Academy graduates awarded Ontario government scholarships

We congratulate our three Class of 2017 graduates - Nafees Charaniya, Ariq Kapadia and Eva Raiyani - for being awarded full scholarships as part of the Aga Khan Academies Ontario post-secondary tuition waiver programme. This is a product of a partnership between the Government of Ontario, Canada and the Aga Khan Academies which, in recognition of shared values and standards, aims to provide access to quality higher education to Academy students in need of financial support. As part of the agreement, 10 need-based, full-tuition waivers are offered annually to students of the Academies at both the Mombasa and Hyderabad campuses.

“Receiving the Ontario scholarship is indeed a blessing for me since I wouldn't have been able to pursue my aspiration of studying abroad otherwise,” says Eva. “I feel honoured and am grateful to have achieved this aid as a key to the door of a bright future. I look forward to studying at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo. I would encourage other young aspirers to keep working hard, aim for such life-changing opportunities and never give up on their dreams!”

The announcements were made a fortnight before the Class of 2017 graduation ceremony, which took place on Saturday 20^th May. This cohort has received scholarship offers valued at over $3.3 million. Read more about the ceremony here.

"This scholarship has boosted my confidence and has enhanced my determination to go out in the world and achieve greatness,” remarks Ariq. “It provides me with an opportunity to experience the world and create my own identity. Now that I see how much I’ve accomplished, I have become an inspiration for myself." 

Theresa Urist, Global Director of University Counselling, Aga Khan Academies explains the fee-waiver programme in the Aga Khan Academies newsletter article:

“We were looking for students of academic promise who received at least 50% financial aid at the Academies and who were actively involved with and were making contributions to their school community…Our hope was to enable more of our students [to gain] access to a high quality education, especially for students who otherwise may not have had access to this type of education due to a lack of funds.”

Nafees, who will be pursuing his degree in Automotive Engineering from the University of Ontario, Institute of Technology, tells us: "I am extremely grateful for this opportunity that has knocked on my door. When I look back at my journey at the Academy and all the vicissitudes of life, it never fails to bring a smile upon my face after what I have gone through. The climb to this summit was tiresome but the view is delightful."