Education Scholarships

Know the eligibility criteria, selection process, application form and all the necessary details required to apply for Education.

Scholarships in UK

Education in the UK is one of the most expensive in the world. On average, a year of study costs 13,307-18,852 USD. Living expenses will be about 11,089 USD.

Grants and scholarships help reduce costs. They are very different: it can be a small payment of 277 USD, a discount on tuition or full payment for room and board. It is difficult to get large scholarships: usually, there are only a few winners among several thousand applicants.

Expenses in UK

Scholarships come in the form of regular scholarships, grants and bursaries. In the UK, they are offered by universities, individual departments, government, and private organizations. This way, they try to attract the most talented students from all over the world.

University Scholarships in UK

Universities are more likely to grant scholarships in the form of a tuition discount. For bachelors, the most common discount is 10-30%, for undergraduates and doctoral students — up to 50%.

To get a scholarship, it is first needed to enter a university. The main selection criterion is GPA or grades for A-Level / IB. Most often, funding is issued for a year with the possibility of prolongation.

Universities publish information about scholarships on their websites. But often the information there is incomplete. Therefore, it is best to contact the university directly for details. Contacts are typically listed on the same pages as the information about scholarships.

The committees select candidates based on academic performance, scientific achievements, social activism and leadership qualities. In theory, a scholarship can be obtained with lower grades, but only from a not very prestigious university that is trying to attract students with funding. The amount will be small: maximum 1500-2000 GDP. It will not really affect a student’s financial situation.

Everyone can get grants: undergraduate and postgraduate students. It will be easier for the latter to win a scholarship because the competition is lower. And the payouts for postgraduates are usually bigger. Unlike undergraduates, they conduct their own research, which means that the university may benefit from assisting them.

There are several types of university scholarships

 

Academic Merits

Academic merit scholarships are awarded for academic achievements. What’s taken into account:

  • Average GPA— ideally, it should be excellent;
  • The level of English — preferably at least IELTS
  • Scientific publications;
  • Participation in conferences.

Typically, academic merit scholarships offer an up to 50% discount on tuition. But there is also full coverage. For example, the Gates Scholarship at the University of Cambridge. The student is paid an additional 19,407 USD per year for housing and food. In total, Cambridge awards 80 scholarships annually, and 25 of them go to US students, so the competition is very high. You can read more about the requirements on the website of the program.

Often, universities automatically consider the applicants for academic merit scholarships, but for large scholarships like Gates, applications must be submitted separately. This may include a motivation letter and a research plan. Sometimes candidates need to undergo additional interviews.

Large scholarships are mainly designed for postgraduate students. For undergraduates, merit-based scholarships rarely exceed 3,327-5,545 USD.

Many universities have alumni scholarships. These are discounts for graduates who continue their studies in a Master’s degree program at the same university. If you, for example, graduate from the University of East Anglia, then studying for a Master’s degree there will cost half the price.

Often there scholarships are awarded for studies in specific areas — subject-specific scholarships. The University of Surrey offers discounts of up to 50% for MBA students. It is better to apply as early as possible, so the chances will be higher.

For subject-specific scholarships, good grades and a background in the chosen specialty are important. The committee pays attention to whether the applicant had studied the specialty before, written articles, and had any work experience. Sometimes, candidates are selected based on projects and portfolios.

There are scholarships for Foundation preparatory programs, for example, at Newcastle University. Its size is from 11,089 USD to 22,179 USD. Moreover, the first half of the scholarship is paid while studying in the preparatory program, and the second — after successful admission to the Bachelor’s degree program.

Examples of academic merit scholarships for undergraduates

Examples of academic merit scholarships for Masters and PhDs

 

Low income scholarships

British universities often support students in need, about half of all scholarships awarded yearly are low-income scholarships. Students can count on them if their family’s income is below a certain amount. Depending on the university, this can be 17,743-66,537 USD/year.

Most low-income scholarships only partially cover tuition fees. The average amount of payments is 1,109-3,327 USD/year, larger amounts are rare. These scholarships are given so that a student can afford a trip to summer school or field research. They will not be enough to cover the entire training.

In addition to the financial situation, the committee usually takes into account academic achievements. Therefore, a high GPA and a good portfolio will still come in handy.

British universities often award scholarships based on the personal circumstances of the student. This vague wording means that scholarships are designed for those who, for some reason, find it difficult to get an education: due to economic inequality, racial or gender discrimination. Oxford, for example, offers scholarships to citizens from economically poor countries.

Examples of low-income scholarships and personal circumstances-based scholarships

 

Performance-based Scholarships

The third type of university scholarship is for achievements in sports and creativity. Most often these are small payments of 1,109-2,218 USD. Their goal is not to reduce the cost of education, but to support a talented student in his studies so that he can buy the necessary equipment or musical instrument.

One of the biggest scholarships for athletes is at University of Birmingham Sport, them develop and achieve their the University of Birmingham. It’s size ranges from 4,436 USD to 11,089 USD. To participate in the competition, a candidate needs to compete in the junior league at the international level. The most popular student sports in Britain are football, athletics, rugby, tennis, basketball, rowing, golf and cricket.

At most universities, a student who receives a scholarship is required to play on a university team or participate in events. For example, at the University of Bristol, gifted musicians receive 1,109 USD per year, and in return sing in the university choir.

 

Great Scholarships from the British Council

The GREAT Scholarship program is an initiative by the British council. Its purpose is to offer funding in form of grants to international students who wish to study a taught Master’s in specifically selected UK universities. Each scholarship’s size is no less than 11,089 USD. Postgraduates from the following countries can apply: Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Money received through the scholarship can only be used to pay for tuition. If tuition fees are lower than the scholarship amount, the extra will be withdrawn — participant’s aren’t permitted to use that money for living costs. All universities have different criteria for approving the scholarship. At some, there are no restrictions on what to study, while other universities will only allow coverage of specific disciplines.

 

Eligibility

To apply for a British Council GREAT Scholarship, candidates need to satisfy the following entry criteria:

  • Be a citizen of an eligible country;
  • Have a suitable Bachelor’s degree;
  • Have a background of extracurricular activities relevant to the chosen subject area.

An unusual additional requirement is that the successful applicants need to agree to become an international ambassador for UK higher education. Details are clarified by the British Council.

 

Application

The first step is to apply for a Master’s course at a participating university. After enrolment, the student can apply for the scholarship. They have to apply through the university, not by addressing the British Council directly. There might be deviations on the level of the university, but in general, the following documents need to be provided:

  • Details of academic achievements and results;
  • A personal statement with information on motivations and goals;
  • Relevant extracurricular experience.

Deadlines vary from one university to another, so check the dates carefully before applying.

Chevening

For the most famous government program, Chevening, students from all over the world can apply.

The scholarship is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its goal is to attract the most talented students to the country. The program fully covers:

  • Tuition fees for Master’s or doctoral studies;
  • Visa and flight costs;
  • Monthly housing and food allowance: in London — 1,258 USD, outside London — 1,017 USD.

 

Requirements

  1. Bachelor degree. The minimum GPA required by British universities is usually 3.3, which is equivalent to a 2:1 Honours at undergraduate level. However, it’s preferably to have higher grades. The competition is very high, only 2-3% of applicants receive a scholarship[1].
  2. Work experience: two years, or 2800 hours. Any work is taken into account, be it formal employment, part-time work, freelance or private practice. It is not necessary that work experience is related to the chosen specialty. But then you will need to explain why you decided to change your profession and what you gained from the experience you had. No supporting documents are required.
  3. Application for a Master’s degree in the UK. On your application, you list three one-yearprograms in order of priority — you must be accepted for at least one. You need to think carefully about the choice — after submitting the application, it will not be possible to change it. You should also check if you are eligible for the selected university. The minimum IELTS score in most universities is 7.0.
  4. Return home after the end of the program. Moving to Britain on a work visa will be possible only after two years.

 

Private Scholarships

Some programs are funded by private sources — companies or non-governmental organizations. Scholarships from companies are often targeted at specific fields. Sometimes a student is even offered an employment contract after graduation or during training. This is what makes them different from scholarships from non-governmental organizations — those usually target particularly vulnerable segments of society, such as ethnic minorities. However, there is also competition based on academic achievements.

 

How to find scholarship in UK?

The first source of information about scholarships is university websites. They collect basic information about available discounts, grants and payments.

Among the search platforms, perhaps the most useful is thescolarshiphub.org. The site has collected 1,800 scholarships, which are sorted by size of payment, education level, eligibility criteria and universities. The information can be incomplete or inaccurate, so it is needed to be double-checked on the official pages of programs and universities. PhD students and scholars can find research grants on The Royal Society and Euraxess websites.