A GROUP of students in Gaza have appealed to the University of Glasgow not to "deprive us of our dreams" after securing unconditional offers to study in Scotland but being left without a way to take up their places.
The 16 students – who are calling on the institution to provide fully funded places – have all met the university's academic and English language requirements, yet say the cost of tuition, travel and living expenses means the offers remain out of reach.
With a deadline of August 15 to secure funding, the group fears time may run out, depriving them of the opportunity to begin a new chapter of their lives in Scotland.
One of the students is 20-year-old Abed Al Fattah Miqdad, who has received an unconditional offer to study Computing Science and Business Management at the University of Glasgow.
Speaking to The National from Gaza City, Al Fattah Miqdad said receiving his offer felt like "a path out" after nearly three years of onslaught.
"I was so happy," he said.
"I thought it would change my entire future – not just my future, but the future of my community."
But that hope quickly gave way to uncertainty when it became clear he could not afford to accept the place.
"Instead of being a big dream, it turned into a nightmare," he said.
"I feel like everything has stopped again."
Al Fattah Miqdad began studying Business Administration at Al-Azhar University shortly before the genocide. Within weeks, his family had fled their home.
Since then, he says he has been displaced more than 16 times, lost both family homes and watched the businesses his family relied on be destroyed.
Last year, a United Nations (UN) inquiry determined that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.
Despite the ongoing genocide, he continued studying online from tents and temporary shelters, often walking for more than an hour to find electricity and an internet connection.
He completed 65 university credits with an overall average of 89% – achievements that helped him secure his unconditional offer from Glasgow.
Al Fattah Miqdad said studying in Scotland would allow him to return to Gaza equipped to help rebuild his community.
"I want to come back to Palestine and rebuild everything we have lost," he said.
"Not only the buildings and the infrastructure, but the businesses too. I want to help young people rebuild their futures."
Siham Alhinnawi is also among the 16 students, receiving an unconditional offer to study neuroscience.
She and Al Fattah Miqdad have helped coordinate a social media campaign, bringing together students from across Gaza who have all secured places at the University of Glasgow but now face the same obstacle: securing enough funding to allow them to move to Scotland.
Collectively, the students have continued their education despite repeated displacement, the destruction of their universities and years of conflict. Many have studied from tents and temporary shelters, relying on intermittent electricity and internet access to attend online classes and complete assessments.
The group is being supported by Holly Dore, a higher education worker in the UK who first met students in Gaza through volunteer English-language conversation groups before helping them campaign for funding.
She has written to several senior figures at the university, including principal and vice-chancellor Professor Andy Schofield and rector Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah, urging the institution to establish fully funded places for the Gazan students. She said she had yet to receive a response from those she contacted.
Dore said the students had "done everything that has been asked of them".
"These are not typical applicants facing typical barriers," she said.
"They are young people whose lives have been shaped by war, displacement and loss.
"Many have seen their homes destroyed, lost loved ones, endured repeated displacement, and experienced profound disruption to every aspect of their education.
"Their university has been destroyed entirely. Yet despite these circumstances, they have remained committed to their studies, often continuing their education online while living under constant uncertainty and danger."
Dore added: "They have done everything that has been asked of them. They have achieved exceptional academic results. They have earned their places."
Al Fattah Miqdad said he understood universities faced financial pressures but hoped Glasgow could do more to support students who had already proved themselves academically.
"I lost my job, I lost my home, friends and family members. But I didn't lose my hope yet," he said.
"The only thing we have right now is our dreams. Please don't deprive us of our dreams."
A University of Glasgow spokesperson said: "As a University of Sanctuary, we are committed to ensuring that anyone from anywhere in the world with the drive, determination and ambition to pursue a degree has the opportunity to do so.
"We welcome the UK Government's decision to extend the Gaza Evacuation Scheme for 2026–27 and will continue to work with government and relevant agencies to support implementation of the scheme and the evacuation of those who meet the eligibility criteria."
The UK Government has been approached for comment.
