Egypt, South Sudan agreed to remove scholarship restrictions

President Salva Kiir (R) and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (L) in Cairo. (File photo)

South Sudan and Egypt have agreed to waive an age requirement and registration fees for South Sudanese students joining Egyptian Universities.

The Egyptian government recently introduced an age limit of 19 for South Sudanese students to be admitted to undergraduate courses in Egyptian universities. It also introduced a USD 100 registration fee to be paid by foreign students studying under government scholarships in Egypt.

Addressing journalists at a press conference held in Juba on Monday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. James Pitia Morgan said special consideration has been given to South Sudan in light of the challenges facing its education system.

“As a result of President Salva Kiir’s recent visit to Cairo, the problem of South Sudanese students was resolved by the leaders of the two countries and now South Sudanese students are exempted from this policy and this is very important for us,” he said. “For whoever has students, relatives or friends who want to go to Egypt for studies, I think that this was a very important step taken by President Kiir who went personally (to Egypt), and of course to change the policy of another country is not easy.”

Pitia said South Sudanese students were exempted from some of the scholarship conditions and restrictions in the meeting last week in Cairo between President Salva Kiir and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

“President Kiir had to go for the sake of these students to continue with their education because we are going to receive these scholarships,” the foreign minister said. “For us to benefit from these scholarships, President Kiir decided that it was better for him to travel to Egypt and discuss this with his counterpart.”