ME FoundationMahboob Education Foundation

We help make college possible for students who need it most.

The Mahboob Education Foundation helps underserved students in the United States and South Asia pay for higher education and build the futures they're working toward.

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To provide financial support and opportunity for underserved students in the United States and South Asia to pursue higher education and transform their futures.

We're committed to ensuring that at least half of the students we support are women.

Based in Washington, DC

Our story

The Mahboob Education Foundation is a registered non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) private foundation established in 2020. The Foundation was created by Athar Javaid (1939–2024) to honor the legacy of his parents Ghulam S. and Ameer N. Mahboob, whose lives and values centered around the belief in the transformative power of education.

“Education, education, education”
The guiding principle of Ghulam S. and Ameer N. Mahboob, which continues to inspire the Foundation’s mission today

The Foundation recognizes the extraordinary sacrifices, resilience, and mutual support of the ten Mahboob siblings, seven daughters and three sons, who, together, embodied the values their parents instilled in them.

The Foundation was created using donations from the two eldest Mahboob daughters in accordance with their final wishes: Dr. Saba Mahboob, Ph.D. and Dr. Shahnaz Mahboob Thompson, M.D. The Foundation serves as a tribute to their lifelong commitment to education and service. Their generosity and vision helped lay the foundation for an organization committed to extending educational opportunity to those who need it most.

The purpose of the Foundation is to support underprivileged students, especially those from historically marginalized or low-income backgrounds, residing in the United States or South Asia, in their pursuit of higher education, through scholarships and tuition assistance. It is the Foundation’s goal to carry forward the Mahboob family legacy by involving current and future generations of family, friends, supporters, and community members, in impactful philanthropic and educational work.

What we do

Talent is everywhere. Money for tuition, books, and exam fees is not. We close that gap for students who have the drive but not the means.

Scholarships

Direct financial awards toward tuition and fees at colleges and universities, so cost isn't the reason a student says no to an admission offer.

Essential costs

Help with the expenses that quietly end college plans: application and exam fees, textbooks, laptops, and travel.

Opportunity

Mentorship and guidance through applications, financial aid, and the first years of college, especially for first-generation students.

Where we work

United States

We support students from low-income and underserved communities, starting here in the Washington, DC area, who are ready for college but held back by cost.

South Asia

We support promising students across South Asia whose families can't cover university fees, helping them stay in school and complete their degrees.

Our endowments and partners

Through endowed scholarships, memorial gifts, and annual donations, we invest in institutions and organizations that open doors to education.

For students

If you've been admitted to, or are enrolled in, a college or university and need financial help to continue, here's how our process works.

  1. Apply

    Tell us about yourself, your goals, and your financial need.

  2. Review

    Our committee reads every application with care.

  3. Award

    Selected students receive funding toward their education.

  4. Stay connected

    We check in each term and offer mentorship along the way.

Ask about applying

Leadership

Our board and staff guide the foundation's work and make sure every gift reaches the students it's meant for.

  • Zafar Jawaid

    Zafar Jawaid

    Chairperson of the Board

  • Anna C. Fraker

    Anna C. Fraker

    Vice Chairperson of the Board

  • Sahar J. Pelle

    Sahar J. Pelle

    Executive Director & CHRO

  • Shoaa J. Kewan

    Shoaa J. Kewan

    Director of Operations and Finance

Get in touch

Questions about applying, giving, or partnering with us? We'd like to hear from you.

Email
info@me-foundation.org
Location
Washington, DC