Muratbek Kuskulov, a cheerful young man from Kazakhstan, radiates optimism despite having faced many hardships in his 20 years. He’s supported himself since the tragic loss of his parents several years ago, and graduated from a vocational high school last spring with excellent grades. The first in his family to attend college, Muratbek is now working full time towards a degree in information systems at Almaty Technological University. He is confident that his college education, funded by Kazakhstan’s BOTA Foundation [8], will help him find a good job.
Students like Muratbek can fall through the cracks in Kazakhstan, where most of the available financial aid is merit-based, awarded to top scorers on the competitive national college entrance exam. Recognizing that more need-based aid can put higher education within reach for a large, underserved youth population, the BOTA Foundation supports qualified young people from limited economiac means who have the desire and determination to succeed in college.
BOTA scholars in Almaty pose with their certificates of completion after a workshop on community service.BOTA’s Tuition Assistance Program [9] currently supports 87 Kazakhstani students who entered college in fall 2009 and will expand to fund up to 200 need-based scholarships for students in fall 2010. The scholarships, which cover full tuition, room, and board, are akin to the US government’s need-based Federal Pell Grants and can be used for study at any accredited college or university of the student’s choice.
To identify students with the greatest financial need, BOTA uses a proxy means test that measures household expenditures against Kazakhstan’s national census data to predict the students’ family income. All the students in the program fall below Kazakhstan’s national subsistence level, and approximately two thirds of the recipients represent the first generation in their families to attend college.
In addition to the financial support provided, BOTA staff counsel the students year-round, help them develop academic plans, and organize supplementary training workshops. The first workshop, held in fall 2009, focused on community service; all BOTA scholars must contribute 20 volunteer hours each year to local charities, NGOs, or schools in the communities where they study.
“Need-based financial aid opens doors for these students,” says BOTA’s Tuition Assistance Program Director, Aaron Bornstein, “allowing them to access education which will increase their earning potential and help their families in the future.”
“In order to help others,” Muratbek Kuskulov agrees, “first you have to stand on your own two feet.”
IREX, Save the Children and the World Bank have partnered to oversee the development of the BOTA Foundation, now the largest independent NGO in Kazakhstan dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth suffering from poverty. IREX and Save the Children are developing the BOTA Foundation and implementing its programs, while bolstering local capacity and expertise. IREX also provides technical assistance and consulting in the development of the foundation’s Tuition Assistance Program.
