Oxford Launches Scholarship for Displaced Palestinian Students
The University of Oxford has pushed forward the Palestine Crisis Scholarship Scheme, a new graduate scholarship program aimed at supporting displaced Palestinian students and academics from Gaza and the West Bank. Set to begin in the 2025-26 academic year, the scholarship will cover course fees, as well as accommodation and travel costs, for Palestinian students in eligible one-year full-time or two-year part-time graduate programs.
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Professor Alex Betts, Oxford’s Local and Global Engagement Officer, has highlighted the scheme as “an important part of our wider efforts to contribute to the rebuilding of higher education in Gaza.”
However, some students have voiced disappointment with the scheme’s narrow eligibility requirements that exclude undergraduate students. A member of Oxford Action for Palestine (OA4P), a collective that collaborated in developing the scholarship, noted its limited reach.
“The scheme targets only students who are postgraduates, meaning they already have degrees,” the student told The Oxford Student. “It serves such a small section of the student population in Palestine and does not support students who never had the chance to go to university, or undergraduates whose studies have been interrupted.”
The initiative comes after a student-led petition signed by over 1,000 signatories last year, which called on the university to act against genocide in Palestine and aid Palestinian students impacted by humanitarian crisis.
Despite the limited scope, the student agrees that the scholarship aligns with Oxford’s commitment as a University of Sanctuary, which advocates for refugees and displaced individuals worldwide.
“These scholarships will enable talented students affected by conflict and crisis in Gaza and the West Bank to study in Oxford,” professor Betts said. “As a University of Sanctuary, we have greatly expanded the range of scholarships available to refugees and displaced people from around the world.”
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