QF scholarships open up new horizons for students

Scholarships open up new horizons for talented students and help to make their university experience everything it can be, while ensuring financial concerns do not stand in the way of a quality education.

Reflecting its commitment to inclusivity in education, Qatar Foundation (QF) provides a variety of financial aid packages to talented students from all over the world through its Student Financial Services. And its latest batch of scholarships, rewarding academic excellence, have now been awarded to students from QF’s universities.

The scholarship success of these students was celebrated during an awarding ceremony at the 2015 building (QF Headquarters), with the recipients including Fawzi Zghyer, a student at QF partner university Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, one of 17 students from the university to receive scholarships with a collective value of QAR3.4m.

“The scholarship encouraged me to complete my education, and I believe this scholarship program is important for students, because it encourages them to maintain high grades and develop their practical and academic skills,” he said. “It is an incentive for them to work hard throughout their studies."

Ebtihal Youssef, who studies at Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ), a QF partner university, said: “During my first year of university, I sought financial aid from Qatar Foundation, then I learned about the scholarships it offers.

“It demonstrates how Qatar Foundation invests in its students. My scholarship will relieve me and my family of a great burden, and give me a greater opportunity to complete my education in Qatar instead of traveling abroad. I hope that such an opportunity will be available to others.”

Fellow TAMUQ student Ahmed Mahfouz, who was also awarded a scholarship, said: “I do not exaggerate when I say that this scholarship changed my entire life, as I was able to fulfill my dream of studying at Texas A&M University at Qatar.

“I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to receive excellent education at the university.”

And Jude Ghalayini, a student at QF partner university Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, said: “I am delighted to receive this scholarship because it helps relieve the worries that come with financial burdens.

“Receiving this scholarship will help me focus more on my university education and will motivate me to excel. It makes me feel that someone is investing in my education, which is very important to me as it increases my desire to achieve good results in my education.

“A scholarship is an invaluable opportunity for those who get it, and I’m very proud and honored to belong to a diverse university that offers excellent education.”

The ceremony was attended by Sheikh Salman bin Hassan Al Thani, Chief Financial Officer, Qatar Foundation, and Fahad Al-Sulaiti, CEO of Education Above All, who was the guest speaker.

“A QF education is about giving every one of our students the opportunity to realize their potential,” Sheikh Salman said in his speech to the awarded students.

“The unique environment of knowledge, innovation, creativity, and discovery we have built at Education City enables young learners to do just that – nurturing graduates who will be among Qatar’s new generation of leaders and are equipped to succeed anywhere in the world. “

To ensure that talented students can enroll in Education City universities, Qatar Foundation offers full scholarships to outstanding students who have completed two semesters of academic studies in Education City with a GPA of 3.6 or more. The highly-competitive scholarships are awarded based on academic merit and renewed annually as long as the student is maintaining a GPA of at least 3.6.

For further information related to QF Merit-Based Scholarships, please email sch@qf.org.qa