Objectif 1: No Poverty

UCA actively implements initiatives to combat poverty, focusing on admission, retention, and empowerment of students from low-income backgrounds, as well as broader community support. 

Here is UCA in action :

1-Targeted Admissions for Low-Income Students: 

At Cadi Ayyad University, talent should never be blocked by money.

ONOUSC (National Office of University, Social and Cultural Affairs) grants university scholarships to Moroccan students in order to support their academic journey. These scholarships aim to promote access to higher education and reduce the financial burden on deserving students. It is essential for every student to know the eligibility criteria and the procedure required to obtain this support.

Eligibility Conditions

To be eligible for a university scholarship, the student must meet the following requirements:

• Be of Moroccan nationality.
• Be under 26 years old at the time of the baccalaureate examination (normal session).
• Have obtained the baccalaureate in the current year.
• Be registered in the National Population Registry (RNP) via the official website www.rnp.ma.
• Be registered in the Unified Social Registry (RSU) via the website www.rsu.ma. Meet the merit threshold set by the national scholarship commission.
• Be enrolled in a public higher education institution or a vocational training center.

That’s why we set a bold annual target: significantly increase the number of students from the poorest 20 % of Moroccan households by giving them priority access to full ONOUSC government scholarships.

Scholarship Application Procedure : 

Scholarship applications must be submitted exclusively online through the dedicated platform: www.minhaty.ma.

There are two possible registration methods:

• Through the National Population Registry (RNP).
• Through the National Identity Card (CIN), with registration via the RNP being the preferred option.

What does this mean in real life?

A deserving student from a low-income family can receive up to:

•  6,333 MAD/year in Bachelor’s
•  7,333 MAD/year in Master’s
• 12,189 MAD (one-time grant) in PhD

These are not just numbers — they are bus tickets home, rent money, textbooks, and the difference between dropping out after high school… and becoming the first engineer, researcher, or doctor in the family.

100 % online application (www.minhaty.ma)

Eligibility based on merit + official registration in the Unified Social Registry (RSU)

Dedicated support for any issue (transfers, special needs, appeals…)

Learn More: https://www.uca.ma/fr/page/bourses-universitaires

2-A Real Meal, Every Day, Everywhere on Campus :

Every faculty and school under the Cadi Ayyad umbrella has its own on-site university restaurant or “buvette” where you can eat properly at symbolic prices:

• Prices start from just 1.40 DH (less than €0.15)
• Open daily except Sunday – just show your student card or meal ticket.

Furthermore, Inside every single faculty: a dedicated “buvette” offering sandwiches, hot dishes, drinks and snacks at ultra-low student prices, right next to your lecture halls

Whether you’re at the Faculty of Science, Law, Medicine, Polydisciplinary in Safi or any of our 16 schools across Marrakech and the region – your affordable restaurant is literally inside your building.

Learn More: https://www.uca.ma/fr/page/restauration-universit

3-CEIRS Steps In When Things Get Tough :

Some students need someone who will listen to them and help them right now, not just a scholarship

The CEIRS Social Support Unit does just that.

Students from the lowest-income families who are at risk of dropping out can get quick, private assistance from UCA through its “Appui Social & Actions Humanitaires” cells:

• Financial assistance for emergencies (rent, food, books, medical expenses, etc.)
• Solutions for temporary housing
• Individualised advice on administrative, transportation, health, and grant matters
• Individualised guidance to ensure you’re never alone

Everything is done in complete secrecy.

With the help of Zineb Chaquiq El Badre and her team, you speak with actual people who understand your predicament and act quickly.

Learn More: https://ceirs.uca.ma/fr/detailCGestion/11

4-Opportunity Is Unstoppable by Boundaries: Global Scholarships for You :

Imagine being able to study for nothing in Tokyo, Dakar, Paris, or Seoul.  your talent will get you there without any tuition or visa issues.

Through international collaborations, UCA makes it a reality by opening up grants and scholarships for students from low- and lower-middle-income nations, including Morocco, and beyond.  In order to promote equity internationally, we are discussing full-ride opportunities in bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and specialised programmes.

Highlights of a few innovators:

• The full bachelor’s degree in South Korea offered by the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS-U 2025) includes tuition, study materials for the Korean language, a monthly stipend, airfare, housing, and health insurance.  Less than 25?  A Moroccan national who excels in academia?  you’re in.  (The 2025 deadline has passed, but the 2026 calls will open soon!)
• French Master’s and PhD funding up to €1,181–€1,800/month + extras is available through Eiffel Excellence 2025.  focuses on top international talent from developing nations; if you’re under 27 and interested in elite programmes, this is the place for you.  Apply by January 2025 through French universities.
• Senegal Exchange 2024–2025: 150 fully funded spots in medicine, engineering, and pharmacy for recent Moroccan bachelor’s degree graduates (average 12/20+).  Study for free in Thiès or Dakar.  (Apps are closed; keep an eye out for renewals.)

Under the direction of our international office, UCA assists you in navigating these doors, which are not dreams.

Learn More: https://www.uca.ma/fr/page/bourses-internationales

5-Community Assistance for Sustainable Businesses : 

Poverty is more than just empty pockets; it also includes untreated illnesses that prevent families from improving their quality of life.

By combining free healthcare with economic empowerment and starting long-lasting community projects, UCA changes the game.  We turn checkups into launching pads for small, sustainable businesses (think health co-ops or eco-friendly services) by providing on-site health services and teaching skills in resource management, business fundamentals, and social entrepreneurship through CEIRS-led initiatives like our Multidisciplinary Medical Caravans.

For instance, on Saturday, May 24, 2025, the Multidisciplinary Medical Caravan was held at the Faculty of Letters and Humanities in Marrakech with great success.  All students were invited to the event, which began at 9:00 AM and offered free medical consultations and specialised evaluations.  The programme was well received and improved the health and wellbeing of the student body.

This is not an isolated incident:  Numerous low-income families have already benefited from this comprehensive support in the form of income-generating projects linked to health awareness.

Learn More: https://www.uca.ma/en/news/a-multidisciplinary-medical-caravan-for-sustainable-university-health-at-cadi-ayyad-university

6-Poverty is fought by every drop of blood :

People in good health can work, learn, and help their families escape poverty.

Because of this, every single year, UCA turns all its campuses into life-saving stations through the Annual Blood Donation Campaign – a full-year program that never stops.

Blood Donation Campaign for 2025–2026 officially opened by CEIRS and the Marrakech Regional Blood Transfusion Centre on October 1st, 2025, at the University Presidency.

Since then, the campaign has been going on all year long in each of our 16 faculties and schools. It is run by student clubs helping with the logistics and offering support all along the way.

Each bag of blood is donated directly to low-income patients, such as mothers who are having a difficult time giving birth, children who are battling thalassemia, or accident victims, whose families are unable to cover the costs of private clinics and so on.

This annual programme seeks to inspire university employees and students to support the local healthcare system and save lives by getting involved in this admirable cause.

Learn More: https://ceirs.uca.ma/fr/event/43

7-Developing National Policy to Ensure That No One Is Left Behind, Particularly Our Elders :

One of Morocco’s silent crises is elderly poverty!

UCA will not remain silent.

Our experts joined the high-level CESE (Economic, Social and Environmental Council) restitution workshop in Rabat on October 1st, 2025, to present and discuss the 2024 annual report, “Socio-economic integration of the elderly in Morocco – Preparing for rapid demographic ageing.” This is why we are seated at the national table.

We didn’t merely show up.  To help transform recommendations into effective anti-poverty policies, we brought data, research, and tangible proposals from our faculties of economics, law, medicine, and social sciences. These included improved pensions, community care models, lifelong learning for seniors, and income-generating activities for those over 60.

Because when national policy changes, millions of older Moroccans – today’s grandparents living on less than 1,000 DH a month – finally get dignity and financial security.

Learn More: https://www.uca.ma/fr/news/luniversite-cadi-ayyad-prend-part-a-latelier-de-restitution-du-cese-sur-lintegration-socio-economique-des-personnes-agees

8-Iftar Taleb – When the Call to Prayer Sounds, No Student Eats Alone :

Families are gathered around hot tables filled with harira, dates, and laughter as the streets of Marrakech are deserted while hundreds of UCA students remain in rented rooms or quiet dorms, they are far from their home, and the comfort of a Ramadan table around their families

For many, the decision is straightforward and harsh: either pay the rent or the bus ticket home. 

That’s where Iftar Taleb steps in every single night of Ramadan.

Led by student volunteers, CEIRS and faculty clubs, we deliver a hot, complete iftar meal every evening + food baskets to the most vulnerable students throughout the entire holy month. 

This year (Ramadan 1446 / 2025) registrations will open soon – same energy, same solidarity, even more students supported.

Learn More: https://ceirs.uca.ma/fr/event/22

Ending poverty is not a goal at Cadi Ayyad. We do it every single day!