Defence STEM Undergraduate Scheme (DSUS)

What the Royal Navy DSUS gives you

You get a yearly grant of about 5,800 EUR (£5,000). The Royal Navy, part of the UK Ministry of Defence, also pays your full university tuition fees, up to about 11,000 EUR (£9,535) per year, for the length of an approved engineering degree in the UK. You can join the University Royal Naval Unit (URNU), a Navy student club, and earn training pay for up to 45 days a year, roughly 2,300 EUR (£2,000). After you graduate, you have a guaranteed place on Royal Navy Initial Officer Training at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, followed by a career as an engineering officer. In return you commit to serving at least five years in the Naval Service.

Who can apply

• Study stage: You are in your final year of school before university, or already in year 1 or 2 of a Bachelor's degree.
• Field of study: You study an approved engineering or STEM subject, such as Mechanical, Marine, Electronic or Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Physics or Robotic Engineering.
• University: You study, or plan to study, at a UK university of your choice.
• School grades: You have at least grade 6/B in Maths and English at GCSE or Nat 5, plus three more GCSEs or Nat 5s at grade 4/C or better.
• University entry points: You are on track for at least 96 UCAS points, the UK score based on your A-level or equivalent results.
• Career commitment: You are willing to become a Royal Navy engineering officer and serve at least five years after your degree.

How to apply

Register your interest through the Royal Navy website, and a recruiter will contact you. Selection runs through several stages: an aptitude test, a video interview, the two-part Admiralty Interview Board, and a four-day preparation course with fitness and medical checks.

How realistic are your chances?

This is a route into a Royal Navy officer career, not a scholarship you win on grades alone. You also pass aptitude tests, interviews and fitness and medical checks. That long process narrows the field to applicants who genuinely want a military engineering career. If you meet the STEM and grade requirements and are serious about the five-year service commitment, your prospects are solid.