SINGAPORE, September 4, 2026 — Global Financing for Education (GFE) announced its formal launch in Southeast Asia yesterday, introducing a Pay It Forward (PIF) education-funding model designed to help students access and complete their education while connecting that funding to employment outcomes. GFE's initial ambition is to build toward supporting 1 million students across ASEAN before expanding the model globally.

Under the PIF model, eligible students receive funding upfront to cover eligible education and related costs, including tuition, enrollment and program fees, learning materials and essential living expenses, so they can focus on completing their studies rather than financing them. Contributions begin only once a graduate has reached a stable income, at which point they contribute a small, agreed percentage of their income for a set period, helping fund the next generation of students.

"Talent is widely distributed, but access to education is not," said Mario Ferro, Founder of GFE. "We built GFE around a simple idea: that funding should follow a student's potential rather than their financial history, and that today's students, once they succeed, become the reason tomorrow's students get the same chance."

The PIF model is supported by Waiser, a Singapore-based certified B Corporation providing the technology, assessment tools and infrastructure behind the program. GFE was established with backing from Singapore-based private investors and foundations.

The platform is now live. Students can apply for funding, education institutions can explore a partnership, and funders and investors can support the initiative directly.

Read the full announcement: https://gfeducation.org/gfe-launches-pay-it-forward-funding-model-across-asean-aiming-to-support-1-million-students/

To learn more about GFE or explore a partnership, visit gfeducation.org