Ali Tareen has announced the launch of the Tareen Oxford Scholarship, a new funding initiative aimed at helping students from South Punjab pursue a Master’s degree at the University of Oxford.
In his announcement, Tareen said the scholarship will cover the full tuition fee for selected students from the region and noted that applications from South Punjab remain low.
He also announced a guidance webinar on January 14 (with the Oxford Pakistan Programme) to answer questions and walk students through the process.
Oxford changed everything for me. Now, I want it to do the same for you.
The Tareen Oxford Scholarship is here to fund your journey. We pay the entire tuition fee for students from South Punjab to do their Masters at Oxford. 👩🎓
But not enough people are applying from our… pic.twitter.com/vb9ol6cpR0
— Ali Khan Tareen (@aliktareen) January 12, 2026
About The Tareen Oxford Scholarship
The scholarship has been launched under the Oxford Pakistan Programme (OPP) as means-tested funding for Pakistani students, with a preference for talented candidates from South Punjab.
It is intended for applicants who already hold an admission offer for one of the eligible graduate courses at Kellogg College but lack the financial means to take up the offer. The programme will contribute toward tuition fees and living costs, and preference will be given to applicants for whom the award would be life-changing and who show the potential and commitment to contribute to the development of South Punjab.
The scholarship is backed by Ali Tareen, an alumnus of Kellogg College, and is being set up as a five-year programme, with funds donated annually and disbursed on a rolling basis. The initiative is part of OPP’s wider graduate scholarship effort, which supports Pakistani and British Pakistani students at Oxford.
To increase applications from South Punjab, OPP and Ali Tareen will also run a dedicated access effort. This includes an Access Conference for final-year students from South Punjab applying for graduate degrees abroad (including Master’s and PhD tracks), where the top 20 attendees will receive free one-on-one mentorship from an Oxford student or recent alumnus.
A second track will select 100 high-performing students from South Punjab (FSc toppers and first-year toppers from public-sector universities) for mentorship and guidance on planning the next 3–4 years and building competitive profiles for top global opportunities.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants should be prepared for these core requirements:
- South Punjab-focused preference, with selection based on merit and financial need (means-tested)
- 100 high-performing students from South Punjab, FSc and first-year toppers from public-sector universities will be selected.
- An admission offer for an eligible graduate course at Kellogg College
- A clear case for why the scholarship is financially necessary
- Demonstrated intent and potential to contribute to South Punjab’s development
How to Apply
Applicants will typically need to follow a two-step route: first, secure an Oxford admission offer for an eligible graduate programme, and then apply through the scholarship process run under OPP.
The selection process for OPP scholarships includes an online application, shortlisting, and an online interview before final decisions.
Registration
To register, students need to fill in the webinar form with basic details, including full name, email, education level (completed/current), intended Oxford graduate track (Master’s/DPhil), field of study, current/most recent institution, and region of residence (including a South Punjab option).
