Saïd Foundation Scholarships

Benefits & funding

• Tuition fees for the course.
• Full maintenance and living costs for the course duration.
• An arrival allowance, visa fee, healthcare surcharge and one economy return flight.
• Approximately 20–30 new scholarships are offered each year.
• Funding arrangements differ for scholars at Oxford or Cambridge and for Saïd Foundation–Chevening scholars; family-member costs are not covered.

Eligibility

• Hold Syrian, Jordanian, Lebanese or Palestinian nationality; dual nationals remain eligible if they document one of these nationalities.
• Normally reside permanently in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon or Palestine. Syrians living elsewhere may be considered because of conditions in Syria, and Palestinians living in Israel may apply. Temporary residence abroad for work or study does not necessarily prevent an application when the applicant normally resides in a target country.
• Hold an undergraduate degree equivalent to a UK 2:1 or higher, or be in the final year of an undergraduate degree.
• Have work or voluntary experience relevant to the proposed study, with no stated minimum number of years.
• Show leadership potential and a clear career path connected to the home country or region.
• Apply for an eligible one-year master’s course at a partner university, unless a justified exception applies. Two-year UK master’s programmes are not accepted, and an exceptional distance-learning course must be completable within two years. Undergraduate and PhD study are ineligible.
• Meet the Foundation’s English requirement: IELTS Academic 6.0 overall and in every band, Duolingo 105 overall and in every component, or the stated TOEFL iBT thresholds. The certificate must be dated after 1 September 2025, and the selected university may require a higher score.
• Submit every required document, including three references. There is no age limit.

Application process

1. 1
   Check the nationality, residence, degree, experience, English and course requirements.
2. 2
   Select an eligible one-year master’s course and apply to the relevant UK university when its application is open.
3. 3
   Prepare the high-school record, university transcripts and degree certificate, qualifying passport or ID, English test certificate, university offer or application evidence, three references and a current two-page CV without a photograph.
4. 4
   Submit the scholarship application through the official online portal during the application window.
5. 5
   If the chosen course opens after the scholarship deadline, upload evidence of the university application through the portal by 29 January 2027.
6. 6
   Shortlisted candidates attend an interview in March 2027; final decisions follow by the beginning of June.

Program timeline

1. Applications open.

   1 September 2026, 9am UK time

2. Application deadline.

   30 October 2026, 5pm UK time

3. Eligibility checks and assessment.

   Early November 2026 to end of January 2027

4. Deadline for later evidence of an application to a chosen course.

   29 January 2027

5. Interviews.

   March 2027

6. Final selections.

   May 2027

7. Shortlisted candidates receive outcomes.

   Beginning of June 2027

8. Eligible master’s courses begin.

   Autumn 2027