No. The programme is designed for peer facilitators — people who have navigated the university application process themselves and want to support others in their community. Patience, empathy, and reliability matter more than formal qualifications.
Most facilitators need one to two weeks to prepare — this includes completing the facilitator training, setting up a WhatsApp group, sending the pre-course survey, and arranging a venue or online meeting space.
The materials work best with small groups. It will also depend on the communication skills, digital literacy of the participants and mode of delivery. We find around 12 is the sweet spot to allow enough discussion and for you to give meaningful feedback on written work.
The sessions are designed to build on each other, so we recommend running them in order and in full. However, the materials are adaptable and you can make decisions about what to cut or extend based on your group’s needs.
You will need a stable internet connection and a video conferencing platform such as Zoom. You should also be able to share your screen and play videos with sound, and use breakout rooms for pair and group work.
The course can be delivered face to face or in a blended format. For participants without computer access, you can print materials and allow handwritten drafts, which can be typed up later — for example at a community centre with shared devices.
The facilitator training covers this. In the short term, participants can handwrite drafts during sessions. You may also want to share a short screencast showing how to open and edit a document.
Yes. All materials are open-source and editable. However, remember most scholarships for university access will require English.
Yes. The materials use fictional student profiles such as Shadia and Yamen as examples. You are welcome to replace these with examples that feel more relevant to your participants.
You can adapt the programme to suit your context, but we recommend keeping the core content intact where possible. If time is limited, consult the session plans to identify which activities are essential and which can be shortened or set as independent tasks.
No, but they are recommended if your participants are writing in English as an additional language or are less confident with academic writing. The quality of written applications tends to improve significantly with an extra round of feedback.
Yes. A certificate template is available in the Wrap up section, which you can adapt with your own details. You decide the criteria for completion — we suggest setting out a success criteria of 80% attendance plus submission of a CV, motivation letter, and completion of the post-course survey.
No. The certificate template is yours to use and adapt freely. You do not need to notify Mosaik, though we would love to hear how your course goes.
Use your judgement. If a participant has missed sessions but completed the written assignments and engaged seriously with the programme, you may still choose to award a certificate. The completion criteria are a guide, not a strict rule.
The course is for refugees and displaced people who want to apply for university or a scholarship and would like structured support to do so. You do not need prior experience with applications or academic writing.
Not necessarily. Many participants use the programme to prepare for applications they plan to make in the near future. However, the programme works best if you have at least one real opportunity in mind that you are working towards.
The course is delivered in English and the written assignments are in English, so a working level of written and spoken English will help you get the most out of it. If you are unsure, speak to your facilitator — they can advise whether the course is right for you at this stage.
You need access to a device (phone, tablet, or computer) and ideally a way to write and save documents. Your facilitator will let you know before the course starts what you will need and how sessions will be delivered.
Let your facilitator know as soon as possible. Session materials and takeaways are available for each session, so you can catch up on what you missed to some degree. Attending at least 80% of sessions is recommended if you want to receive a certificate of completion.
Speak to your facilitator. In some cases, handwritten drafts are fine to begin with, and many community centres have computers available to use. Your facilitator may also be able to suggest other options depending on your situation.
The written templates are in Microsoft Word format. If you don’t have Word, you can use free alternatives such as Google Docs or LibreOffice, which can open and edit the same files. You might need access to Zoom if your course is online. You’ll almost certainly need WhatsApp.
That depends on your facilitator and the organisation running the course. Many facilitators do award a certificate of completion — ask yours at the start of the programme so you know what is expected.
Typically: attend at least 80% of sessions, submit a CV and motivation letter, take part in the practice interview session, and complete the end-of-course feedback form. Your facilitator will confirm the exact requirements for your cohort.
A certificate of completion shows commitment and initiative, which are qualities that scholarship and university admissions panels value. Your facilitator may also be able to write you a letter of recommendation, which can carry more weight in an application. However, what you will mainly gain are the skills and knowledge to navigate the university and scholarship application process.