Aseel graduated from Al-Israa University with an 88.31 GPA, a strong academic achievement earned despite years of instability, disruption, and hardship in Gaza.

But after completing her degree, Aseel faced a barrier that many students in Gaza know too well. Without access to her physical graduation certificate, she could not apply for a master’s degree or move forward with the next stage of her education.

Through HEAL Palestine’s Certificate Release Grant, implemented in partnership with Reach Education Fund, that changed.

The program helps graduates access their official certificates by covering outstanding university-related fees that prevent students from receiving their documents. For students like Aseel, this support is not only administrative. It opens the door to higher education, professional growth, and the ability to rebuild a future shaped by achievement rather than restriction.

With her certificate released, Aseel was able to apply for graduate studies and has since been accepted to Goldsmiths, University of London, where she will pursue an MSc in Management of Innovation.

Aseel’s story reflects the purpose of HEAL Palestine’s Education Pillar: to remove barriers that keep Palestinian students from continuing their education and reaching their potential. In Gaza, where universities have been damaged, students displaced, and academic pathways interrupted, even a single document can determine whether a graduate is able to move forward.

Through the Certificate Release Grant, HEAL Palestine and Reach Education Fund are helping students turn completed degrees into real opportunities.

For Aseel, receiving her certificate was more than the end of one chapter. It became the beginning of another, from Gaza to London, from a delayed document to a new academic future.

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