The Hungerford
Sponsorship Program
A Door. A Path. A Promise.
In rural eastern Uganda, a few hundred dollars separates a bright child from their future. The Hungerford Sponsorship provides full secondary education for students who would otherwise have no path forward.
2018
Program founded
135
Students have received or are on scholarship
100%
Of hungerford S4 scholars in top 50% of JPSS 2025 UCE results
About the Program
Changing the calculus of possibility
John Paul Secondary School has long been a beacon of hope in the Pallisa District. The options for bright students in this rural area are typically stark: attend a local school with poor outcomes, or end their education after primary school. For most families in the Pallisa District, the cost of secondary education is simply out of reach.
Introduced in 2018 by Larry and Sue Hungerford, the program provides full tuition and boarding to students who demonstrate exceptional academic potential combined with financial need. In 2025, their generosity expanded the incoming scholarship cohort from 12 to 20 students — with 47 applicants competing for those spots.
The funding of both tuition and boarding is deliberate: living on campus gives scholars after-hours teacher access, additional tutoring, computer lab facilities, and the structured community that accelerates growth. The goal is for every scholar to be prepared for university — and JPSS’s University Scholarship Program is in place to carry them there.
“For the equivalent of $600 a year you can give a child a great education. For $600 a year you can help break the chains of poverty with the promise of a bright future — and forever change a young person’s life.”
— Larry Hungerford, Program Founder
Student Stories
Real lives, real transformation
Mukasa Savior Paul
Hungerford Scholar · Uganda Certificate of Education
Mukasa came to JPSS at genuine risk of leaving school — his family simply couldn’t sustain the fees. Through Hungerford Scholarship support, he remained enrolled, accessed consistent meals, structured study time, and dedicated academic guidance. With those barriers removed, he applied himself fully and rose to rank among the top three students in the school on the national UCE exams.
Top 3 student in national UCE examinations
Anthony Ateese
Hungerford Scholar
Anthony’s journey through the Hungerford program culminated in academic achievement strong enough to qualify him for a government scholarship to university — one of the most competitive designations available to Ugandan secondary school graduates. His story shows the full arc of what the program is designed to produce: students who don’t just survive secondary school, but who set new standards for what scholars from the Pallisa District can achieve.
Qualified for government university scholarship
Musibikha Winnie
O-level & A-level Scholar
Winnie left primary school with the lowest possible passing score in Division 4 — one point less and she would have been barred from secondary school entirely. Her primary headteacher personally recommended her to JPSS, recognizing a determination that test scores alone couldn’t capture. Living on campus gave her stability she’d never had: structured routines, before- and after-class tutoring, mentorship from older Hungerford scholars, and holiday programs that kept her momentum strong. By the end of O-level, she had earned a Division 1 result, the highest tier.
Now pursuing Bachelor of Education in Agriculture
Sponsorship Options
Choose the level of commitment that’s right for you
RECOMMENDED
Full Journey
S1 through S6 · O-level & A-level
$4,000
Full six-year secondary pathway
- Covers all six years of secondary school
- O-level and A-level combined
- Maximum long-term impact
- Complete pathway to university
- Deepest donor–student relationship
O-Level
S1 through S4 · Foundational four years
$2,500
Core secondary foundation
- Four foundational years of secondary
- Prepares students for national UCE exams
- Builds academic and life skills
- Critical dropout-prevention window
A-Level
S5 through S6 · Advanced studies
$1,500
University preparation stage
- Two advanced years of study
- Specialized subject focus
- Direct pathway to higher education
- Pairs with O-level sponsorship
What Your Gift Provides
Everything a student needs to succeed
Academic support
- Tuition and school fees
- Textbooks and supplies
- Laboratory access
- National examination fees
- Computer lab access
Living & wellbeing
- Safe boarding accommodations
- Nutritious meals daily
- Clean water
- Access to health services
- Electricity for evening study
Peer community
- Daily life alongside motivated fellow scholars
- Mentorship from senior Hungerford scholars
- Friendships that extend well beyond school
Growth & mentorship
- Career guidance
- Leadership programs
- Holiday learning programs
- After-class teacher access
The Selection Process
Rigorous. Merit-and-need. Transparent.
Scholarships are awarded through a multi-factor review conducted by the Academic Subcommittee of the JPSS Board of Directors. The process combines academic performance with genuine need.
1
Primary Leaving Examination results
Results from Uganda’s national Primary Leaving Examination form the academic foundation of the application.
2
Primary school headteacher recommendation
Feedback from the student’s headteacher captures character, determination, and potential that test scores alone cannot reveal.
3
Region and family circumstances
Students from the poorest regions receive high preference. Those with the fewest resources are prioritized.
4
Board Subcommittee review and selection
The Academic Subcommittee meets in person to verify applications and make final selections, ensuring accountability in every decision.
A personal connection, not just a transaction
Student Profile
Receive the background and story of the student you sponsor
Progress Updates
Regular academic updates throughout the year
Encouragement
Opportunities to send messages directly to your scholar
Graduation News
Updates on your student’s graduation and next steps
Be Part of a Student’s Story
You provide the opportunity. The student provides the determination.
Every sponsored student represents a life changed — and a ripple effect that extends to families, communities, and generations yet to come.