Winning Students - Winning Students Scholarship

Winning Students 100 Scholarship

You will receive up to £3,000 per year (about 3,450 EUR) for 12 months, with the amount reviewed annually. You can spend the money on accommodation, entry fees for competitions and sports equipment, for example. Your college or university will also offer you academic flexibility so that you can balance your training with your studies. If you come from a particularly deprived area, you may be eligible for additional funding. Scotland measures this using the ‘Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation’, a government ranking of the most deprived areas. This is Scotland’s national scholarship scheme for student athletes. It is administered by ‘sportscotland’ in partnership with the Scottish Funding Council and Scottish colleges and universities, and is coordinated by the University of Stirling.

Who can apply

• Nationality: You hold a British passport.
• Where you study: You are studying at a college or university in Scotland that is part of the ‘Winning Students’ network 100.
• Study load: You are studying full-time or part-time. At a university, you must earn at least 60 credit points per year on a credit-point-based degree programme. At a university of applied sciences, you must complete at least 7 teaching hours per week. Postgraduate students must complete at least half of a full-time programme.
• Field of study: Any subject.
• Age: You are 16 years old or older. This applies to both able-bodied and disabled athletes.
• Your sport: You are taking part in an Olympic, Paralympic or Commonwealth sport that is featured at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games or Winter Paralympic Games, the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow or the 2028 Summer Olympic Games or Summer Paralympic Games.
• Your level: You have represented your sport at a high level. Priority is given first to Olympic or Paralympic athletes, then to athletes who have competed in the Commonwealth Games, followed by participants in the GB World Class Programme and international senior and junior national team players. You must also commit to taking part in your governing body’s high-performance programme for the year in which the award is presented.

How to apply

Registration and applications are made via the online portal ‘Winning Students 100’. Your college or university and the governing body responsible for your sport will then confirm that you meet the criteria, and a selection panel will decide on the applications. The results will be announced in October.

How realistic are your chances?

This funding is strictly limited: there are only around 100 places available, with a maximum of six (twenty for priority sports) allocated per sport. You must compete at international level in an Olympic, Paralympic or Commonwealth sport. The pool of applicants is small and clearly defined. So, if you already compete for Great Britain or Scotland and are studying in Scotland, you have a genuine chance. Early support from your governing body will strengthen your chances.