For a talented 17-year-old in Aleppo or Damascus, an admission letter from a respected international school can feel like a door that opens and then quietly closes again. The academic promise is real. The barrier is what stands between a high school diploma and that door: the cost of getting there, and the confidence to believe it is possible at all. This is precisely the gap our Jusoor-UWC International Baccalaureate Scholarship was built to close.
Since 2016, we at Jusoor have partnered with United World Colleges (UWC) and the UWC Syria National Committee to fund partial scholarships that send high-achieving, low-income Syrian students to UWC schools worldwide, where they complete the two-year International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). In this guide, we explain what UWC and the IBDP are, what our scholarship covers, why students choose this pathway, and the results so far, from Rhodes Scholars to graduates building careers on four continents.
Key Insights:
- Since 2016, we have partnered with United World Colleges (UWC) to fund 26 Jusoor-UWC International Baccalaureate scholarships for talented Syrian students, and 90 percent of alumni go on to receive university scholarships.
- UWC is a global network of 18 schools and colleges across four continents, where students from over 155 countries complete the two-year International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP).
- Our scholarship provides partial grants of up to $10,000 to cover travel, living costs, university application fees, legal paperwork, and standardized testing, on top of the full tuition and room and board that UWC itself provides.
- Jusoor-UWC alumni include Rhodes Scholars and graduates now studying or working at institutions including Oxford University, the University of Richmond, and College of the Atlantic.
- The scholarship sits within our broader Scholarships Program, alongside pathways such as High School Scholarships and 100 Syrian Women, 10,000 Syrian Lives.
What Is the Jusoor-UWC International Baccalaureate Scholarship?
Syrian youth, whether living in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, or the diaspora, often face a version of the same problem. They have the academic record and the drive to compete for a world-class education, but the pathway to prestigious international programs can feel elusive, not for lack of talent, but for lack of the financial resources and information to reach it.
Our Jusoor-UWC International Baccalaureate Scholarship addresses this directly. It funds partial scholarships for high-achieving, low-income Syrian students to attend United World Colleges. We work closely with the UWC Syria National Committee to select the most promising and motivated candidates, then support them through the intensive two years of the IBDP that follow. It is one pathway within our broader Scholarships Program, alongside High School Scholarships in Lebanon and the 100 Syrian Women, 10,000 Syrian Lives scholarship. Since 2025, we have also begun operating inside Syria itself through Bridges to Syria, extending this same belief in Syrian youth to students rebuilding their country from within.
What Is UWC, and What Is the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme?
United World Colleges (UWC) is a not-for-profit global education movement offering pre-university education to a deliberately diverse group of young people. UWC brings together 18 schools and colleges across four continents, admitting students from over 155 countries through national committees rather than through wealth or connections.
At each UWC school, students complete the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), a demanding two-year course of study developed and administered by the International Baccalaureate Organization. According to the IB's own mission statement, the programme sets out to develop inquiring, caring young people who understand and respect other cultures, and who go on to help build a more peaceful world. UWC schools are widely respected by universities for pairing rigorous academics with community service, physical activity, and structured reflection, an approach that produces graduates known for critical thinking, leadership, and cross-cultural fluency.
What Our Scholarship Covers
UWC covers the core of a student's experience: full tuition, room and board, and the pastoral care that keeps a 16 or 17-year-old safe and supported while living away from home for the first time. Once a student has secured that full funding, our scholarship steps in to cover what UWC does not.
We provide partial grants of up to $10,000 across the two years of the IBDP, covering pre-arrival support such as visa and travel costs, some living expenses, clothing and stationery, university application fees, legal paperwork, and standardized testing. Without this layer of support, many talented students would have to turn down a fully funded seat at UWC simply because they could not afford the flight to get there.
Why Students Choose UWC
Students who choose UWC over other high school pathways generally point to five things: an inclusive, supportive community, since UWC selects students for character, compassion, and potential rather than family wealth; genuine engagement with global issues, as students take on projects that matter to their own communities; holistic learning through action, where the IBDP pairs academic rigor with service, physical activity, and personal projects; real cultural understanding, built by living alongside dozens of nationalities and backgrounds; and a globally respected qualification that has helped Jusoor-UWC alumni secure funded seats at some of the most competitive universities on earth.
Our Impact, From Bosnia to Oxford
Since 2016, we have funded 26 Jusoor-UWC International Baccalaureate scholarships, sending Syrian students to UWC schools in countries including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, India, Italy, and Tanzania. 90 percent of our UWC alumni go on to receive scholarships for university degrees, several at globally prestigious institutions.
Ibrahim Alkaseer, a Jusoor-UWC Mahindra alumnus, won a full undergraduate scholarship at the University of Richmond in the United States, then went on to win the Rhodes Scholarship to pursue his master's degree at Oxford University. Raheem Kaddour, another Jusoor-UWC Mahindra alumnus, secured a full scholarship to study at the College of the Atlantic. Nawara Alaboud, a graduate of Woodstock School, received a full PISEC Scholarship to study Ethics and Politics at Bard College Berlin, then also won a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford.
Tala Khodre, an IB Scholar from the class of 2025 who studied at UWC Pearson College in Canada, described her UWC experience as transformative, one that went far beyond her expectations, and spoke of friendships from around the globe and a community she called precious. Scholars like Tala remain part of our Scholars and Alumni community long after graduation.
These outcomes reflect a system-level need. According to UNICEF, more than 7,000 schools in Syria have been damaged or destroyed by the conflict, and close to two million children remain out of school, while the World Bank estimates Syria's reconstruction costs between 2011 and 2024 at $216 billion. Scholarships like this one do not solve that crisis alone, but they ensure that talent, rather than circumstance, determines who gets to study.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Jusoor-UWC International Baccalaureate Scholarship?
It is a partial scholarship we have provided since 2016, with United World Colleges (UWC) and the UWC Syria National Committee, to fund high-achieving, low-income Syrian students through the two-year IBDP at UWC schools worldwide.
What is the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP)?
The IBDP is a rigorous two-year pre-university curriculum offered at UWC schools and other IB World Schools globally. It combines academic study with community service, creativity, and physical activity, and it is widely recognized by universities worldwide.
How much funding does the Jusoor-UWC scholarship provide?
We provide partial grants of up to $10,000 across the two years of the IBDP to cover travel, some living costs, clothing, stationery, university application fees, legal paperwork, and standardized testing. UWC itself covers full tuition, room and board, and pastoral care.
Who is eligible to apply for a Jusoor-UWC scholarship?
The scholarship is open to high-achieving, low-income Syrian and Syrian-Palestinian students selected through the UWC Syria National Committee, once they secure a place and a full funding offer from a UWC school.
How many UWC schools are there, and where are they located?
UWC operates 18 schools and colleges across four continents, admitting students from over 155 countries. Our scholars have attended UWC schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, India, Italy, and Tanzania.
How can I apply for a Jusoor-UWC scholarship?
Students should first apply to UWC through the UWC Syria National Committee. Once accepted with a full funding offer, they can apply to us for supplementary support. Visit our Scholarships page for current openings, or contact scholarships@jusoor.ngo with questions.
Conclusion
An admission letter is only the beginning of the story. For the Syrian students we support through the Jusoor-UWC International Baccalaureate Scholarship, it is the moment a global education, and everything that follows it, from Oxford to careers built on leadership and service, finally becomes possible.
To learn more about us, visit our About page, or explore our full Scholarships Program. If you know a talented Syrian student who might be a strong candidate for UWC, or would like to help us fund the next cohort of Jusoor-UWC scholars, donate at jusoor.ngo today.
