The education system comprises six years of primary school, three years of lower secondary school, three years of upper secondary school, and an average of four years of higher education. For the vast majority of Rwandan children, higher education is inaccessible – a privilege available primarily to the wealthy. In 2003, only 27,243 students were enrolled in higher education, in contrast to the 1.8 million enrolled in Rwanda's universal primary education system.

After the 1994 genocide, Rwanda's new government made a commitment to strengthen its higher education system as part of its overall development strategy for the country. Unfortunately, government scholarships are limited in number and have had little effect in increasing university access for Rwanda's poor.

In Rwanda, as elsewhere, the benefits of higher education directly influence quality of life. The World Bank reports that "In the public and formal private sector, primary education and vocational and technical secondary education yield hardly any returns...[while] higher education fetches a return of more than 30%." A 2003 government survey revealed that 66% of households with post-secondary education ate three times a day, while only 1% of households with little or no education did so. The 2001 Household Living Conditions Survey confirmed a correlation between level of education and family size: the average number of pregnancies was 5.6 for women with no education, 4.4 with primary education, and 2.7 with tertiary education.

Over time, ORI hope to close the education gap between those born into privilege and those less fortunate. By improving the lives of talented but needy students, your contribution will greatly assist Rwanda's development into a stable and prosperous nation.