Students often use a mixture of funding sources to help pay for their studies, which may include scholarships.
Many external organisations offers scholarships and awards so it's worth exploring what you may be eligible for.
Listed in the tables below you will find:
- Scholarship search engines that you can use to help find an award for you
- External funding organisations that offer who provide funding opportunities
Tips for applying
- Research in advance: Look at opportunities at least a year before your studies start. This gives you the widest range of options. You’ll also have more time to spend improving and tailoring your applications.
- Find your referees: Identify suitable referees who can vouch for your qualities with authority. Having them ready helps you apply early.
- Apply for lots of opportunities: Apply for as many opportunities as possible, if you are eligible for them. This gives you the best chance of securing funding.
- Apply early: Applications often close in the year before your course starts. Some awards are even given out on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Have a backup plan: Scholarships are highly competitive, so there is always a chance that your applications won’t be successful. Make sure you look for other sources of funding in advance.
Scholarship search engines
- British Council
- Scholarship Positions
- The Scholarship Hub
- The Wellcome Trust
- FindAPhD
- FindAMasters
- Study Portals
- UKCISA (UK Council for International Studies Affairs)
- GRANTfinder 4 Education
- Postgraduate Studentships
The British Council offers a range of grants aimed at overseas students interested in undertaking their studies in the UK. Applicants can search for scholarships that are available for students by nationality.
Postgraduate Studentships (Masters Compare) provides a wide directory of taught and research scholarships; as well as other funding opportunities. The website also compares Master's courses and events.
External funding organisations
- Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Scholarships – Undergraduate/Research
- Artemis Scholarship Programme
- AKER Scholarships Norway - Postgraduate/Research
- Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) – Postgraduate/Research
- Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund - Postgraduate
- Canada Memorial Foundation - Postgraduate
- Canadian Bureau for International Education
- The Charles Wallace Trusts - Postgraduate
- Google scholarships - Undergraduate/Postgraduate/Research
- The Hongkong Bank Foundation - Undergraduate
- IAEA Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme (MSCFP) - Postgraduate
- Indian Department of Higher Education
- The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Awards – Undergraduate/Research
- Lanekassen – Undergraduate/Postgraduate/Research
- The Leathersellers' Company - Undergraduate/Postgraduate
- Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust - Undergraduate/Postgraduate
- The Martingale Foundation Postgraduate Scholarships
- The Leverhulme Trust Study Abroad Studentships - Postgraduate/Research
- London Goodenough Association of Canada - Postgraduate
- Newton PhD Programme - Research
- Public Service Commission (PSC) Scholarships – Undergraduate/Postgraduate
- Royal Television Society: Technology Bursary - Undergraduate
- The Schwab and Westheimer Trust: Education support for refugees – Undergraduate / Postgraduate
- Santander Universities Black Inclusion programme 2021 - Undergraduate
- Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust - Undergraduate/Postgraduate/Research
- Walcot Foundation Grants – Undergraduate
- The Yanai Tadashi Scholarship - Undergraduate
Artemis offers 2 scholarships for Overseas fee paying students aged between 17-21 years old, who meet the requirements set by Imperial College for the course for the year of admission. Fluency in Greek and English is required.
AKER Scholarships are open to applicants from all academic disciplines, and must be Norwegian or have a strong link to Norway. Imperial College London is one of a select list of leading universities eligible to receive AKER scholars.
See the AKER website for more information, and Imperial College London AKER scholars' biographies.
The Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund (CCSF), established in 1967, has awarded c£1,000,000 in scholarships to some 500 talented Canadians studying at over 40 different universities, colleges and conservatories across the UK. Recipients are chosen on the basis of academic or artistic excellence and their ability to represent Canada in the UK. Awards are granted to scholars from a wide range of disciplines including science, engineering, social science and humanities as well as music, creative arts and design. Fourteen outstanding Canadian scholars were awarded CCSF scholarships for the 2020-2021 academic year.
- Generation Google Scholarship (Europe, ME &Africa) - for students pursing undergraduate or graduate degrees in computer science, computer engineering, or a closely related technical field. Women strongly encouraged to apply.
- Google Europe Students with Disabilities Scholarship - for computer science students with disabilities.
- Google Conference and Travel Scholarships - for selected conferences in the tech industry and related fields.
- the HSBC Overseas Scholarship to Hong Kong University (HKU)
- the HSBC Overseas Scholarship to City University of Hong Kong
IAEA Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme (MSCFP) aims to increase the number of women in the nuclear field, supporting an inclusive workforce of men and women who contribute to and drive global scientific and technological innovation. Scholarships are awarded annually, to 100+ female students, subject to availability of funds. In the selection of students, consideration is given to geographic and field of study diversity, in addition to eligibility requirements and other criteria. The selected students are awarded up to €20,000 for tuition costs and up to €20,000 for living costs for their Master’s programme
- IET Postgraduate Research Awards for postgraduate research students who are IET members. Open to students from outside of the UK.
- IET Diamond Scholarships/IET Horizons Bursary for UK resident only on an Imperial College London IET accredited undergraduate degree programme. Further information on IET accredited programmes is available on the IET website.
- Power Academy Scholarship for Home/EU tuition fee paying student starting or currently enrolled on an Imperial IET-accredited undergraduate degree programme.
The scholarship includes:
- all tuition fees and research expenses, and a tax-free stipend for living costs.
- Tailored support to apply for a Martingale PhD Scholarship.
- Access to the Martingale Development Programme, including leadership training and connections with top academic and industry professionals.
- Membership of a pioneering community of future STEM leaders.
Apply to Santander Universities Black Inclusion Programme for 3,000 university students & grads to win free access to 8-hours of online trending financial topics incl. green finance, blockchain, private equity, etc. & the opportunity to win a £1,500 Santander Scholarship.
Santander Universities UK has joined forces with Finance Unlocked - a comprehensive, on-demand learning platform built specifically for financial education, to run a new and exciting learning experience for Black and Black Mixed undergraduate students in the UK (including students who have recently graduated in the 2019/2020 academic year).
3,000 Black and Black Mixed undergraduate students and recent graduates from all UK universities will have the opportunity to complete an 8-hour online course provided by Finance Unlocked. This will cover a range of concepts including green finance, blockchain, private equity, financial crises, and more. Participants will be able to enhance their financial skills through videos and access to real-life case studies.
Upon completion of the content and online quizzes, students with an average score of 80% or more will have the opportunity to win a £1,500 Santander Scholarship. 30 of these students will be randomly selected using an online random winner selection platform. Students and recent graduates will receive a digital certificate upon completion of the 8-hours content and quizzes to celebrate their participation in the programme.
Applications are via the Santander Universities Becas platform and applications close on 5 March 2021. The 3,000 successful applicants will be announced on 12 March 2021. The online programme for the successful applicants will launch on 30 March and run for 6 weeks. Applicants can complete the programme in their own time across the 6 week period but must complete the full 8 hours of content and associated assessments by 9 May.
- The maximum of £65,000 per student per year covers university charges for tuition, room and board, and insurance (up to £54,000 annually).
- A separate payment (up to £11,000 annually) for learning, research, and living expense subsidies.
Application period:
Scholarships offered prior to matriculation: Early July through mid-August
Scholarships for university-accepted students: End-December through early February
To apply, please see the Yanai Tadashi Foundation webpage (only available in Japanese).