Master's Funding Awards (MFA)

What the Master's Funding Awards give you

With one application you are considered for several UCL scholarships and bursaries (grants you do not repay) for a taught Master's degree. You fill in a single form instead of applying to each one separately. What you get depends on which scheme you match. The UCL Master's Bursary pays 10,000 GBP (about 11,500 EUR) for one year, with up to 200 awards. The Professor Sir Malcolm Grant Scholarship pays 25,000 GBP (about 28,700 EUR) for one year, with a single award. The UCL East London Scholarship covers your full Home tuition fees plus 17,096 GBP (about 19,600 EUR) in living costs each year, with 14 awards. The money comes from UCL alumni donations, partner organisations and UCL's own funds.

Who can apply

• Degree level: You are applying for a standalone taught Master's at UCL. The Master's part of an integrated undergraduate degree (such as MEng or MPharm) does not count, and neither does a combined MRes+MPhil/PhD (1+3) programme.
• Admission: You have submitted a full UCL admission application for 2026/27, with your references sent and verified. You do not need an offer yet.
• Fee status: You live in the UK or Ireland and pay the Home fee rate. Ukrainian students with Home fee status may also qualify, depending on the scheme.
• Financial need: For most schemes, your household income is 42,875 GBP (about 49,200 EUR) per year or less.
• Study mode: You study full-time or part-time. Modular or flexible study only qualifies for the UCL East London Scholarship.
• Malcolm Grant Scholarship only: You are a UCL graduate or a final-year UCL undergraduate, and you can show leadership potential.
• East London Scholarship only: Your programme is one of the eligible UCL East or School of Management courses.
• Previous degrees: Applicants without a Master's or PhD are preferred, but an earlier degree does not rule you out.

How to apply

First complete your UCL admission application. Then fill in the single Master's Funding Awards online form, which opens in January 2026. The deadline for all schemes is 25 June 2026, 17:00 BST. If you are shortlisted, UCL contacts you in late June or early July to send proof of your financial need. Successful applicants hear back by early to mid-August.

How realistic are your chances?

These awards are limited to UK and Ireland Home-fee students with genuine financial need, so the pool is narrower than for open international scholarships. One form also puts you in front of several schemes at once. The odds vary a lot by scheme: the Master's Bursary has up to 200 awards, while the Malcolm Grant Scholarship gives just one and asks for leadership potential on top. Complete your admission application early so your references are verified before the funding deadline, and you keep every scheme you match open.