University of Stirling - Sports Scholarship

Benefit

You will receive up to about 5,900 EUR per year (£5,000) to study at the University of Stirling in Scotland whilst pursuing your sport. In addition to this financial support, you will receive support with strength and conditioning training, coaching at national level, free sports kit, free membership of the university’s sports centres, flexible study arrangements tailored to your training schedule, and the opportunity to live on campus. A separate programme for tuition fee waivers will instead reduce your tuition fees: approximately 2,350 EUR (£2,000) per year for undergraduate students and approximately 4,700 EUR (£4,000) per year for postgraduate students for each year of your studies. The university runs this programme and has supported more than 1,000 student athletes since 1981.

Eligibility

• University place: You have been offered a place on a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree programme (involving lectures) at the University of Stirling, or you have applied for one.
• Your sport: You compete in one of the core sports (football, golf, swimming, tennis, triathlon or curling) or another sport at international level. BUCS is the university sports league in the UK; further qualifying events include the Commonwealth Games, the Olympic Games or the Paralympics.
• Grades: You meet the academic entry requirements for your degree programme.
• Nationality: The programme, which runs until £5,000, is open to students of all nationalities. The scholarships covering tuition fees are available to students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the EU and other countries.
• Study load: For individual scholarships, you must enrol in at least 60 credits per academic year.

How to apply

Please complete the programme’s application form and submit it before the start of the September semester – that is, by 31 August if you are starting your studies in September. Scholarship awards are decided on the basis of a combination of your academic grades and your sporting achievements. You will be notified of the result by post before the start of the semester.

How realistic are your chances?

This funding is aimed at serious competitive athletes; therefore, the pool of applicants is restricted to those who are already competing at a high level, and is not open to the general student body. If you compete in a core sport or in other disciplines at international level and also meet the entry requirements, you fit the profile for which funding is available perfectly, and your prospects are good. The core sports and the requirement regarding international level are the actual selection criteria; therefore, a strong track record in competition is crucial to the success of your application.