In 2010, AUIS received a donation from the U.S. State Department that enabled the university to create 20 merit-based scholarships to recruit students from outside the KRG , and specifically from the central and southern parts of Iraq. Of the 20 scholarship recipients, three have graduated in 2013-2014, while five will be graduating in the fall of 2015. The remaining 12 students are now full-time undergraduates in various programs.
One recipient, Minatullah Amer Ghazi is a student from Baghdad majoring in business. She is an active member of the book club and green club at AUIS and works on campus in the Student Services Department.
"The scholarship has been a great help for me in my academic studies at AUIS. Before I had it, I was putting my family in a tight financial situation because the expenses cost more than my family can afford. Knowing that the U.S. embassy can offer such great opportunities is something I am very grateful for. Having lived in Baghdad my whole life, I don't know if I would have been able to continue studying at AUIS without the scholarship."
During her studies she has been able to travel to the U.S. and participate in the IYLEP leadership program. She will graduate in the fall of 2015.