For a child growing up in a struggling Mongolian family, the idea of attending university can be a seemingly impossible dream. The majority of Mongolia’s universities are based in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, a distant step from the rural settings where many families make their home.
With grants from the Matthew Girvin Scholarship Fund at Innovia Foundation, the Friends of Mongolia Scholarship Program carries out its mission of providing education to these underprivileged applicants from rural areas. Each year, the program covers tuition costs for prospective university students who have remarkable academic ability but little financial support.
The Matthew Girvin Scholarship Fund was founded in memory of Matthew Girvin, a UNICEF program officer who worked to better Mongolia’s children and future. Matthew died in a helicopter crash in Mongolia in 2001, and the Scholarship Fund carries on his legacy, brightening Mongolia’s future by providing university education to gifted students who would otherwise be unable to pursue their full academic potential.
