Partnering with the U.S. Embassy in Athens, The American College of Greece (ACG) is proud to have established “The Education Unites 2023” program offering fully funded scholarships to at-risk refugee, migrant and displaced students with financial need to obtain undergraduate and graduate degrees at Deree. Through a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Embassy in Athens and a matching financial contribution from ACG, more than 40 refugee, migrant and displaced students, including 20 Ukrainians, can access scholarships for the 2023 spring and fall semesters, as well as the summer term.

ACG is collaborating with the U.S. Embassy for the sixth year under the Education Unites program. In 2018, the U.S. Embassy provided funding to establish the “Education Unites: From camp to Campus” program, supporting scholarships for 200 refugee students in Athens and Thessaloniki.  Under “Education Unites,” ACG welcomed 100 refugee students during 2018-2019, and since then has continued to independently provide scholarships to 20 or more refugee students from different countries annually. In 2022, in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, ACG established the Ukrainian Student Program, providing scholarship support for 20 additional refugee students from Ukraine.  The additional U.S. Embassy funding is expanding the program and offering life-changing opportunities to more young refugees from Ukraine and other countries.

Beginning with our founding 150 years ago, ACG is rooted in a long commitment to educating and financially supporting a global community of students displaced by war and geopolitical instability. One hundred years ago, 73 of our 88 students were refugees, and now 40% of our ACG students receive scholarships. Deree’s commitment to providing quality education opportunities to refugees continues!

The United States stands with Ukraine and its people. We are working closely with our Greek Ally and other countries to provide support to the thousands of displaced Ukrainian refugees. The U.S. Embassy in Athens is committed to ensuring that young Ukrainian refugees receive the support they need to pursue their university studies, and we are honored to partner with The American College of Greece to offer scholarships to Ukrainian students.  We have proudly supported the education of displaced youth to create a better future for all and especially for those most in need to pursue their dreams.

-- George Tsounis, U.S. Ambassador to Greece

The American College of Greece is committed to educating and financially supporting a global community of students. Our support for young people displaced by war and geopolitical instability traces back to our founding 150 years ago as a school for refugee girls in Smyrna.

-- Dr. David Horner, President of The American College of Greece

In February of 2022, Russia attacked my country for the second time. I was trapped in blockaded Mariupol. It was a battlefield and a horrible time that fully changed my life. After that, I realized that all you have can disappear at any moment and you need to live now. After I lost almost everything, I hope studying at your college will give me an opportunity for a better life. I must start building a better future today

-- Dmytro Postol, Mariupol, IT undergraduate student

It was always my dream to attend university, complete my degree in psychology, and help people who went through difficulty, especially women who experienced trauma and emotional abuse. Women did not have the chance to be free and make decisions on their own, even for the smallest task in their life. Women in my country have been through a lot and are still experiencing it.  I would like to try my best to show the world we, the women of Afghanistan, are capable and full of dreams. No matter how difficult we have been through, we are still motivated to change our world.

-- Karime Ganji, Afghanistan, Psychology undergraduate student