The Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust - The Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust

Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust grant

You will receive an annual grant of about 750 to 1,750 EUR (£650 to £1,500) to cover your tuition fees and living costs for one academic year; this will be paid out once your tuition fees have been settled. You will receive the grant each year as a one-off lump sum, not as a monthly payment. You may reapply each year: full-time postgraduate students may receive up to a total of 3 grants, and part-time students up to 6. A new application and a new decision are required for each application. The Trust is a London-based charity founded in the year 1919. It supports academically high-achieving students who face financial difficulties whilst undertaking postgraduate studies in the UK.

Who can apply

• Your degree so far: You hold a bachelor’s degree with a ‘First Class’ or ‘Upper Second Class’ classification (2:1) or are expected to obtain one, or you already hold a Master’s or PhD (or have equivalent professional experience).
• What you want to study: A master’s or doctoral degree, a postgraduate certificate or a postgraduate diploma in any subject area, or a second bachelor’s degree, for example in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, architecture or engineering.
• Where you study: You have been admitted to a degree programme at a UK university or are applying to study there. Overseas branches and distance-learning programmes based outside the UK do not count.
• Field of study: Any topic is fine.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are eligible to apply, provided they live in the United Kingdom and intend to remain in the United Kingdom for the entire duration of their studies.
• Course length: Your academic year must begin within the funding year and last for at least 8 months.
• Financial need: You are facing a significant financial shortfall this year and do not yet have a full scholarship to cover both your tuition fees and living costs.
• Overseas degrees: If you obtained your qualifying degree outside the United Kingdom and have never received a Stapley Scholarship, you must provide a letter from a UK higher education institution confirming that this degree is equivalent to a UK 1 first-class, 2:1, Master’s or PhD degree.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted via the online form on the Foundation’s website. The application round takes place once a year in January (the next one begins in January 2027 for the academic year 2027/28), and the application window is very short. Three members of the Board of Trustees review each eligible application independently; the full Board meets in May, and you will be notified of the result before the end of June.

How realistic are your chances?

The scholarship is open to all disciplines and to anyone living in the United Kingdom, regardless of their nationality, which is why it is very well known and highly competitive: in a recent round, over 900 people applied, all within a timeframe of 24 hours. Good grades are merely the entry ticket. The selection panel also takes into account genuine financial hardship, obstacles you have overcome, and your commitment to your field of study. Your greatest practical advantage is speed – so sign up for the reminder and apply immediately as soon as the round begins.