Access Edinburgh Scholarship

Access Edinburgh Scholarship

You get up to 5,000 GBP per year (about EUR 5,800) to help cover the cost of studying full time at the University of Edinburgh. The amount depends on your household income:

• Care-experienced or estranged students: 5,000 GBP (about EUR 5,800)
• Household income below 20,999 GBP: 3,000 GBP (about EUR 3,500)
• Household income 21,000 to 23,999 GBP: 2,000 GBP (about EUR 2,300)
• Household income 24,000 to 33,999 GBP: 1,000 GBP (about EUR 1,150)

The money runs for the whole length of your degree. It is paid in two instalments each year, and you can spend it however you like: on your studies, activities or living costs. The university and its donors fund it, and there is no cap on how many students receive it.

Who can apply

• University: You study full time on an undergraduate programme at the University of Edinburgh and started from September 2020 onwards.
• First degree: This is your first university degree, not a second one.
• Where you live: You live in the UK and get student support from a UK funding body (SAAS in Scotland, or Student Finance England, Wales or Northern Ireland). EU students need UK funding body support and settled status.
• Maintenance loan: You have taken out the full maintenance loan (the government loan for living costs) and keep it for the whole year.
• Financial need: Your assessed household income is 33,999 GBP (about EUR 39,500) or less. Care-experienced and estranged students qualify at the top rate.
• Programme: Most undergraduate degrees count. Nursing (BN), the PGDE, graduate-entry LLB and the four-year Veterinary Medicine and Surgery degree do not.

How to apply

There is no separate application. When you apply for your full maintenance loan, tick the box that lets your funding body share your income details with the University of Edinburgh. The university then checks your eligibility automatically each year. If you qualify, you get an award letter to your university email by the end of September.

How realistic are your chances?

There is no limit on the number of scholarships, so this is not a contest for a few places. If you meet the income and funding rules, you receive it. The key is doing the paperwork right: apply for the full maintenance loan and consent to share your data, so the automatic check can find you. Miss either step and you will not be assessed, even if you qualify.