Saïd Foundation Scholarships to empower People through Education

The Saïd Foundation has offered educational scholarships and training opportunities since 1984. The programme aims to empower people through educational opportunities and to encourage the development of the Middle East. It is targeted towards outstanding individuals with leadership potential who will be drivers of positive change within the target countries of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine.

Objectives of Saïd Foundation

• To assist the Saїd Business School at Oxford University in its pursuit of excellence and in its desire to promote the beneficial role of business in society.
• To support the humanitarian relief and development needs of the Syrian people and, when once again possible, the long-term sustainable development of the country.
• To support the higher education of students in order to promote the sustainable development of the Levant region.
• To improve the lives of disadvantaged children in the Levant region.
• To increase understanding of Britain’s Muslim communities among its non-Muslims and to foster a stronger sense of belonging in the UK among Muslim communities.
• To enable disadvantaged students in the UK and overseas to realise their full potential through educational, vocational training and internship opportunities.

What Courses Are Considered?

• They offer scholarships for one-year master’s degree courses in the UK.
• There are no restrictions on academic subjects but candidates must demonstrate that their subject will enable them to contribute to the development of their home country.
• Candidates must apply to one or more of the Foundation’s partner universities.
• They may consider an application for study at a non-partner university but only if the candidate’s proposed course is not offered by a partner university. If you have selected a non-university partner you must explain why in your application form or your application will not be considered for a scholarship.
• They will not consider applications for study at universities outside the UK or for undergraduate or PhD programmes.

Cost Covered by Scholarship

• The Foundation provides fully funded scholarships which include tuition fees, full maintenance/living costs for the duration of your course, an arrival allowance, visa and healthcare surcharge fees and one economy return flight.
• A separate funding arrangement is in place for students who are selected to study at either the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge, and for Chevening partner scholars.

Eligibility Criteria

• Hold Syrian, Jordanian, Lebanese or Palestinian nationality and permanently reside in one of these countries. The Foundation will consider Syrians residing elsewhere due to current circumstances in that country.
• Hold an undergraduate degree that is equivalent to a UK 2:1 degree or higher. Candidates who are in the final year of their undergraduate degree will also be considered.
• Have work and/or voluntary experience that is relevant to their field of study and a clear career path on completion of their studies and return to their home country or region.
• Demonstrate leadership potential in their chosen field or sector.
• Have applied for an eligible course at a Foundation partner university (or have legitimate exceptional reasons for applying to a non-partner university).
• Meet the Foundation’s English language requirements. Some universities have higher requirements; candidates must meet the English language requirements of their chosen university too.

English Language Requirement

• To be considered for a Saïd Foundation scholarship candidates need to meet the English language requirement. This is an IELTS score of at least 6.0 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in each band. They can also accept the Duolingo test (please see here for equivalent scores) and TOEFL iBT test (with a minimum overall score of 80 and minimum of 20 in each band).
• In addition to the Foundation’s English language requirement you will need to meet the English language requirements of your chosen UK university. Please check which English language tests and test scores they require. Some universities have higher English language requirements and it is your responsibility to check the eligibility of your English test results with your chosen university. The Foundation cannot do this for you or give you advice on partner universities’ English language requirements.
• Please note that only English language certificates dated after 1st October 2022 will be accepted. If your certificate was issued before this date then you will be required to take another test in order to be considered for a scholarship.
• If you have already taken an English language test then you should upload a copy of your test certificate to your application before you submit. If you have not taken a test prior to applying for a scholarship, you will need to register for a test and provide details of the test booking in your application prior to submitting. You should then upload a copy of your English language test certificate to the application portal when you have taken the test.
• You must have uploaded your test results showing that you have met the Foundation’s English language requirement to the application portal by 26th January 2024. If you do not provide this evidence then you will not be considered for interview.

For more information, visit Saïd Foundation.