St Andrews Education for Palestinian Students (STEPS)

Value of award (per year)

Two awards available, consisting of:

• full tuition fees
• accommodation fees to cover residential University costs
• maintenance stipend of £450 per month
• travel to and from the UK (one ticket for each way)
• Visa and Immigration Health Surcharge costs

Duration of award

This award is available for one year of postgraduate study.

At what stage of my course application can I apply for this scholarship?

You can apply for this scholarship after you have submitted your application for a place at the University of St Andrews. You do not need to wait until you have received a course offer before applying for this scholarship, but you MUST have an offer by the time of the scholarship deadline in order to be considered. Therefore, you should submit an application for your chosen course at least six weeks before the STEPS deadline.

Additional criteria

• Priority will be given to applicants who have recently been displaced and to those who have only studied at universities in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, or Syria. If applicants have undertaken studies in another Middle Eastern country but cannot continue there because of severe physical or infrastructure problems, we may still consider them.
• You must not have previously completed a postgraduate degree or be studying for a postgraduate degree at the time of application.

See also Terms and Conditions below.

English language requirements

You must have a valid English language qualification, for example, IELTS, in order to be considered for STEPS. You do not need to supply your English language test certificate with the STEPS application, however, you must have already provided this documentation with your postgraduate course application.

Guidance on English Language tests accepted by the University are updated annually. We advise you check our webpages for the most up to date information: Postgraduate English Language requirements

Interviews

As part of the scholarship selection process, shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an interview. This interview helps assess the applicant’s suitability for the scholarship and alignment with the aims of the scholarship and STEPS. 

The interview will typically assess the following areas: 

• Academic Excellence 
  Your academic achievements and preparedness for postgraduate study.
• Motivation and Career Aspirations 
  Your reasons for pursuing your chosen course at St Andrews and how the STEPS scholarship would support your academic and professional goals. 
• Contribution to Palestinian Society 
  How your degree will equip you to contribute to Palestinian civil society.

Interview Format:

• Interviews will be conducted online. 
• If you are shortlisted for interview, you will be contacted by the one of the STEPS trustees to arrange a suitable date and time. 
• The interview panel will consist of three STEPS trustees; all shortlisted candidates will be interviewed by the same panel members.

The outcome of the interview will contribute to the final scholarship decision. 

How to apply

It is recommended that you submit an application for your chosen course at least six weeks before the STEPS deadline.

1. Apply for your chosen course at the University St Andrews: Masters (MSc, MLitt, MRes, MPP) or Postgraduate research (MSc(Res), MSt(Res)). Your course should meet the eligibility criteria for this scholarship (see above). After submitting your course application, you must allow up to three working days to receive login details for the My Application portal.
2. When you have received your login details, apply for the scholarship by logging into My Application, follow the links to Scholarships and Funding and then search for St Andrews Education for Palestinian Students (STEPS) Scholarship (Postgraduate Masters) in the Scholarships and funding catalogue.

References

You must also provide details of two referees, both of whom you must ask to submit current references on your behalf:

• The first referee must be an academic faculty member who can provide an academic reference.
• The second referee must be either an employer or community leader who can provide a personal reference.

References must be sent directly from the referees by email to pgscholarships@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Please note it is your responsibility to ensure these references are received by the application deadline of Thursday 9 April 2026.

Your application will not be considered unless both references have been received.

Application fee exemption

STEPS applicants do not need to pay the £50 application fee. At the point of submitting your application to St Andrews, please email pgscholarships@st-andrews.ac.uk for further advice.

Terms and conditions

If applying to the STEPS Scholarship, you must agree to the following terms and conditions:

STEPS Scholarship Criteria

1. You must hold an offer of a full-time place on a one-year postgraduate taught course at St Andrews. Applicants without an offer by the time of the scholarship deadline will not be considered for the scholarship.
2. You must, at time of the STEPS application, meet the minimum English language requirements set by the University of St Andrews for your chosen course (see the section on English language requirements).
3. You are able to explain how your studies will enable you to contribute to Palestinian civic society.
4. While STEPS would encourage applicants to travel to St Andrews without dependents to allow them to focus on their studies and to engage fully with the experience of living and studying abroad, should the situation arise where an applicant decides to bring dependents, STEPS will only be able to fund accommodation, travel and other expenses for the applicant. All costs associated with dependents must be met by the applicant. UKVI rules do not currently allow for dependents to be included on a Student Visa for most Masters courses.
5. You agree to speak or write about your STEPS experience in Scotland.
6. You agree that STEPS financial commitment for your maintenance ends at the end of your one-year course. STEPS will provide a return flight home, valid up to the end of your initial visa.
7. You give STEPS permission to contact your Director of Studies and other referees.
8. You agree to accept accommodation arrangements that may be a single room in a shared University apartment or a single room in a family home.

The Trustees of STEPS make the final selection in May. The Trustees’ decision is final and there is no right of appeal. Please do not use your contacts to lobby for your scholarship application. This will make no difference to your application.

Any personal data you provide will be processed in strict confidence and will not be passed on to a third party.

Please read the University of St Andrews scholarships terms and conditions.

When will I know the outcome?

The outcome of your scholarship application will be available in the Scholarships and funding section of My Application by early May 2026.