How Refugee-Led Approaches Are Expanding Access to Higher Education

Between 2023 and 2025, WUSC partnered with refugee-led organizations in Jordan and Kenya to test a different approach to expanding access to higher education and complementary pathways: one led by refugees themselves. 

Rooted in peer-to-peer advising, community trust, and lived experience, these initiatives demonstrated that refugees are not only participants in development systems, but essential leaders in designing solutions that are more inclusive, accessible, and effective.

In line with this year’s World Refugee Day theme highlighting the resilience, strength, and right to inclusion and safety of displaced people, these initiatives show how refugee leadership can turn lived experience into lasting opportunity.

Why Refugee-Led Models Matter

Traditional top-down models often struggle to reach marginalized communities or address barriers related to trust, accessibility, and relevance. WUSC’s approach centers refugee leadership, lived experience, and community trust to create more inclusive and sustainable pathways to higher education and economic opportunities.

By positioning refugees as leaders and co-creators, these initiatives helped build systems that better reflect community realities and needs while contributing to long-term, locally driven change.

Two Countries, One Community-Driven Approach

The Refugee-Led Counseling for Complementary Pathways project in Jordan, in partnership with UNHCR, and the “University Now” initiative in Kenya, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, had the underlying objective of contributing to a shift in higher education and third-country solutions systems by moving away from traditional top-down models toward a localization-centered approach that empowers refugees as permanent actors within these systems.

In Jordan, the Refugee-Led Counseling for Complementary Pathways project (2023–2025) trained Refugee Guidance Counsellors to provide tailored information on education and labour mobility pathways. By working through trusted community members, the project expanded outreach and strengthened engagement across diverse refugee populations.

In Kenya, through the DREEM project, the “University Now” pilot (2025) was co-created with refugee-led organizations to improve access to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. Through a peer-to-peer advisory model, these organisations coordinated outreach efforts and guided applicants through the process while addressing barriers such as limited access to information and connectivity gaps. Building on the success of this approach, the initiative is expected to scale its impact in Kenya, expand to other countries, and grow into a sustainable refugee-led recruitment support pathway.

How Refugee-Led Models Expanded Access

Expanding awareness through trusted networks

Refugee-led outreach helped more people learn about higher education and complementary pathway opportunities through trusted, community-based networks. Peer advisors engaged participants across urban settings and refugee camps, including young people, women, and persons with disabilities.

“The fact that this is being done by fellow refugees makes it more relatable and inspiring.” – Mohamed Idan, Community Elder, Kenya, 2025.

Strengthening community knowledge 

Participants reported improved understanding of eligibility requirements, application processes, and available opportunities. Access to verified, peer-delivered information also helped participants make informed decisions and navigate opportunities with greater confidence. 

Improving application quality 

Individualized guidance helped reduce application drop-off rates by supporting participants through requirements, application processes, and preparation for selection stages.

For many participants, peer guidance transformed opportunities that once felt out of reach. One scholarship recipient shared:

“I never imagined someone like me could be selected. Without the peer advisor’s help, I would have missed this opportunity completely.”

Building stronger partnerships 

Both initiatives strengthened collaboration with local stakeholders, including community-based organizations, education institutions, and NGOs. In Kenya, new partnerships between refugee-led organizations and institutions helped formalize coordination and expand outreach capacity.

These collaborations reflected a broader spirit of solidarity, where shared responsibility among actors helped create more inclusive and responsive systems.

Investing in capacity and sustainability 

Training, mentorship, and peer exchanges equipped refugee-led organizations and peer advisors with skills in facilitation, communication, project management, and data collection. Many partners also expressed commitment to continuing outreach beyond the project lifecycle.

One Refugee Guidance Counsellor reflected on their experience:

“Being a refugee-led counsellor means a lot to me. It’s a chance to help build a community that shares knowledge and benefits everyone. In this role, I can support others in reaching their goals. It also offers continuous learning and personal growth, as I learn new things from every interaction.” – Khaled, a refugee guidance counsellor in Jordan in 2024.

What It Takes to Scale Refugee-Led Models

Scaling refugee-led models requires sustained investment in local leadership and capacity strengthening. Programs are more effective when refugee-led organizations are meaningfully involved from the outset and when tools and outreach approaches are adapted to local contexts.

Sustained mentorship, peer learning, and in-person training all help strengthen long-term impact. Equally important are approaches that address barriers to inclusion, including language access, gender-specific challenges, and trust gaps within communities. Targeted outreach, women-focused sessions, and support for language learning can help ensure opportunities are more accessible to everyone.

Building More Pathways Forward

The experiences from Jordan and Kenya demonstrate that refugee-led, peer-to-peer models can help transform access to higher education and complementary pathways. 

By investing in local leadership, strengthening community trust, and recognizing refugees as agents of change, these approaches contribute to more inclusive and resilient systems where displaced young people can thrive and belong.

WUSC remains committed to advancing community-driven solutions that expand opportunity and support displaced people in shaping their own futures with safety, dignity, and hope. To learn more about the findings, impact, and lessons from these initiatives, read the full report.