Today’s higher education rule is the higher the quality of education the greater the price. UK universities are a perfect example of such a notion. They are consistently ranked among the world’s best universities for the quality of education but are some of the most expensive at the same time. However, for international students there are a huge variety of scholarships for International Students available for strenuous times.
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First, you must know what to expect and what financial hurdles to overcome while studying in the UK. Following a governmental decision in 2017, UK universities are allowed to charge their home and EU students with tuition fees capped at £9,250 per academic year, this is the highest it has ever been.
Meanwhile, non-EU foreign students in the UK are charged with a higher tuition rate. Some particular courses range up to £50,000 per academic year (yikes!). If you’re an EU student, you can use the financial aid of student loans, but if you’re a non-EU and non-EEA student financial help is required.
Below are some UK scholarships available for international students at the moment:
-Gates Cambridge Scholarships.
–Rhodes Scholarships at University of Oxford.
-Edinburgh Global Research Scholarships.
-Denys Holland Scholarship at University College London.
-Bristol University International Office Scholarships.
-University of West London International Ambassador Scholarships.
UK scholarships for international students can be divided into three major groups:
-Governmental Scholarships
-Non-governmental Scholarships
-Governmental Scholarships
As a global educational entity, the UK maintains a strong awareness toward international student financial matters. Thus, the British government runs two large scholarship schemes especially for international students.
-Chevening Scholarships
-Commonwealth Scholarships
A Chevening Scholarship is one of the main state-governed global scholarship programmes in the UK. This scheme has a long-term goal to support students financially that holds a high academic potential.
Chevening funds are provided from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and their partners involve universities.
The programme awards two types of grants which are…
- Scholarships
- Fellowships
Normally, a Chevening scholarship is awarded for a one-year Master course at a UK university but it can also be granted for those taking over postgraduate courses. To apply for this type of scholarship you must first be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country, typically this individual holds a non-British or dual British Citizenship.
Other requirements to be eligible for this particular scholarship are…
- You hold an undergraduate degree
- You have 2+ years worth of work experience
- You meet the English proficiency requirement
Commonwealth Scholarships
Commonwealth Scholarships is a scheme of UK scholarships for international students governed jointly by 53 countries (former British colonies) as well as part of the Commonwealth of Nations, or predominantly known as Commonwealth. Commonwealth Scholarships are funded by the Department for International Development as it’s open to all students who are citizens of Commonwealth countries and want to seek a degree within the UK.
Typically Commonwealth Scholarships are awarded for these courses below:
-A one-year Master taught or equivalent courses
-Doctoral degrees that lasts for 3-4 years
A Commonwealth Scholarship covers; tuition fees, airline airfares, essential living costs plus other allowances.
The Commonwealth scholarship is awarded to students of these subjects:
-Engineering & Technology
-Theoretical and Applied Science
-Agriculture
-Humanities and Social Sciences
-UK University Scholarships
There are scholarships that are funded by governmental or non-governmental organizations, some are designed for students coming from particular countries.
The Marshall Program, for instance, grants scholarships to US students aiming to attend a Master or PhD course in the UK. If you’re a US student willing to apply for this scholarship, then the following criteria must apply to you:
-A US 4 year under-grad degree in last 3 years
-A GPA at the minimum of 3.7
-You haven’t studied for a degree in Britain previously
The scholarships are not limited to this and further in this article you will discover more scholarship programs.
Gates Cambridge Scholarship
The University of Cambridge, which is one of the most prestigious universities, has an appealing bursary scheme for its fellow international students. The Gates Scholarship program is a part of this scheme offering financial support for excellent foreign applicants aiming to attend a full-time postgraduate course at Cambridge. This scholarship will cover all of your studying expenses.
Rhodes House Scholarships
The Rhodes Scholarship funding is perhaps one of the oldest scholarship programs and one of the most prestigious in the entire world. This scheme awards scholarships to postgraduate students that are aiming to study at the University of Oxford. Every year, 95 students who reach the benchmark are lucky enough to receive one of these scholarships. This bursary covers all university tuition fees and two economy class airfares to and from the university up until the scholarship expires.
Students who aim to apply for this type of scholarship in Oxford must meet requirements that basically have to do with their residency, age, and education. Since the University of Oxford is one of the best in the world, it has a tough entry competition and you’ll have to demonstrate an outstanding academic background.
Oxford university sets age limits that vary among different sectors within the institution (between the ages of 18 and 28 of age that are eligible to apply) and is eligible for those amongst a majority of residencies.
MBA Skoll Scholarships
These scholarships are aimed at Master’s degree students and are awarded through Oxford. To be eligible for this type of scholarship you must not be a UK citizen who has relevant experience leading an enterprise for at least a year. The MBA Skoll Scholarship covers the full tuition fee and essential living costs.
Edinburgh Global Research Scholarships
The University of Edinburgh grants 30 scholarships to academic foreign students willing to pursue a PhD. This scholarship, however, will only cover a part of the tuition fees. To be eligible for this, you must first apply for a PhD course at the University of Edinburgh.
UK Scholarships from British Council
International students aiming to pursue a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree in the UK can also seek an IELTS award, a scholarship which is awarded by the British Council (a partial scholarship from £3,000 to about £10,000). International students are eligible to apply for an IELTS scholarship.
Denys Holland Scholarship
The University College London offers some bursaries for foreign undergraduate scholars who are unable to fund their education abroad. Awardees collect £9,000 per academic year and are free to use this to pay for either their tuition fees or living costs. It’s preferable to be aged 25 or below at the start of your studies at The University College of London.
Bristol University Scholarships
The University of Bristol offers 5 scholarships for prospective foreign undergraduate students. These scholarships account for the amount of £8,500.
Kingston University London Scholarships
The International Office at Kingston University London offers scholarships to all students abroad wishing to attend an undergraduate or postgraduate course at this university (although it is partial and it accounts for £4,000).
University of Sussex International Scholarships
Students abroad that are attending a full-time post-grad program at the University of Sussex can apply for a scholarship. These scholarships are awarded for an academic year and cover half the cost of your tuition fees.
University Prize Scholarships
If you choose to pursue a PhD at the University of Sheffield, scholarships are available (annually the university shares 5 Prize Scholarships for eligible PhD applicants). The scholarship covers both tuition fees and other expenses for the sum of £20,000.
International Scholarships at University of Westminster
The University of Westminster offers scholarships for international students who are looking to study a Masters at this institution. This scholarship is meant to cover; tuition fees, accommodation, living expenses and flights to and from London.
Fulbright Foreign Student Program
Founded by a former US senator, the Fulbright program is a merit-based and highly competitive scholarship programme. It’s available to those who are studying for a Masters or PhD.
International Undergraduate Engineering Scholarship
The Nottingham Trent University offers scholarships of up to £5,000 a year to students aiming to pursue a Bachelor in Sports Engineering, Electronic Engineering and Biomedical Engineering.
MBA Scholarships at Brunel University
The University of Brunel London offers scholarships of the sum of £6,420 to international students who attend an MBA degree in Business Administration.
Application requirements
The application process for UK scholarships for international students depends on the type of scholarship you wish to pursue and the body that is awarding them. Government funded scholarships have set requirements to obtain whereas universities can have more variation.
As it would normally be expected in elite universities the competition to get a scholarship is very competitive. Consequently, they may ask you to provide more documents than usual, so the assessing committee will have an easier job to select the best of the applicants.
So, before moving any further in the application process, it’s recommended for you to check carefully what are the requirements to get your place. We hope that the guide on UK scholarships for International students has helped you get into your dream university. Remember to always do thorough research and never be shy of asking the admission teams for further guidance.