London, November 2025: NovaGrad, an education access initiative founded by Prodigy Finance, has launched a new AI-enabled platform designed to help students across Africa and Latam regions plan their study-abroad journeys with confidence. The goal is to give every ambitious student the clarity, guidance, and confidence they need regardless of their background.
Prodigy Finance, a popular brand known for funding international students, has helped more than 45,000 masters students from 150 countries and has disbursed over USD 2.3 billion in funding. Prodigy Finance launched its first standalone scholarship programmes in 2024, and the response far exceeded the team’s expectations. Applications from across the world came in quickly with even better numbers than expected. The surge made one thing clear: students everywhere are looking for scholarships, guidance, clarity and practical tools that can help them turn their ambition into action.
This insight helped shape the platform. Many students still face steep tuition fees, shifting visa rules, complex admissions processes and limited access to reliable information. The initiative has been created to make those first steps clearer and easier to manage. As interest grows across LATAM and Africa, universities have also stepped into the mission, recognising that students who arrive prepared are far more likely to succeed.
The platform is an AI-enabled planning tool that supports students throughout their study-abroad journey. It helps them explore courses, compare universities, understand their financial options and prepare strong, clear applications. Students can research programmes across the United States, United Kingdom, Europe and many other countries, understand what each university expects and organise their plans in one place. With visa policies evolving globally, students can also turn to the platform to make sense of timelines, documentation and opportunities in newer destinations. The tool supports students as they prepare to apply for university and their student visa. The platform helps them understand each step of the process and gives them the confidence to submit a strong, well-planned application.
At a time when many young people feel uncertain about AI, NovaGrad offers a different narrative. While much of today’s technology is built to impress, NovaGrad’s tools are built to empower. The platform helps students identify relevant universities and opportunities, understand their next steps and navigate a global admissions landscape that can feel overwhelming without support. Rather than replacing human potential, the technology amplifies it, giving learners clarity as they make important decisions about their future.The platform uses AI to guide students through each step and pairs this with personalised support from experienced counsellors who help them plan their next move with confidence.
Sonal Kapoor, Global Chief Business Officer at Prodigy Finance, said “2025 has been one of our strongest years yet. We launched several scholarship programmes globally, and the interest from students across Africa and LATAM was remarkable. Even though each cycle can only support a small number of winners, our recent Prodigy Finance Awards granted close to USD 40,000 to eight international students, including learners from Africa and Mexico. It became clear that we needed a broader solution for this region.
She further added that after nearly a year of work, we have launched a platform where students can explore multiple scholarship options, receive guidance on choosing universities and prepare their statements of purpose with confidence. That is why we built this service. It gives learners clarity about their choices and helps them plan their journey with purpose. This isn’t the kind of AI that replaces talent, it’s the kind that helps students unlock it.”
Mariana Alcocer, Head of Acquisition Strategy at Prodigy Finance and Spokesperson for NovaGrad, added “I grew up in Colombia, and I know what it feels like to want something bigger than the place you grew up in. Many students across LATAM and Africa carry that same determination. They are ambitious and ready to work hard, yet the path in front of them isn’t always clear. The platform gives students the kind of guidance I wish I had in the past, a place where your options make sense and you don’t feel lost or alone.”
She further added “Students aren’t looking for shortcuts. They want clarity. They want to know which universities align with their goals and how to present a strong application.The service brings all of that into one space. When students have the right tools, they move from doubt to confidence. That shift is exactly what the platform is built for..”
With NovaGrad, Prodigy Finance expands its mission beyond lending. After supporting students from more than 150 countries with over USD 2.3 billion in funding, the company is now investing earlier in the journey to ensure students feel prepared long before they apply.
Students can explore NovaGrad today at http://novagrad.ai/
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.