UK reopens key scholarship for Afghan students after months of pressure
Return of Chevening scheme marks first time students inside Afghanistan have been eligible to apply since Taliban returned to power
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The UK has reopened a key scholarship programme for Afghan students to study at some of Britain’s top universities following an outcry over its apparent suspension, as first reported by Hyphen in August.
It represents a significant victory for alumni of the Chevening scholarship, who had campaigned for its reinstatement for months, gaining the support of former Tory international development secretary Rory Stewart and former Commons defence select committee chair Tobias Ellwood. One former Chevening student, Naimat Zafary, who fled Afghanistan when the Taliban returned to power in 2021, hailed the “tireless work of Chevening alumni, media outlets and advocates”, which “played a crucial role in bringing this issue to the forefront and ensuring the voices of Afghan students were heard”.
The scheme, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), has run for 41 years and is intended to attract “future leaders, influencers, and decision-makers” from more than 160 countries. Its website boasts that its 60,000 alumni include current and former heads of state.
It had been one of the few routes through which Afghan students could access higher education in the UK — particularly women and girls, who have been excluded from state education beyond the age of 11 under the Taliban’s rule since 2021.
Applications for the scheme’s 2025 intake opened to other countries on 6 August, but the portal for Afghan students remained closed, reading only: “Applications for the 2025/2026 academic year are currently closed. Eligibility for this year’s programme is still under review. Please monitor this page for updates.”
At the time, the Conservative government refused to comment on the scheme’s status despite pressure from alumni. Since August, the group has sent multiple enquiries to the FCDO, including one letter signed by more than 50 former students urging them to reopen the scheme. Brighton Pavilion MP Sian Berry also tabled a written parliamentary question about the scheme, which went unanswered.
But on Thursday, the FCDO announced in a post on X: “Important update about Chevening in Afghanistan: We’re pleased to announce that applications for 2025-26 awards are now open.”
Students now have until 2 January 2025 to apply.
This is not the first time the programme has been paused for Afghan students. After the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, those due to begin their studies that September were told their places would have to be deferred. In response, they took their plight to the media, and the decision was overturned by then prime minister Boris Johnson.
The Chevening in Afghanistan portal was then closed to new applicants until the following year. When it resumed, the scholarships were open only to those living outside Afghanistan in eligible third countries.
Following this year’s pause, however, the scheme is again open to Afghan citizens living in Afghanistan — the first time students inside the country have been eligible to apply since Britain withdrew from the country and the Taliban took control.
The news has been welcomed by members of the UK’s Afghan community. “It is a recognition of the potential of Afghan students and a commitment to their future,” said Zafary, part of the 2021-22 cohort, who was evacuated from Afghanistan in August 2021 following Johnson’s intervention. Zafary is currently studying for a PhD at the University of Sussex.
To date, the alumni network said, the scheme has helped more than 360 Afghans pursue postgraduate studies in the UK in subjects including politics, gender and public policy.
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