Scholarships for international students provide new opportunities

The scholarships awarded by UAB’s Office of International Student and Scholar Services help offset tuition costs and enable students to further focus on their courses, opportunities for community engagement and overall experience in the United States.
Written by: Karen Templeton
Media contact: Yvonne Taunton


Students are sitting, socially distanced, in a classroom while masked. The scholarships awarded by UAB’s Office of International Student and Scholar Services help offset tuition costs and enable students to further focus on their courses, opportunities for community engagement and overall experience in the United States. (Photography: Steve Wood)The University of Alabama at Birmingham has awarded eight international students with scholarships aimed at expanding their educational and research opportunities.

The scholarships are awarded by UAB’s Office of International Student and Scholar Services, a university program providing immigration compliance expertise and institutional advising for more than 1,600 international students, research scholars, clinical faculty, staff and visitors at UAB. Since 2005, ISSS has awarded 178 scholarships totaling approximately $210,000. The funds help alleviate tuition costs.

“We are so grateful to the donors who fund these important scholarships,” said Catherine Crowe, director of ISSS. “They understand and appreciate the unique challenges of international students, and their investment leads to enriched educational and research opportunities and broadened cultural perspectives, not only for the recipients, but also for the wider campus community.”

This year’s ISSS scholarship awards total $11,750. The recipients and their scholarships are:

The Spain Hickman Estess Scholarship, funded by Rotary District 6860:

  • Chinaza Ngozi Somtochi Esiaba, a School of Public Health undergraduate from Nigeria
  • Ha Jeong Ryu, a School of Nursing undergraduate student from South Korea

Pushpamala Deosthale International Programs Scholarship

  • Nabaa Naveed, a biology undergraduate student from Pakistan

Joseph F. Volker International Scholarship

  • Iyinoluwa Victoria Babarinde, a Master of Public Health student from Nigeria
  • Prajun Trital, a computer sciences undergraduate student from Nepal 

Caroline and Charles W. Ireland International Student Scholarship

  • Deborah Ireoluwa Makanjuola, a Master of Public Health student from Nigeria
  • Anita Aboagye, a doctoral student in the School of Health Professions from Ghana
  • Samain Sabrin, a doctoral student in civil engineering from Bangladesh

The scholarship funds help offset tuition costs and enable students to further focus on their courses, opportunities for community engagement and overall experience in the United States.

“I wholeheartedly thank all of our donors and am proud of ISSS staff for managing these important awards,” said Majd Zayzafoon, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, assistant provost for International Education and associate dean for International Medical Education. “The impact of supporting international students is huge as it provides sustainable investment with immense returns. With every international graduate, our donors are creating a positive image of the United States and are creating a continuing cycle of development. Our graduates contribute economically and socially to a global society and pass on economic, social, educational and health-related benefits to their community.”

For information about ISSS and the services they provide, visit uab.edu/global/about/programs-services/isss. For information on scholarships and giving, visit giving.uab.edu.