OCP Foundation Scholarships in Morocco for Science and Agriculture Students

What OCP Foundation funds

OCP Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Morocco's phosphate and fertiliser group OCP, funds Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) and other schools inside and outside Morocco through two main scholarship tracks. Its need-based FIRSI programme alone grants scholarships to more than 3,300 students, almost half of whom are women, according to Morocco World News ; the merit-based Excellence track is a separate scholarship population with its own headline count. OCP founded UM6P as a research-focused university built around agritech, biosciences, mining sciences and sustainability, reflecting the parent group's own industry.

Excellence scholarships

UM6P's Excellence scholarships are merit-based, awarded according to your entrance examination results, and are designed to cover all or part of your tuition fees for the full length of your studies. These target strong students entering engineering, science and agriculture-related programmes, rewarding the highest-performing applicants regardless of household income.

Social scholarships and FIRSI for African students

Alongside Excellence scholarships, UM6P runs Social scholarships, known as FIRSI, aimed at students from underserved, low-income households who need broader financial support to attend. OCP Foundation created the Ibn Rochd Foundation for Science and Innovation (FIRSI) in 2020 specifically to support young talent from across Africa, not only Morocco, giving FIRSI beneficiaries financial support, academic guidance throughout their studies, and access to seminars and mentoring, per OCP Group's education page . This makes FIRSI one of the more accessible funded routes into a Moroccan research university for students from other African countries.

Fields and programmes covered

UM6P's academic offering centers on agricultural sciences, engineering, mining and earth sciences, data science and business, matching OCP's own industrial base in phosphate mining and fertiliser production. Scholarship students from underserved households, Moroccan and from other African countries, are prioritised for affordable access to these programmes, since the foundation's stated goal is building applied science and engineering talent for the region rather than funding any subject.

How to apply

1. Apply for admission to your chosen UM6P programme first, since scholarship consideration follows from your admission and entrance exam performance.

2. Indicate your need for financial support during the admissions process if you are applying for a Social scholarship or FIRSI rather than the merit-based Excellence track.

3. Submit any required supporting documents on household income or personal circumstances that the Social scholarship track asks for, alongside your standard admission documents.

4. Check UM6P and OCP Foundation's own admissions pages each year for the current application calendar, since intake cycles and required documents can change.

Why this scholarship route stands out

Most Moroccan and other African students who want a funded science or engineering degree look outside the continent for scholarships. OCP Foundation's model does the opposite: it builds and funds a research university inside Morocco, then uses scholarships to make it accessible to students who could not otherwise afford it, keeping talented students in the region while giving them a research-university education comparable to programmes abroad.