Since February 17, 2025, the Institut Catholique de Kabgayi (ICK) and Chancen International Rwanda signed a partnership agreement to provide innovative tuition financing for students pursuing a bachelor’s degree to help talented young Rwandans access higher education.

Since then, ICK has started receiving students who come to pursue degrees in various departments, including Journalism, Public Relations, Environmental Management, Rural and Urban Development, and the departments under the Faculty of Education at ICK.

Through this scholarship, selected students are able to study for three years without paying tuition upfront through what they call the Income Share Agreement (ISA) model. Instead, they start repaying once they have graduated and secured a job.

Students who have benefited from this partnership are grateful for a second chance at education.

Daniel Ngendahimana, a first-year Journalism student, is among those supported by Chancen. He says going to university once felt impossible.

“I finished high school in 2022 with good grades, but my family didn’t have the money for university. I hoped to get a loan from the University of Rwanda, but that didn’t happen, and I began to lose hope,” Daniel shared. “After learning about Chancen and being selected, I am grateful to both Chancen and ICK for giving me the opportunity to pursue my dream.”

For now, Daniel is happy that he can write a story, use a camera, and even speak in public. “I am now able to do things I once thought were impossible,” he said.

For Elisabeth Uwababyeyi, a first-year student in Environmental Management, the scholarship was a turning point.

“After high school, I really wanted to study, but my parents couldn’t afford the fees. When I heard about Chancen, I applied though I thought I had no chance because they select only a few students. But I was lucky to be accepted,” she said.

Uwababyeyi encourages other students to seek information about any study opportunities that may arise, because it could be their chance.

There is also Dieudonne Giribambe, who echoed this sentiment, explaining how financial challenges were about to end his academic journey, but Chancen and ICK saved him.

ICK leadership applaud the partnership’s impact

Father Dr. Jean-Marie Vianney Samarwa, ICK’s Deputy Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance, said the partnership has been a great help to both the institution and students who want to study but lack financial means.

“What encouraged us to work with Chancen is that it provides a solution for students who want to study but don’t have the means, especially those from rural areas. Even though they pay back once they get a job, at least they get the opportunity to study,” he said.

He added that the students sponsored by Chancen at ICK are hardworking and contribute positively to the university.

Since its establishment in 2018, Chancen International has expanded its reach across Africa, providing student financing solutions in Rwanda, South Africa, Kenya, and Ghana.

In Rwanda alone, the organization has partnered with nine institutions and supported over 3,000 students. By aligning its financing model with Rwanda’s National Transformation Strategy, Chancen ensures that students develop skills in fields that contribute to national development.

Currently 1,032 ICK students are sponsored under the Chancen International partnership, and many more are expected to join the program in the coming years.

Authors: Munezero Nicole & Nsabimana Sugira Aime Christian