As a prospective international student looking to apply to a Master’s in the UK, one of your concerns is financing.
Doing a graduate degree in a country that is known to have some of the best universities in the world is amazing: new environment, new colleagues, new culture, access to cutting-edge research, and super-professional teachers. But a degree abroad also involves a financial effort. After all, you are moving to another country.
That’s why scholarships, awards and bursaries always come in handy. Plus, they not only help you study abroad, but are also a form of recognition of your academic potential.
If you are still at the stage in which you haven’t quite decided on the British university you want to apply to, knowing what scholarship options you have, can help you make that decision and start applying.
Here are some universities in the UK that offer interesting scholarships to international students and that you can also apply to right now.
1. University of West London Scholarships
One of the universities with the most generous scholarships programmes, is the University of West London. Almost each school within the university offers awards and scholarships which means that you have a lot of chances to be eligible for an award or scholarship.
For example, if you become a School of Law and Criminology student, you are eligible for a scholarship of 3,000 GBP. The main condition is to have had undergraduate studies in the same area of studies. Other examples of awards are:
- The Mollie Clay Scholarship: 2,500 GBP for outstanding achievements
- The Syed Hamid Scholarship: 2,500 GBP for outstanding achievements
- Exclusive alumni discounts: tuition fees discounts if you have graduated from a previous course at the university and continue with Master’s studies there
2. GCU Loyalty Scholarships
Glasgow Caledonian University, located in Scotland, can help you start your Master’s with a Loyalty Scholarship by cutting off 2,000 GBP off your course tuition fee in the first year, and 1,000 GBP for any subsequent year.
As the name suggests, the scholarship does come with an important condition. In order to be eligible, you must be self-funded, and you must have one of the following:
- a previous degree from GCU
- a Foundation, Pre-Master’s or Pre-sessional course with INTO GCU
- a GCU Summer School
- an exchange programme at GCU
This scholarship works great for you if you need to attend a pre-Master or any other type of course in order to qualify for a Master’s degree in a certain subject area.
3. Scholarships offered by the University of Portsmouth
The University of Portsmouth is located in England and offers a variety of Master’s specialisations you can apply to, according to your background and ambitions. But its schools also offer scholarships to get you on the right track. Here are three types of scholarships that could be for you:
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences Scholarships
If you are applying to one of 6 Masters in the field of Earth and Environmental Sciences and if you come from Nigeria or Ghana, you are eligible for a 20% discount from your tuition fee. Other important criteria to getting the scholarships are:
- you're fully self-funded
- if you are from Nigeria, you need a minimum GPA of 3.0/5 in a relevant subject
- if you are from Ghana you must hold a minimum of a Second Class Upper in a relevant subject
Faculty of Business and Law Scholarships
The Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Portsmouth offers EU students the possibility to get a 40% discount on their tuition fees. To be eligible you need to fulfil the following conditions:
- you're fully self-funded
- you are an EU-national
- you were accepted at an on-campus degree
- you have a 2:1 from your Bachelors
Bonus: 2 University Awards
The university also offers 2 bursaries for international students which involve a 10% discount on your tuition fee, based on your country of origin. You don't need to do anything to apply for this bursary. If you're eligible for it, you'll be awarded the discount automatically. Some of the conditions to be eligible are:
- you come from an eligible country
- you are self-funded
- you haven’t previously studied at the University of Portsmouth
- you don’t have any other scholarship
4. The University of the West of Scotland Anniversary Scholarships for 2018-2019
The University of the West of Scotland celebrates 120 years since it was founded. As a result, they are offering anniversary scholarships of 1,500 GBP. To be eligible you must have achieved academic excellence during your undergraduate studies and exams.
The scholarship is for you if you are a self-funding, full-time, fee-paying, non-EU/non-EEA student, and you apply for Master’s programmes starting September 2018 or January 2019.
5. De Montfort University Scholarships
De Montfort University in England offers two types of scholarship to ambitious international students.
First, they offer the Principal’s Scholarship for students who enrol at Leicester Castle Business School. The scholarship is worth 3,000 GBP. To be eligible, you need to apply to eligible Masters in the field of Business and Management for the September 2018 and January 2019 intake. There’s no separate application. You are automatically considered for the scholarship.
Second, they offer the Vice-Chancellor's Sports Scholarships targeting student who want to develop their performance in sports. The scholarship is worth 6,000 GBP. To be eligible for this scholarship you need to:
- be enrolled on taught or research course during the academic year 2018/19
- demonstrate commitment and passion for the sport you practice
6 & 7. Universities that automatically consider international applicants for scholarships
Two universities where you do not need to fulfil any other conditions than apply to a degree to get a scholarship are Loughborough University and the University of Chester.
At Loughborough University you are automatically considered for a 20% tuition fee waiver in the form of an award or scholarship, provided you are applying for a postgraduate taught degree.
Similarly, the University of Chester offers international and merit-based scholarships, by offering a significant discount to tuition fees. You are considered for this discount automatically, when you send in your application.
Apply right now for the Studyportals Scholarship
You can also apply for our scholarship. That's right, we're offering 5 grants to 5 future international students. If you meet the admission requirements, go ahead and apply for the Studyportals Scholarship: International Distinction Awards.
So, what are you waiting for? Start applying for a Master’s in the UK and a scholarship right now!