The scholarship is a partnership between Oriel College and the Yalda Hakim Foundation for a woman from Afghanistan to complete a one-year master’s course at the University of Oxford. It is awarded for academic merit and potential, with the MPP included as an eligible route.
The latest confirmed award was for Michaelmas term 2026. Oriel now lists the next award as TBC, so this opportunity is between cycles rather than open for applications.
Benefits & funding
- Full Oxford course fees.
- A stipend for living costs for the one-year course.
- An allocation of accommodation at Oriel College; the official page does not state that accommodation is free.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be women from Afghanistan.
- Applicants must seek admission to a one-year master’s course at the University of Oxford; this record follows the Master of Public Policy route.
- Selection is based on academic merit and potential.
- The scholarship is intended to benefit someone from an economically and socially disadvantaged background, with priority for refugees and people with lived experience of displacement.
- MPP applicants need a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree, or an equivalent qualification.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
Afghanistan
Education required
Bachelor
Gender requirement
Female
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Application process
- 1Contact the Yalda Hakim Foundation at info@yaldahakimfoundation.org first, as instructed on the MPP funding page.
- 2Complete the standard University of Oxford application for the MPP, select Oriel College as the college preference, and select the Yalda Hakim Scholarship at Oriel when asked about scholarships.
- 3Note that Oriel’s dedicated scholarship page separately says eligible graduate applicants are considered automatically and no additional scholarship application is required; confirm the current procedure with the foundation or admissions team before submitting.
Program timeline
MPP application deadline for the last confirmed scholarship cycle.
2 December 2025
Last confirmed scholar was due to begin at Oxford.
Michaelmas term 2026
Next award
TBC; no reopening date has been published.