department of State has funded the program since 2019. 

• American Councils for International Education administers the program, reports to and coordinates all important decisions with the US Board of Directors and the U.S. State Department. 

 The United States helps other countries to support global efforts toward peace, security, and development. This is a strategic, economic, and moral imperative for the United States, including the founders of U.S.-CAEF, who have been involved in American projects to develop entrepreneurship and market infrastructure in the Central Asian region since the collapse of the Soviet Union. 

Fields of study

Awardees of the U.S.-CAEF scholarship can pursue the following majors at AUCA: 

  • Business Administration 

  • Economics 

  • Software Engineering 

  • Applied Mathematics and Informatics 

The U.S.-CAEF scholarship covers:

U.S.-CAEF fellows receive full scholarships to attend AUCA. 

According to the data for the 2021-22 academic year, the total cost of studying at AUCA is about $6,775 per year (including study materials such as textbooks). 

In addition to tuition, U.S.-CAEF provides accommodation, travel stipends, a monthly living stipend, an internship (on a competitive basis), tutoring services as needed, and various activities for the professional and personal growth of fellows. 

As a result, for 4 years of study at AUCA, direct costs per scholarship holder range from $ 36,000 to $ 38,000, which does not include the cost of administering the program. 

Eligibility

The competition is open to individuals who meet the following program criteria: 

  • are citizens of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan or Uzbekistan 

  • are interested in receiving an education in one of the majors mentioned above 

  • require financial support in order to gain access to higher education 

  • are not related to an employee of the U.S.-CAEF Program or American Councils for International Education;

  • and are not AUCA students at the time of applying. 

The selection of candidates is competitive. Preference is given to students from low-income families who have a proven record of strong academic performance, possess leadership qualities and are interested in developing business in the region, but due to financial difficulties would not otherwise be able to pay for university-level study. 

Application cycle

Application for the 2021-2022 is open now. You can apply by January 11th, 2021 at https://uscaef.org/  

Requirements

After applying for the scholarship all candidates must apply for admission to AUCA. This is a separate process from applying for the U.S.-CAEF Program. Only applicants who are admitted to AUCA may be selected as finalists for the U.S.-CAEF Program. American Councils for International Education is not obligated to provide AUCA application instructions. Each applicant must independently contact the university regarding the date of entrance exams and any other questions regarding the AUCA application process. 

 

Program Contact   

American Councils for International Education U.S.-Central Asia Education Foundation (U.S.-CAEF) 12 Shota Rustaveli Street   
Grand Business Center,
Office #208, Yakkasaroy District   
100070 Tashkent, Uzbekistan   
T: +998 78 150 71 50   
E: uscaef.uz@americancouncils.org