Brunel University - Postgraduate Academic Excellence Scholarships

What you get

You will receive a 15% discount on your tuition fees for each year of your Master’s degree programme at Brunel University London. This also applies to MBA and MRes programmes. The discount applies exclusively to tuition fees, but not to additional costs such as fees for resit examinations. There is no limit on the number of discounts awarded: anyone who meets the criteria will receive the discount. You can combine the 15% with some other Brunel discounts, such as the alumni discount for former Brunel students and the 2% early-payment discount, but not with most other scholarships.

Who can apply

• Level: You have been granted unconditional admission to a full-time Master’s programme starting in 2026/27, including the MBA and MRes.
• Study mode: Both full-time and part-time students, as well as distance-learning and online students, are eligible to apply.
• Fee status: You pay the tuition fees applicable to domestic students. If you are classified as an ‘international student’ for the purposes of calculating tuition fees, you will not be eligible to apply.
• Grades: You must hold a bachelor’s degree with a ‘First Class Honours’ classification from a UK university or an equivalent qualification from a recognised EU institution. Any higher qualification obtained subsequently will not be taken into account if your first degree was not awarded with a ‘First Class’ classification.
• How you pay: You are self-funding your studies. A UK postgraduate master’s loan or a scholarship exempting you from tuition fees also counts as self-funding. You cannot apply if an employer, a public authority or any other third party is covering part of your tuition fees.
• Field of study: Applies to all subjects. Exceptions are: short courses, supplementary modules, PGCert, PGDip, most PGCE programmes and research programmes.

How to apply

There is no separate application process. You apply for your degree programme as normal, and Brunel University will automatically check against your application to see if you meet the entry requirements. The discount will be applied as soon as you are fully enrolled. Whether the discount is applied depends on whether your degree programme starts in September, January or May.

How realistic are your chances?

There is no limit to the number of places available, so this is not a competitive process. If you meet all the criteria, you will receive the discount. The real question is whether you meet the requirements, which depend mainly on three factors: your status as a domestic student, a first-class degree, and whether you are self-funding your studies. Please check these points carefully before relying on the 15%.