Qalaa Holdings Scholarship Foundation (QHSF)

Qalaa Holdings Scholarship

You get funding for a full master's degree abroad. This is either a full scholarship covering tuition fees plus living costs, or a partial scholarship covering tuition fees only. Tuition is capped at 50,000 USD per year (roughly 46,000 EUR). Funding runs for the whole length of your programme, usually one or two years. The foundation decides which type you get case by case, based on the strength of your application and your financial situation. The award comes from the Qalaa Holdings Scholarship Foundation, set up in 2007 by the Cairo-based energy and infrastructure firm Qalaa Holdings to help young Egyptians study abroad.

Who can apply

• Degree: You are starting a full-time master's programme on campus. Online degrees and PhDs are not funded.
• Timing: Your programme starts in the autumn intake and you have not begun it yet. Only the first year is funded.
• Where you study: Any university outside Egypt, in any country.
• Field of study: Any subject except medicine, pharmacy and biosciences.
• Nationality: You are an Egyptian national living in Egypt.
• Age: You are under 35.
• Work experience: You have at least two years of work experience since your first degree.
• Admission: You already hold an acceptance letter from your chosen university. A conditional letter is fine only if the sole condition is funding.
• Language: You speak the language of instruction very well and have a good command of English.
• Financial need: You cannot fund the studies yourself and hold no other scholarship or grant. A fee waiver from the university itself is allowed.
• After graduation: You commit to returning to work in Egypt for at least two years.
• Military service: Male applicants must have a clear military service status.
• Bonus: Volunteering or NGO and community work counts in your favour, but is not required.

How to apply

First get admitted to your chosen university. Then download the foundation's application form, available online each year from 15 January to 15 April. Submit the full package only by post or FedEx before the 15 April deadline. Electronic and hand-delivered applications are not accepted. Shortlisted applicants are invited to an interview in May, and recipients are announced in June.

How realistic are your chances?

The foundation funds only 15 to 20 scholars a year, so a single high-value award draws a strong field. The criteria narrow it sharply: you must be Egyptian, under 35, already admitted abroad, and able to show real financial need. If you clearly fit all of these and secure your university place early enough to apply before the April deadline, your prospects are solid, especially with a record of community work.