Program Summary

Launched in 2009, the Abraham Lincoln Incentive Grants Program invests in bright, needy Palestinian students with the potential to compete successfully for scholarships to pursue undergraduate studies in the United States. The program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative and the Consulate General in Jerusalem, is the first of its kind in Palestine to provide direct assistance to students who would not otherwise consider U.S. study due to the significant preparatory expenses that are involved to become competitive applicants for U.S. college and university admissions and scholarships.

Announced on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, who came from humble roots yet rose to become one of the greatest U.S. presidents, the grants program evokes Lincoln’s spirit of hard work, self-reliance, and hope as inspiration to these potential future Palestinian leaders.

Main Goals

A Palestinian student works on his essay writing skills during a workshop organized by AMIDEAST as part of the Abraham Lincoln Incentive Grants Program.

• Invest in the future of young Palestinians

• Assist promising, academically qualified but economically challenged Palestinian students

• Enable a larger pool of capable young Palestinian men and women from the West Bank and Gaza to compete along with students in other countries for the opportunity to further their academic training in the United States of America

Program Results

• In fall 2009, 26 boys and girls in the eleventh grade from the West Bank and Gaza received grants covering fees for required college admissions tests, essay-writing, and test-preparation courses, college applications, visas, and SEVIS; and in-country travel stipends and other support.