Said Foundation Scholarship

The Saïd Foundation has offered educational scholarships and training opportunities since 1984. The program 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 our target countries of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine.

We 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. You can find details of our partner universities here.

We 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.

We will not consider applications for study at universities outside the UK or for undergraduate or PhD programs.

Saïd Foundation scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit and applications are carefully considered by officers and trustees of the Foundation and external assessors. Our decisions are based on the candidate’s academic excellence, the usefulness of the subject to their home country, their leadership potential, their commitment to serving their community, their future career goals, and their practical ability to make use of the knowledge to be gained in the UK on their return to the Middle East

Eligibility criteria

In order to be considered for a Saïd Foundation scholarship all candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Demonstrate leadership potential in their chosen field or sector.
5. Have applied for an eligible course at a Foundation partner university (or have legitimate exceptional reasons for applying to a non-partner university).
6. Meet the Foundation’s English language requirements. Some universities have higher requirements; candidates must meet the English language requirements of their chosen university too.
7. Upload all required documentation.

English Language Requirement

To be considered for a Saïd Foundation scholarship candidates need to meet our English language requirement. This is an IELTS score of at least 6.0 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in each band. We can also accept the Duolingo test (please see here for equivalent scores) and the TOEFL iBT test (with a minimum overall score of 80 and a 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 it. 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 an interview.

About references

References are an important part of the scholarship selection process and they will be considered when your application is assessed. Candidates are required to obtain THREE different reference letters from three different referees and to upload them to their application form prior to submitting their application. It will not be possible to accept references after an application has been submitted or after the deadline has passed. Candidates are responsible for obtaining their own reference letters; the Saïd Foundation is unable to collect references on your behalf.

Candidates without three different references will not be considered for a Saïd Foundation scholarship.

Required Documents

• A copy of your high school marks/certificate.
• A copy of your university transcripts and graduation certificate. If you are in the final year of your studies, please upload all transcripts you have received to date.
• A copy of your current passport or national ID card (if you hold dual nationality this must be your passport/national ID card from Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, or Palestine).
• A copy of your English language results or confirmation of your English language test date.
• Offer letter(s) from your chosen UK universities for a master’s degree course starting in autumn 2024 or evidence that you have applied to the course i.e. the university application ID.
• Three reference letters must be uploaded with your application. Applications submitted without three reference letters will not be considered.
• An up-to-date copy of your CV. This should be no longer than two sides and should not include a photo.

APPLY NOW