Charity educational mission
As per its constitution, approved by the UK Charity Commission, the Yesai and Maria Mazmanian Foundation (YMMF) provides scholarships to students of Greek Cypriot and of Armenian heritage.
While we hope to include students of additional backgrounds in the future, our limited funds given our status as a new charity means that we need to initially start with this limited scope.
YMMF’s university eligibility criteria for scholarship qualifying universities is based on the YMMF European University Ranking.
Yesai and Maria Mazmanian Foundation Administered Scholarships - Bachelor’s Degrees
English University Bachelor’s Scholarships
The Bachelor’s Scholarship is available for exceptional Armenian and Cypriot students accepted at one of the top eight English Universities based on the YMMF European University Ranking.
Top 5 English Universities: The applicants are eligible to apply for any three-year bachelor degrees (exception medical degrees). These are at the:
- University of Oxford
- University of Cambridge
- Imperial College London
- London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
- University College London (UCL)
Top 6-8 English Universities: The applicants are eligible to apply to specific bachelor’s degree courses considered as some of the best in their area in the world (only eligible for Armenian students). These are:
- University of Warwick: Mathematics, Computer Science, Economics, MORSE, PPE
- King’s College London (KCL): Law
- University of Bristol: Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering
In some cases, other relevant courses may be considered. Only three-year long courses are considered, but four-year long courses may be considered if it includes a year in the industry or a year abroad. Successful scholars are invited to join the YMMF Program which includes a scholarship.
Note: The charity specifically makes reference to English Universities and not UK Universities as it does not include Scottish Universities like Edinburgh and St Andrews that might otherwise have been included. This is as most Scottish bachelor degrees are four-year long and the Foundation strongly supports three-year bachelor education where possible especially given the high yearly costs.
Why: This scholarship has been established to provide the most talented young 18-year-old Armenian and Cypriot students the opportunity to develop academically at some of the best Universities in the world, mature and develop culturally living abroad and provide them with the ability to focus on key subjects that can be transformational for the two countries. Simultaneously, it aims to connect these talented young students.
European University Bachelor’s Scholarships
The Scholarship is available for exceptional Armenian and Cypriot students studying Bachelor’s at one of the Top 12 European Universities as per the YMMF European University Ranking. When excluding the English Universities already included, these consist of seven Universities. Please find these below along with English taught course we would recommend from these Universities:
- ETH Zurich
- Technical University of Munich – Aerospace, Chemical Engineering, Electronics and Data Engineering, Management & Technology
- PSL University – AI (Paris), Economics & Management (London)
- EPFL
- LMU
- Delft University of Technology – Aerospace, Computer Science & Engineering, Earth, Climate & Technology, Nanobiology
- Institute Polytechnique de Paris – Physics & Mathematics, Computer Science & Mathematics, Economics & Mathematics
Please note that to our knowledge ETH Zurich, EPFL and LMU do not offer Bachelor courses fully taught in English although please conduct your own research as this could change. Also, please note that YMMF also considers applications to these universities for Bachelor’s courses not taught in English.
Why: This scholarship has been established to provide the most talented young 18 year old Armenian and Cypriot students the opportunity to develop academically at some of the best Universities in the world, mature and develop culturally living abroad and provide them with the ability to focus on key subjects that can be transformational for the two countries. Simultaneously, it aims to connect these talented young students.
Successful scholars are invited to join the YMMF Program which includes a scholarship.
Exceptional Armenian Students in Need Scholarships
The Scholarship is designed for exceptional Armenian students who have not been accepted at one of the top 12 European Universities but at a different European University included in the YMMF Rankings and have received a scholarship of 75% or above by the University.
Conditions:
- While any University can be considered, the University must ideally be in the top 100 of the YMMF European Rankings or in the Top 50 of the YMMF Small Medium University Rankings
- The University must not be in the applicants country of residence
- The 75% scholarship cannot be from other organisations but from the University or a University affiliated organisation
Why: This scholarship aims to reward exceptional students who cannot afford to go to the very best universities even though in many cases they are good enough and are offered scholarships to join other universities instead.
Olympiad Scholarships
The Scholarship is available for exceptional Armenian and Cypriot students who have received a global Olympiad award and have been accepted at one of the top 25 Universities on the YMMF European University Ranking. Successful scholars are invited to join the YMMF Program which includes a scholarship.
Yesai and Maria Mazmanian Foundation Administered Scholarships – Master’s Degrees
STEM Research Specialised Master’s Scholarships
The Scholarship is available for exceptional Armenian students accepted to student a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) at the top three UK Universities based on the YMMF European University Ranking, that have also been known to be the strongest in STEM subjects.
Pre-requisites:
- Students interested in progressing to a PhD and research
- Accepted at one of the three top UK STEM Universities:
- University of Cambridge
- University of Oxford
- Imperial College London
Successful scholars are invited to join the YMMF Program which includes a scholarship.
Why: The Foundation wants to improve the capabilities of Armenia in STEM Research and high education teaching in Armenia. The Foundation hopes that these students will be able to support research in Armenia and also teach the next generation of exceptional talents.
English University Master’s Scholarships
The Scholarship is available for exceptional Armenian and Cypriot students accepted at one of the top five English Universities based on the YMMF European University Ranking. These are the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Imperial College and University College London (UCL). Successful scholars are invited to join the YMMF Program which includes a scholarship.
European Master’s University Scholarships
The Scholarship is available for exceptional Armenian and Cypriot students studying Master’s at one of the top 10 European Universities according to the YMMF European University Ranking. These include:
- ETH Zurich
- Technical University of Munich
- PSL University
- EPFL
- LMU
Successful scholars are invited to join the YMMF Program which includes a scholarship.
Armenian Art and Design University Scholarships
Given YMMF’s ambition to support Armenian Culture and Art, the Foundation has decided to establish a scholarship for upcoming Armenian Artists, Curators and Designers. The Scholarship is available for one exceptional Armenian Master’s and PhD students accepted at one of the universities included in the YMMF Arts and Design University Ranking. Successful scholars are invited to join the YMMF Program which includes a scholarship.
Internal YMMF Scholarships
Sona Mnatsakanyan Scholarship
The Sona Mnatsakanyan scholarship was established in 2024 in honour of Sona Mnatsakanyan, a close friend of the Charity who tragically most her life in April 2022. The Scholarship is awarded as an additional grant to one existing YMMF Scholars every year. All female YMMF Scholars are automatically eligible for consideration for this award.
STEM Scholarship
The STEM Scholarship was established in 2024 to support one STEM student a year. The Scholarship is awarded as an additional grant to one existing YMMF Scholars every year. All STEM YMMF Scholars are automatically eligible for consideration for this award.
Yesai and Maria Mazmanian Foundation Scholarships Administered by Third Parties – Bachelor’s Degrees
University of Chichester STEM Bachelor’s Scholarship
The £6,500 scholarship is open to Armenian nationals assessed by the University of Chichester to be overseas fee-payers, who are domiciled in Armenia, and who are admitted to one of the following University of Chichester undergraduate programmes commencing September 2026.
- BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering
- BSc (Hons) Computer Science
- BA (Hons) Games Design and Development
- BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science
More information can be found on the University of Chichester website YMMF Chichester Scholarship. This scholarship is administered by the University of Chichester.
American University of Armenia (AUA) Bachelor’s Scholarship
A Yesai and Maria Mazmanian Scholarship has been established at AUA for five students per year originating from either the Artsakh or Gyumri regions with GPAs above 3.6. Students for this scholarship will be directly approached and considered by AUA.
YMMF Program
Successful scholars are invited to join the YMMF Program. The YMMF Program is usually offered to 4-5 students a year. This includes a scholarship from €500 to £2,000 per annum, a dedicated senior mentor for the student, support in identifying opportunities for additional financial aid, job opportunities and a network of exceptional individuals.
Application Process
Applications for the 2025-2026 academic year are now closed.
Click here to see the students that are or have been a part of the YMMF Program in the part.
Disclaimer: The Foundation Trustees retain the right to provide scholarships to students accepted at other UK or international universities as they deem appropriate.