SCHOLARSHIPS
APPLICATION
Scholarships Programme
The Scholarships Programme offers 100% tuition fee Masters scholarships to support British Muslims to study at UK universities. The scholarships are aimed at those who wish to advance in their careers and bring positive change to their communities and beyond. We invite applications from people who are dedicated to:
- Effective Advocacy and Enhancing Public Perception – facilitating better representation and contribution of Muslims to civil society to combat Islamophobia and positively transform perceptions of British Muslims
- Community Service and Social Development – raising the aspirations and standards within British Muslim communities
The aim is to support emerging leaders who have a high level of commitment to the community and who are able to demonstrate that they can lead and inspire in their respective field.
Please note that the scholarships are only open to those who qualify for Home Fees status in the UK, and applications from international students will therefore not be considered.
Subject Areas
Scholarships will only be awarded to British Muslims with relevant experience and committed to progression in the following areas:
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Arts & Culture
Creatives who can influence public discourses especially around Muslims and Islam through a variety of mediums.
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Law
Candidates who hold high aspirations to excel in the legal profession and especially those who wish to become judges (excluding conversion courses).
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Candidates who wish to champion diversity in the media to ensure fairer and more accurate reporting.
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Policy
Candidates with a passion for influencing public policy (excluding Health Policy) in the UK, to ensure that it is equitable and responsive to the needs of British Muslim communities.
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Sports
Candidates who are enthusiastic about sporting excellence and can make key contributions, through administration and management, to the industry.
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Sustainability/Environment
Candidates who wish to be at the forefront of the fight to save our planet and ensure a safer future for generations to come.
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Technology
Disrupters and innovators who use tech to offer novel and transformational solutions to society’s most pressing challenges.
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Philanthropy and grant making
For those who want to work in the third sector, for Trusts and Foundations, in order to direct grant making and philanthropic efforts.
We shall not be accepting applications for science, health policy, or mathematics courses.
APPLICATIONS FOR CYCLE ONE ARE NOW OPEN AND ENDS ON 4TH APRIL
Eligible Universities & Course
48 institutions have so far joined the Aziz Foundation Preferred Partner scheme and fulfilled the conditions of admittance.
Scholarships will be offered only to candidates studying Masters degrees at the institutions listed below. For institutions where selected courses are not specified, all courses in the eligible subject areas are on offer.
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Aberystwyth University
Institutional Scholarships
In addition to our preferred partners, we currently have the following three institutional partners. Scholarship applications must be made DIRECTLY to these institutions:
Criteria for applying
Applicants should meet all of the following requirements:
- Be eligible for Home fees status
- Be active within a Muslim community and demonstrate intimate knowledge of issues affecting British Muslim communities
- Demonstrate long-term commitment to community/societal development within Britain
- Show how the course will increase their effectiveness in one of the following areas relating to British Muslims:
- Effective Advocacy and Enhance Public Perception – facilitating better representation and contribution of Muslims to civil society to combat Islamophobia and positively transform perceptions of British Muslims
- Community Service and Social Development – raising the aspirations and standards within British Muslim communities
Additional sub-criteria
In addition to the above, candidates are also expected to have:
- Excellent understanding of their chosen industry and how to progress within it, with relevant, prior experience and/or achievements in the field
- Knowledge of how the course will enable them to generate social impact
Means Testing and Zakat Eligibility
The Aziz Foundation prioritises scholarships for candidates who can demonstrate that they cannot afford all or part of the tuition fees for their proposed Masters course.
These scholarships are being given as Zakat. Therefore, applicants will have to self-assess to determine their Zakat eligibility (please use the Islamic Relief and/or NZF Zakat calculator(s) as an indicator. If you do not owe any Zakat, you will be eligible).
You will have to demonstrate that you would not be able to self-fund your course. The Foundation will apply the following test, using information you supply, social indicators and available data, to determine your financial means:
- A list of the secondary school(s) you attended, which acts as an important social indicator
- The amount of your student debt
- Information relating to your financial circumstances on the application form, including caring responsibilities, dependents and existing commitments
- Whether you are the first in your family to enter Higher Education
- We shall utilise existing government data, such as the the Department for Levelling Up’s Index for Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and Office for Students’ (OfS) place-generated data and social indices (e.g. POLAR, TUNDRA, Adult HE 2011,Uni Connect Areas), which provides information on general trends on access to Higher Education and participation rates by postcode, indicating rates of social mobility and deprivation
The assessment will include some or all of the means testing criteria above, variously weighted, and will contribute to the panel’s final decision on the candidate.
Obligations and Paying Forward
If you successful, it is a mandatory requirement as a condition of your award that you undertake at least one of the following:
- Participate in widening participation schemes at your host institution;
- Volunteer with a community or civil society organisation – the Foundation can help facilitate
this; - Act as a mentor, post graduation, through the Foundation or university’s mentoring scheme.
Application process
Applications are submitted online. The application form includes questions about previous education, work experience, financial means, a statement of no more than 1,000 words about how you meet the Foundation’s criteria, and the names of two referees.
If your application is shortlisted you will be invited to attend an interview.
The interview will be around 30 minutes long and will explore questions around:
- challenges facing British Muslims;
- vision and hopes for change;
- personal qualities needed to succeed;
- financial barriers faced
Please be aware that you may be asked back for a second interview with Foundation trustees and industry experts or Aziz alumni. A sample of candidates are interviewed a second time every year for quality assurance purposes.
Key dates
The assessment and awards process will be carried out over two cycles in 2025:
| Cycle | Application Dates | Interview Dates | Award Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13th Jan from 11am – 4th April, 12 noon | Feb-April | Mid May |
| 2 | 8th April from 11am – 20th June, 12 noon | April - July | Late July |
Applications will open in January 2025
The earliest start for courses we can consider is June 2025.
If your course starts between June -August 2025, you must apply during cycle 1. Otherwise we will not be able to consider your application.
For courses starting from September 2025 or January 2026, you may apply in either cycle.
You may apply only once in any given year (either in cycle 1 or cycle 2 but not both).
Support
If you have any questions about the entry process, please contact the Aziz Foundation by emailing scholarships@azizfoundation.org.uk or calling 020 7432 2467.
Data processing
The Aziz Foundation holds the right to process data for the purposes of running its scholarship and internship programmes. All collection and data processing is carried out in compliance with UK data protection legislation and GDPR.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who are these Scholarships For?
Muslims who wish to raise aspirations and standards and facilitate better representation of British Muslim communities in civil society.