Scholarships in the United Kingdom

Scholarships in the United Kingdom

The UK is one of the world's most popular destinations for international students, and the funding landscape reflects that. Almost every university and college has its own bursaries and grants, and on top of that there are national schemes, charitable trusts and programmes tied to specific professions, backgrounds or personal circumstances. Competition is stiff, so apply early — many of the more interesting awards close months before the academic year starts.

Who awards scholarships in the UK

The bulk of scholarships in the UK come from the universities themselves. Alongside them sit a handful of larger providers you will encounter again and again:

• The British Council — a charity founded by the UK government to promote international education. It runs and co-runs several funding schemes, including the GREAT Scholarships, and directs students to country-specific programmes.
• Chevening — administered by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Running since 1983, it has awarded over 60,000 scholarships to candidates from more than 160 countries. It funds a one-year master's for scholars with clear leadership potential.
• The Royal Society — the UK's national academy of sciences, founded in 1660 and generally regarded as the oldest scientific society in the world. It funds research grants and fellowships rather than taught degrees.
• Commonwealth Scholarship Commission — for citizens or permanent residents of Commonwealth countries who cannot otherwise afford to study in the UK.
• Devolved government funding bodies — England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each run their own student finance systems, and support follows your country of residence, not the country you study in.

The old Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) was dissolved on 1 April 2018; its functions passed to the Office for Students and to Research England. The National Scholarship Programme, aimed at Home/EU undergraduates from lower-income families in England, was announced in 2010, ran from 2012/13 to 2014/15 and has since been discontinued. From 2027 the new Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) will begin to replace parts of the current system.

Erasmus+ and Turing

The UK left Erasmus+ after Brexit and replaced outgoing student mobility with the Turing Scheme. In December 2025 the government announced that the UK will rejoin Erasmus+ from 2027 at a cost of around £570 million, and up to 100,000 people of all ages could benefit. EU students will again be able to come to the UK under Erasmus from 2027. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters remain open to UK applicants throughout: for 2027/28 the application window is expected to run from October 2026 to January 2027, and you apply directly to the consortium running each master's — there is no central application.

Who is eligible

Eligibility varies wildly. Most awards fall into one of these categories:

• Academic merit — outstanding results, sometimes tied to a specific subject.
• Financial need — means-tested against family income.
• Talent — music, sport, and increasingly the arts.
• Personal circumstances, background or interests — from refugee status to being a vegetarian.
• Nationality — some awards are for UK residents only, some for EU nationals, some (Chevening, most Commonwealth awards) specifically for international students.

Funding is available at every level: undergraduate, taught master's, postgraduate, doctoral and research placements. Awards from universities and national programmes typically sit between £2,000 and £30,000 per year, with most in the £2,000-10,000 range, and living costs usually need to be topped up from other sources.

Major schemes for international students

If you are coming from outside the UK, three programmes are worth knowing before you look at anything else:

• Chevening Scholarship — a fully funded one-year master's. You need at least two years of work experience, a UK bachelor's equivalent (typically a 2:1) and a clear leadership profile. Applications for the 2027/28 intake open on 4 August and close on 6 October 2026. US and EU citizens are not eligible; scholars have come from over 116 countries.
• GREAT Scholarships (British Council) — usually £10,000 towards fees for a one-year postgraduate course, jointly funded by the British Council and over 60 UK universities. There is no central application; you apply through the university. Applications for 2026/27 are open. Eligible countries include Bangladesh, mainland China, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Spain, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. The money covers tuition only, not rent, flights or visa fees.
• Commonwealth Scholarships — for citizens or permanent residents of a Commonwealth country who are not currently living or working in a high-income country and can show financial need.

Scotland runs its own Saltire Scholarships, currently targeted at applicants from Canada, China (including Hong Kong) and India.

Two flagship UK awards

• Rhodes Scholarship (University of Oxford) — one of the oldest and most prestigious international awards. Deadlines vary by country, running between July and October 2026 for a course starting in October 2026.
• Glenmore Medical Postgraduate Scholarship (University of Edinburgh) — an annual award for postgraduate medicine, with an application deadline of 28 May 2026 for study starting in September 2026.

Examples of university-level awards

To give a sense of the range at a single university:

• University of Westminster — Brian Large Scholarship: £10,000 for the MSc in Transport Planning (UK students), deadline 13 July 2026.
• University of Westminster — Home Postgraduate Part Fee Scholarship: £2,000, deadline 10 August 2026.
• University of Hull — Parents' Learning Allowance: up to £1,766 per year, deadline 20 August 2026.

Unusual scholarships you might not have heard of

Beyond the well-known routes, some of the most interesting awards target very specific groups. Five examples:

Vegetarian Charity Grant

The Vegetarian Charity awards grants to vegetarians and vegans aged 25 or under (eligibility ends at 26) — including parents applying on behalf of a vegetarian child. Grants can go towards specific courses, projects, equipment or cases of individual hardship, and are usually no more than £700. They cannot be used to start a business or pay off debt. Applications are considered on a rolling basis.

Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust Bursary

Bursaries for UK students in financial need whose parent or spouse — or the student themselves — works, or worked, as a commercial traveller, pharmacist or grocer. The undergraduate bursary is worth up to £3,000 per year, with a 15 October 2026 deadline; the postgraduate bursary goes up to £5,000 per year. Funds can go towards tuition, accommodation, living costs or equipment.

The R&A Scholarship

The Royal & Ancient Golf Club scholarship is open to applicants aged 18 to 29 (as of 1 September 2026) who are enrolled in a nationally recognised academic or vocational qualification of two to four years — the course does not have to be golf-related, but you do need to show exceptional commitment to the game. It is a global programme aimed at improving diversity in golf, and includes a bursary, mentoring and a leadership conference. R&A staff and relatives of club members are not eligible.

Amos Bursary at UCL

Aimed at male UK undergraduates of African or Caribbean heritage, this bursary supports under-represented Black men in higher education and leading professions. UCL offers up to five awards of £1,000 per year for the duration of the programme, based on academic merit, and the wider Amos Bursary programme adds internships, networking and personal development.

Society of Merchant Venturers

The Society of Merchant Venturers is a Bristol-based charity with roots in a 13th-century guild and its first Royal Charter in 1552. It has a long-standing link to the University of Bristol's Faculty of Engineering and supports engineering students there through bursaries and scholarships, with a particular interest in candidates from the Bristol area who show an enthusiasm for engineering.

Scholarships not based on merit or need

Some awards look neither at your grades nor your family income — they are decided by where you were born, where you live, your caring responsibilities or your immigration status. Five examples:

Port of Milford Haven Scholarship Scheme

The Port of Milford Haven, in Pembrokeshire, offers four undergraduate students £1,500 each plus a three-week paid summer placement at the port. The main criterion is geographic: you must have completed the majority of your education in Pembrokeshire.

Stirlingshire Educational Trust Grants

Founded in 1663, this Scottish trust makes grants of £100 to £500 to undergraduate and postgraduate students (taught and research) who have lived in Stirlingshire for at least five consecutive years or were born there. Individual universities set the exact amount — the University of Stirling awards up to £500, while the University of Glasgow lists the value as variable.

University of Cambridge Childcare Support Fund

Cambridge students with children can apply for up to £5,400 per year from the university's Childcare Support Fund (2025/26). It is income-assessed and requires proof of an Ofsted-registered childcare place.

Childcare Grant (UK government)

Full-time undergraduates in England can also apply for the state Childcare Grant, which covers up to 85% of actual childcare costs. For the 2025/26 and 2026/27 academic years the caps are £199.62 per week for one child and £342.24 per week for two or more children. The grant is income-assessed.

Edinburgh scholarships for refugees

The University of Edinburgh runs several awards for people with refugee backgrounds currently living in the UK:

• Education Beyond Borders Postgraduate Scholarship 2026/27 — up to 20 awards covering full or partial fees plus a living stipend, for full-time on-campus study. Deadline 17 February 2026 at 17:00, with an information session on 13 January 2026.
• The Silber Bequest / PhD Scholarships for Refugee Students — covers fees and living costs for refugees in the UK. Applications for 2026/27 have closed.

Edinburgh travel funds

The University of Edinburgh also runs travel funds, including the Aranmore Memorial Travelling Scholarships and the older British Association Travel Fund, which supported students at the College of Science and Engineering to visit laboratories, museums and other places of scientific interest. The travel must be for additional study and cannot be a compulsory part of the curriculum; non-graduating students are not eligible.

What to take away

Most UK scholarships awarded by universities and national programmes sit in the £2,000 to £10,000 range for a year, with the bigger flagship awards (Chevening, GREAT, Rhodes) covering fees and often living costs in full. The awards on this page are only a slice: whichever route fits your situation — academic, financial, national, professional, personal — the answer is almost always that a scheme exists somewhere and that you should start looking a year ahead of the course, not a month.