Padoc Area Scholars Society

Padoc Area Scholars Society (PASS) is a need-based and merit-based college scholarship program for ALL South Sudanese people who desire to earn a 4-year university degree or a 3-year technical college degree.

PASS

A college scholarship to change the trajectories of youth in South Sudan.

Promoting the PASS scholarship to community leaders in Wau, South Sudan

Welcome to the Padoc Area Scholars Society, a non-profit founded by Augustino Ting Mayai, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, Bol Deng Akech, and Fran Roby in St. Paul, Minnesota. We help young people in South Sudan access education and change the trajectory of their lives and their country's future.

South Sudan is ranked as the #1 poorest country in the world with an annual per capita GDP of $455 (for comparison, Haiti is 21st with a GDP of $3,108). So your support here goes A LONG WAY to improving the lives of the young people we work with. Thank you for your visit to our website and we hope you'll join us!

PASS Scholarships cover tuition, fees, books, and living allowance.

WANT TO HELP? LEARN MORE ABOUT STUDENTS WAITING FOR A SPONSOR

STUDENTS CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND APPLY

South Sudan has been impacted by decades-long conflicts, these communities have been deprived of development opportunities for many years. Many of our youth are orphans. Many others suffer from PTSD as a result of experiencing traumatic violent events. South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after many years of civil war. South Sudan lacks basic infrastructure and has a minimally skilled workforce.

There are virtually NO OTHER OPTIONS for college financial assistance other than the PASS scholarship program. If YOU don't help, NO ONE will... and these youth will be destined to experience the suffering and lack of hope that accompanies living in abject poverty.

Dr. Augustino Ting Mayai, one of the "Lostboys of Sudan" and co-founder of PASS, has dedicated his professional life to helping the people of South Sudan. He spends much of his year working in South Sudan on efforts including PASS.

In January, 2024, Augustino was appointed to a Cabinet level position in the National Government.

WHY CHOOSE PASS?

There are so many charities... How do I choose?

More than 95% of your support goes directly to the students

You will be hard-pressed to find any other registered IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a “direct support percentage” that is as high as ours! We are unique among other non-profit organizations in the U.S. because we are entirely staffed by volunteers!

Your gift will keep on giving for a lifetime!

Your support is not a temporary fix like so many other charitable services. Our students will benefit throughout their lives from your support which will enable them to earn a college degree.

College education is amazingly inexpensive in South Sudan

Compared to any other country in the world! That means that your U.S. dollars are getting more “bang per buck” in South Sudan than they will for almost any other purpose for which you use your money!

Impact the greater community, and their place in the world

The communities in which our students live out their professional careers will benefit from their expertise.

Your gift will go far

South Sudan is ranked in 2024 as the poorest country in the world. [Global Finance Magazine and other sources]. 82% of South Sudanese live in extreme poverty, so your contribution, no matter how big or small, will have an immense impact.

Make a connection

If you choose, you can experience the gratification of corresponding with your student and learn how you are directly impacting their life! [You may also choose to not correspond and remain anonymous]

We're a registered 501(c)3

So your contributions are tax-deductible.

You can change a life

Our college scholarship program is virtually the ONLY program available for South Sudanese youth. We have many students who are PASS scholarship qualified but who will ONLY go to college if someone decides to sponsor them.

Thank you to our 2023-2024 sponsors and donors!

For the 2023-2024 school year PASS awarded 78 full-tuition scholarships as well as food and textbook stipends to all 78 students. The students are majoring in the following areas:

PADOC AREA SCHOLARS SOCIETY