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PalEd
Empowering Through Education

  • The Palestine Educational Opportunity Initiative

ABOUT US

In Gaza, every university has been bombed. Thousands of students and academics have been killed. And yet — amid genocide, starvation, and siege — Palestinian students continue to apply to universities around the world.

In August 2025, a group of Gates Cambridge Scholars at the University of Cambridge launched PalEd to support these students in accessing higher education opportunities abroad. Since then, the initiative has grown into a global network of 120+ mentors from leading institutions, currently supporting over 800 Palestinian students — most of them in Gaza — with their university and scholarship applications.

These students are applying under extraordinary conditions: no electricity, unstable internet, lack of visa biometric access, and constant threat to life. Still, they are applying. 

And we are going to help them.

Mentorship & Application Support

We provide feedback on personal statements, help navigate country-specific admissions systems, and support with finding scholarships and navigating visa processes.

Advocacy

We call on governments and universities to admit Palestinian students with offers, and urge institutions to end complicity in policies that obstruct access to education.

>1,000

Mentee Sign-ups

>230

Volunteer Mentors

>20

Mentor Universities

2

University Offers

PalEd is featured on the Gates Cambridge website

"For our mentees, an offer to an international university can mean the difference between life and death. This urgency is the driving force of what we do as mentors, coordinators, and organisers." - Kathy Chacon

Read the article here.

Help Get Abdelrahman from Gaza to Ireland to Study

One of our mentees, Abdelrahman Al Gherbawi, has been offered a place to pursue a Master’s in Interaction and Experience Design in Ireland! 🌟 However, he’s facing challenges with visa and relocation costs. Let’s help him achieve his dreams!

Donate now and share his story here.

VOLUNTEER

Volunteer as a Mentor

If you are a university student, academic or professional interested in guiding Palestinian students with their university admissions and scholarship applications as a mentor, sign up here. 

As a mentor, you will receive structured help and resources from us:

Mentorship Handbook

This comprehensive handbook offers detailed guidance on applying to universities in various countries, including the UK, and on preparing key application materials such as CVs and personal statements. It also provides advice on English language proficiency tests and guidance for scholarship schemes that require additional materials from applicants.


PalEd Scholarship Database

A curated database of scholarships available to Palestinian students, listing each opportunity’s host country or university, application deadline, eligibility criteria, and additional notes. The database is designed to help mentors and mentees easily navigate and identify suitable funding opportunities.


Mental Health Advice Handbook

Developed by expert mental health specialists and psychologists, this handbook provides foundational guidance on defining expectations within mentor-mentee relationships and navigating the emotional nature of this volunteer work. It also outlines common challenges that may arise during the mentorship process and offers strategies to support emotional readiness and wellbeing.


Link to the latest versions of the Mentorship Handbook and PalEd Scholarship Database can be found under the Useful Resources section below.

Sign up

Volunteer in other roles

If you would like to provide support as a coordinator, who can help support mentors and mentees in having a smooth and productive experience, sign up here.

Sign up

If you are interested in contributing in other supporting roles within our Core Organizing Committee, please apply here. We are currently seeking volunteers for a range of positions, including Tech Team Advisor, Graphic Designer, Internal Communications Coordinator, Support Resources Advisor, Mental Health Advisor, External Collaboration Coordinator, HR Officer, and Accounting and Finance Officer. 

Sign up

REGISTER

If you are a Palestinian student interested in receiving mentorship, this is for you. Register here.


Please note that this is not a direct application for universities or scholarships, but a mentoring programme by students and scholars who have experience in successfully applying for them.


Our mentors provide guidance and feedback on your university applications, particularly on your personal statements, CVs, and other supporting documents.

We do not guarantee or offer university admissions, scholarships, or visa sponsorship to travel outside of Gaza.


إذا كنت طالبًا فلسطينيًا مهتمًا بالحصول على الإرشاد الأكاديمي، فهذه المبادرة مخصصة لك.

سجّل هنا.

يرجى ملاحظة أن هذا ليس تقديمًا مباشرًا للجامعات أو المنح الدراسية، بل هو برنامج إرشادي يقدمه طلاب وباحثون لديهم خبرة سابقة في التقديم الناجح لتلك الفرص.

يقدّم مرشدونا التوجيه والملاحظات حول طلباتك الجامعية، وخاصة فيما يتعلق ببيانك الشخصي، وسيرتك الذاتية، والمستندات الداعمة الأخرى.

نحنحن لا نضمن أو نقدم قبولًا جامعيًا أو منحًا دراسية أو رعاية للحصول على تأشيرة سفر خارج غزة.

Register

USEFUL RESOURCES

Official PalEd Mentorship Support Resources and Database

Chevening Scholarship Essay Templates

Scholarships for Ghazza Initiative and Database

Project EduAccess

Bodleian Libraries resources for students and academics from Gaza and the West Bank

EURAXESS database for funded research positions, fellowships and job vacancies across Europe

Institute of International Education’s Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF)

If you have come across any other useful resources, please share them with us.