A Cypriot educator with three master’s degrees has lost his place at the University of Oxford after failing to secure financial support to cover tuition fees. According to the student, applications to public bodies and scholarship institutions did not lead to assistance, primarily because he already held postgraduate qualifications.
Academic path and early studies
Christos Papakyriakou began his studies while working in various jobs to cover tuition fees and living expenses. He first obtained a bachelor’s degree in primary education from the University of Nicosia, before continuing his postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom.
Between 2007 and 2009, Papakyriakou served in the Special Forces as a sergeant. From 2009 to 2014, he completed his undergraduate studies in primary education at the University of Nicosia, with tuition fees amounting to €40,000. He managed to repay the cost through employment and support from his parents.
Postgraduate studies and academic distinctions
From 2017 to 2019, he completed his first master’s degree at the University of Cyprus in Religious Education. He received a 50 per cent tuition scholarship, with the remaining cost amounting to €2,500. His final grade was 9.83 out of 10, ranking first among 390 graduates that academic year.
Between 2021 and 2025, Papakyriakou continued his studies at the University of Birmingham, completing a master’s degree in the education of people with hearing loss. He described the programme as demanding, time-consuming and costly, noting that there are currently only 25 teachers of the deaf in Cyprus.
He graduated with a Distinction, the highest classification awarded at master’s level in the United Kingdom. Tuition fees for the programme amounted to €24,000. To meet these costs, he mortgaged property inherited from his father in the occupied village of Agios Vasileios in order to secure a loan from the Housing Finance Corporation.
During the period 2022 to 2024, he also completed a further master’s degree at the University of Cyprus in Learning in the Natural Sciences. The tuition cost was €5,000, with a final grade of 9.30 out of 10, ranking 22nd among 459 graduates.
Employment alongside studies
Throughout his academic journey, Papakyriakou worked continuously to cover tuition fees and living expenses. He is employed as a substitute teacher and, over the past four years, has worked in more than 100 primary schools across all districts of Cyprus.
He noted that, as a substitute teacher, he does not receive income during the summer months or during Easter and Christmas holidays.
Acceptance to the University of Oxford
In January 2025, Papakyriakou was accepted to the University of Oxford following what he described as a highly demanding selection process. He was offered a place on the MSc Educational Assessment programme.
According to his own research, most master’s programmes at Oxford last nine months, with tuition fees for European citizens amounting to approximately €40,000, in addition to accommodation costs of around €2,300 per month, totalling approximately €21,000.
He opted for the MSc Educational Assessment because it is one of the few Oxford programmes offered over two years on a part-time basis and is delivered almost entirely through distance learning, reducing accommodation expenses.
Scholarship applications and lack of response
Following his acceptance, Papakyriakou submitted applications for financial support to multiple institutions, including the State Scholarships Foundation of Cyprus, the Onassis Foundation, the Leventis Foundation, the Charalambos and Eleni Pattichis Foundation and the Alkionides Charitable Association.
He stated that he did not receive support, as the programme is delivered on a part-time and distance-learning basis, and that no official body or organisation offers scholarships for such programmes. He also noted that the education sector offers significantly fewer funding opportunities compared with other fields such as engineering, medicine, technology and information technology.
Despite submitting his curriculum vitae, academic distinctions and qualifications, and expressing willingness to offer voluntary services where required, Papakyriakou was required to demonstrate that he had €40,000 available in order to secure his place at Oxford.
As no funding was secured, he did not receive confirmation from any institution and missed the deadline to respond to the university by May.
Position of public bodies and the student’s complaint
According to Papakyriakou, the response he received from the State Scholarships Foundation of Cyprus and the Social Welfare Support Agency during a final telephone contact was that he already held a master’s degree and was therefore not eligible for further assistance.
He described the situation as disappointing, noting that while numerous bodies exist to support students, there is limited assistance for such opportunities for academic advancement. He stated that he chose to make his case public through Politis in the hope that similar cases might be identified and collective action encouraged.
Source: Politis newspaper