Saeed Development Scholarships for free study at British universities

Saeed Development Scholarships to study a master’s degree for one year in the United Kingdom for all academic specializations available within the list of British universities.

Universities participating in Saeed Scholarships

The Said Foundation offers approximately 30 new scholarships annually at the following universities:

• University of Birmingham
• Cambridge University
• Durham University
• University of East Anglia
• University of Essex
• University of Exeter
• University of Glasgow
• Goldsmiths College (University of London)
• University of Bristol
• University of Sussex
• King's College London
• University College London
• University of Leeds
• University of Leicester
• London School of Economics
• London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London
• Loughborough University
• University of Nottingham
• Oxford university
• Oxford Brookes University
• Royal Holloway University of London
• College of Oriental and African Studies
•  University of Southampton
• University of St Andrews
• University of Warwick

Saeed Development Foundation grant dates

• Applications open in September.
• Applications close on October 28.
• Eligibility screening and evaluation take place in early November through the end of January.
• Interviews will take place in March
• Students will be selected by the beginning of June

Financing Saeed Development Foundation grants

• Coverage of all tuition fees
• Full living costs for the duration of the course
• visa fees
• Covers health care fees
• Economic return flight.

Registration for Saeed Development Foundation grants

After submitting, your application will be evaluated by the Saeed Foundation. The candidate will first undergo eligibility screening and only candidates who meet all the eligibility criteria will advance to the evaluation stage. 

Candidates who do not meet all eligibility criteria will be notified by email in December. Please note that due to the volume of applications, the Foundation is unable to provide individual feedback.

All qualified candidates will be evaluated by staff from the Saeed Foundation and external experts. During this assessment candidates will be selected for interview. 

If you are not listed for an admission interview for the Said Scholarship, you will be notified via email in March.

The Foundation is unable to provide individual feedback to unsuccessful candidates, but if you meet the eligibility criteria, you can reapply in future years.

Documents required to register for Saeed Scholarship

To be considered for the Saeed Foundation Scholarship, you are required to submit the following documents with your online application. Documents cannot be uploaded after submitting your application.

• A copy of the high school certificate.
• A copy of 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.
• A copy of your English results or confirmation of your English test date.
• A letter of offer from your chosen UK universities for your Master’s degree course.
• Three letters of reference must be uploaded with your application. Applications without three letters of reference will not be considered.
• An updated copy of your CV. This must be no more than two sides and must not include an image.

English language requirements for registration in Saeed Scholarships

• To be considered for a Said Foundation scholarship application, candidates must meet the English language requirements. This is an IELTS score of at least 6.0 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in each band or an equivalent score on an alternative English language test. 
• Some universities have higher English language requirements and it is your responsibility to check the eligibility of your English language test results with your chosen university. 
• The Saeed Foundation cannot do this for you or advise you on the English language requirements of partner universities.
• If you have already taken an English language test, you must upload a copy of your test certificate to your application before submitting. 
• If you have not taken a test before applying for a SAEED Scholarship, you will need to register for a test and provide test booking details in your application before applying. 
• You must then upload a copy of your English language test certificate to the application portal when you take the test.
• If you are selected for an interview, you will be asked to provide evidence that you have met the English language requirements if you have not already done so.
• Registration for Saeed Scholarship is through the official website.
• You will find the link below, click on Apply and then fill out the application form.

Conditions for granting the Saeed Development Foundation

• Holds Syrian, Jordanian, Lebanese or Palestinian citizenship
• Have a university degree equivalent to 2:1 or above, or be in the final year of your university degree
• You have work or volunteer experience relevant to your field of study and a clear career path upon returning to your home country or region
• Apply for an eligible course at one of the partner universities
• Meet the organization's English language requirements
• Upload all required documents

I live outside the organization's target countries. Can I still apply for a scholarship?

To be eligible to apply, you must be a permanent resident of one of our target countries in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon or Palestine. You can apply if you are temporarily living outside your country for study/work purposes but are normally resident in one of our target countries. The institution is more flexible with Syrian candidates due to the current circumstances in that country. 

I did not complete my undergraduate degree. Can I still apply?

Yes, provided that you are in the final year of your university studies. You must upload copies of your studies to date.

Saeed Development Scholarship Interview

If you are shortlisted, you will be interviewed in Beirut, Amman or Ramallah in March. Syrian and Gazan candidates will be interviewed online.

Please see the scholarship timeline for more details on when you can expect to receive an update on your application. Updates will be sent via email. Please make sure to also check your junk mail.

Please note that due to the volume of applications, the Said Foundation cannot provide individual feedback.

What costs does the Saeed Scholarship cover?

The Foundation offers fully-funded scholarships which include tuition fees, full maintenance/living costs for the duration of the course, arrival allowance, visa fees, additional healthcare fees and an economy return flight.

There is a separate funding arrangement for students selected to study at either the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge, and for scholars participating in the Chevening programme.

There are no caps on tuition fees for programs such as the MBA. However, in exceptional circumstances, the Said Foundation may only be able to offer a partial scholarship if the tuition fees are very high.

The Foundation is unable to provide any financial support to students’ family members and advises students to travel to the UK unaccompanied.

Saïd Foundation students are required to sign a binding pledge to apply the skills and knowledge they have acquired to work for the development of the Foundation's target countries upon completion of their studies.

Acceptance rates according to nationality in the Saeed Wish Scholarship

The Said Scholarship requires candidates to have the equivalent of a UK upper second class (2:1) degree or above. It is not possible to draw precise parallels between education systems or take into account the different marking systems at all universities in the institution's target countries. We suggest that you use the following information as a guide only:

• – Jordan – A score of 75-91% (CGPA 3.0/4.0 or 3.5/5.0) is considered comparable to the UK 2:1
• – Lebanon – A score of 80-89% is considered comparable to the UK 2:1
• Palestine – A grade of 85-89%/Very Good/B is considered comparable to the UK 2:1
• – Syria – Generally very good or a GPA of 80-89% from private universities and 70-79% from public universities is considered equivalent to 2:1

Letter of recommendation for Saeed Development Foundation grants

Yes, you must provide three different references to support your Saeed Scholarship application and you must upload these with your application before applying.

Saeed Foundation is unable to collect references on your behalf; Candidates are responsible for securing their own references before submitting their applications.

You must collect references from the three nominated referees and upload their letters to your application form before submitting them. It will not be possible to upload references after submitting your application. References received after the deadline have passed will not be considered.

Saeed Foundation is unable to collect references on your behalf; Candidates are responsible for securing their own references before submitting their applications. You must provide three different references: one must be from an academic, one from your current or most recent employer, and the third from your volunteer activities. If you do not have a professional referee, the institution will accept a second academic or optional reference. Please refer your referees to the Saeed Foundation Referee Directory. Certificates will not be accepted in place of letters of reference.

Two-year master's degree program in Said Scholarship and Distance Learning

In exceptional circumstances, Said Scholars may consider a two-year Master's degree. Candidates looking to study a two-year program must provide detailed arguments to support their choice in their scholarship application form.

Saeed Foundation may consider undertaking a distance learning Master's degree at a UK university. Candidates looking to study a distance learning program must provide detailed arguments to support their choice in their Said Scholarship application form and explain why they are unable to travel to the UK.

The Saïd Foundation will not consider distance learning programs that take more than two years to complete.

Specialties

Eligible Nationalities