Higher Education Scholarships for Palestinians (HESPAL)

The HESPAL scholarship is a joint award offered by the British Council and the University of Stirling.

Key facts

Fee status

International (including EU)

Your country/region

Palestine

Level

Postgraduate (taught), Postgraduate (research)

Number of awards

1 Postgraduate taught award and 1 Postgraduate research award

Value of awards

Tuition fees plus stipend

Deadline

27 Feb 2026

The Higher Education Scholarships for Palestinians (HESPAL) was founded in 2010 and aims to create the next generation of senior academics who can maintain international quality standards at Palestinian universities, develop renewed and sustainable links between Palestinian and UK universities, and create lasting professional networks to sustain scholars’ longer-term careers.
 
In line with the University of Stirling’s vision to ‘make an impact on people’s lives and be a force for good in the world’, the University is delighted to partner with the British Council, Palestinian universities and funding bodies to offer HESPAL scholarships for eligible applicants wishing to pursue postgraduate taught programmes and postgraduate research degrees.

The scholarship does not cover the costs for accompanying family, visa fees, NHS health surcharge and IELTS cost.
 

Eligibility and availability

Applicants must be a resident citizen of Palestinian territories and employed and nominated by one of the Palestinian partner universities.

For full requirements, view the HESPAL scholarship page.

How to apply

Applications for the 2026-27 academic year are now open.

Applicants must apply to their chosen course through the University of Stirling website and complete the HESPAL application form.

Applicants nominated by their Palestinian universities must follow the process outlined in the application guidance notes and submit their HESPAL application by the specified deadline.

All information is available on the HESPAL scholarship page.