More than 1,400 talented young people from 95 nationalities across every inhabited continent have applied to this year's Nsouli Scholars Programme, Inspired Education's fully funded global scholarship initiative designed to provide life-changing educational opportunities to exceptional pupils who may otherwise be unable to access them.
Founded in 2024 by Nadim M. Nsouli, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Inspired Education, the Nsouli Scholars Programme provides fully funded places to exceptional young people who demonstrate outstanding academic ability, leadership potential and excellence in sport or the arts, alongside financial need.
Inspired Education is the leading global group of premium schools, educating more than 95,000 pupils across 125 schools on six continents. Through the programme, scholars gain access to a world-class education, outstanding facilities and a global community that nurtures academic excellence, creativity, sporting achievement and leadership.
Demand for the programme has grown significantly since its launch. Applications have increased from 315 in the inaugural year to 1,428 this year - a rise of 353% in just three years.
The strongest growth has come from Sub-Saharan Africa, where applications have increased by 574% since the programme launched, rising from 128 applicants in the first year to 863 this year. The region now accounts for 60% of all applications received. Applications from the Middle East and North Africa have also more than tripled over the same period.
The figures underline the scale of global demand for educational opportunity among high-potential young people whose ambitions are too often limited by financial circumstance.
The 2026/27 cohort includes scholars from Indonesia, Peru, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, India and Belgium, alongside four scholars from Palestine who have been selected through the programme's humanitarian access pathway.
The scholars will attend Inspired schools across Africa, Europe and Asia, including Brookhouse Schools in Kenya, Knowledge Gate International School in Oman, St John's International School in Belgium, Reddford House in South Africa and King’s College Alicante in Spain. As members of the Inspired community, they will benefit from exceptional teaching, specialist facilities and opportunities designed to help them fulfil their potential and pursue opportunities that can shape their future.
Commenting on the programme's growth, Nadim M. Nsouli, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Inspired Education, said:
"The growth of the Nsouli Scholars Programme over the past three years demonstrates both the extraordinary talent that exists across the world and the responsibility we have to help ensure that opportunity is not limited by financial circumstance.
"We have seen increasing numbers of applications from Africa and the Middle East, where ambitious young people are seeking opportunities to fulfil their potential and make a positive contribution to their communities. The remarkable growth in applications reflects the aspirations of young people and families who recognise the transformative power of education.
"The twelve scholars joining us in the next academic year have shown exceptional talent, determination and promise. We are proud to welcome them into the Inspired community and look forward to supporting them as they pursue their ambitions and develop into the next generation of leaders, innovators and changemakers."
The programme forms part of Inspired's wider commitment to expanding access to education and opportunity. Today, more than 2,500 pupils benefit from scholarships and bursaries across Inspired schools worldwide.
Since its launch in 2024, the Nsouli Scholars Programme has received 2,452 applications from 95 nationalities and has become one of the most competitive international scholarship initiatives in global education. The programme continues to identify and support talented young people from around the world, helping to ensure that ability, ambition and leadership potential - rather than financial circumstance - determine the opportunities available to them.
