Apply Now for Fully Funded Graduate Scholarships UK

Could a place at Oxford, Cambridge or Imperial change your life and cost you nothing?

You’re about to get a clear, future-focused view of how to apply and secure top UK funding while deadlines remain open.

Expect concise guidance on what awards cover from tuition and monthly stipends to accommodation, travel and health cover with real examples like Chevening, Gates Cambridge, Clarendon, OCIS and Imperial College London PhD awards.

You’ll learn why ticking the funding box in an application matters and how Cambridge and Oxford allocate support, plus practical pointers on timing, referees and documents that help international students stand out.

By the end you’ll have a simple plan to move from research to application and a fast shortlist of the best opportunities for your chosen course and city.

Why now is the right time to secure postgraduate funding in the UK

Begin a year ahead and you’ll be ready for deadlines, references and funding forms instead of rushing at the last minute.

Cambridge recommends starting your search at least a year before your course, and up to 18 months for January or April starts. About 64% of doctoral students there have fee and maintenance support, while roughly 14% of Master’s students are awarded the same type of aid.

Acting early gives you time to check eligibility, tailor applications and tick the internal funding box on your course application so you are auto-considered for many awards.

You’ll also understand tuition and living costs for the coming year and plan how to combine university, government and external help. Waiting until after you accept a place makes funding far harder to find.

• Start 12–18 months out to meet most deadlines.
• Map referees and documents across multiple applications.
• Monitor new opportunities and respond fast to rolling calls.

fully funded graduate scholarships UK: your curated shortlist

Here’s a compact shortlist of top awards that cover tuition fees, living costs and travel for strong international candidates.

Chevening Scholarship: The chevening scholarship covers university tuition fees, a monthly living allowance, an economy return airfare and extra grants for essential expenses. It suits applicants who can show leadership and clear career impact.

Gates Cambridge: Gates supports Master’s and PhD study with a £17,500 annual stipend, health insurance, up to £2,000 for academic development and family allowances up to £10,120. Align your programme with Cambridge’s research priorities.

Clarendon (Oxford): Clarendon pays full tuition fees and provides an annual living grant (circa £15,009–£15,285). It favours excellent academic records for Master’s and DPhil candidates.

Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies: These awards cover 100% of course fees plus a living costs grant for eligible students in relevant fields.

Imperial College London PhD Scholarship: Imperial offers tuition coverage and an annual maintenance contribution (around £16,553) for research degree students with strong proposals and referees.

• Compare deadlines and eligibility to stagger your application effort.
• Emphasise academic excellence, leadership and impact in each application.
• Prepare documents early to improve your chance in these competitive awards.

University-specific funding opportunities you should prioritise

Look closely at each university’s awards pages to match your research or master proposal to what they fund.

Cambridge funding landscape

Cambridge splits support into course-and-living awards versus partial or self-funded routes.

Note: about 64% of doctoral students receive course and living support, while roughly 14% of master's students do. Use departmental and college listings to find which programmes prioritise full support for your degree.

Oxford excellence and MBA funding

Oxford’s Pershing Square path offers five awards that cover tuition and a living grant of £15,285 for both the MSc and MBA year.

Target cross-disciplinary proposals that show clear impact and leadership to strengthen your application to these prestigious college-led awards.

London options worth your attention

Goldsmiths’ International Response award includes a tuition fee waiver, an accommodation fee waiver and a yearly stipend of about £8,825.

Meanwhile, Westminster’s Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarships aim to fully support an eligible undergraduate from a developing country for a full-time degree at the University of Westminster.

"Search college listings and faculty pages early many niche awards never appear on general funding round-ups."

• Use university pages and a dedicated funding search to uncover niche offers for your programme.
• Map timelines across faculties so your application process is organised before internal deadlines.
• Check tuition coverage details carefully to spot any fee top-ups or exclusions before you accept an offer.

What fully funded really covers: tuition fee waiver, living costs and more

Understand precisely what a complete award pays for, and which extra costs you must still plan to cover.

You should check whether an award pays your tuition directly to the university or issues a fee waiver that removes the charge from your bill. Some universities cap the tuition fee at a set rate; if your course fee is higher you may be asked to pay the difference.

How stipends, accommodation and travel support work

Most major awards for example Chevening, Gates Cambridge, Clarendon and OCIS include 100% of tuition fees plus a maintenance stipend for living costs. Imperial’s PhD scholarships cover tuition and an annual maintenance contribution (around £16,553).

• Check whether the stipend is paid monthly and if it aligns with termly rent.
• Confirm extras: Chevening adds return flights; Gates Cambridge includes health insurance.
• Goldsmiths’ International Response offers a tuition fee waiver, an accommodation fee waiver and about £8,825 per year.

Finally, budget for items often excluded: visa fees, the NHS surcharge, initial set-up and any departmental levies. Read your offer letter closely and build a short personal budget that maps payments and dates to your course and living costs.

Open to international students: scholarships you can apply for from overseas

Many UK awards explicitly welcome applicants applying from overseas, so you can start from home and still compete for top funding.

Chevening Scholarship is open to international students for Master’s study and includes tuition, a living allowance and a return airfare. Prepare certified transcripts, references and your career plan to meet remote eligibility checks.

Goldsmiths’ International Response at University London supports overseas applicants with a tuition fee waiver, accommodation fee waiver and about £8,825 per year. Check whether your chosen programme includes extra lab or field costs.

• Apply from home: use university portals and scanned certified documents.
• Plan timelines for visas, English tests and reference letters so payments match your start date.
• Prepare for remote interviews and digital portfolios across time zones.

Tip: filter for awards that are explicitly open international applicants, confirm eligible countries, and follow official portals to avoid common submission errors. This improves your chance for competitive, fully-funded scholarships.

Application process essentials: how to submit a strong bid

Plan each step of the application process so deadlines, referees and documents align without last-minute stress.

Use the university application portal carefully and tick the ‘I wish to apply for funding’ option where available. Cambridge confirms many awards are reached via the Applicant Portal, so this simple step often converts your course application into a funding submission.

Using portals and ticking the funding option

Start early and note each fund’s separate process and deadline. Save drafts, check file formats and follow naming rules to avoid technical rejections.

Supporting documents and referees

Prepare a master checklist: CV, transcripts, personal statement, research proposal and referees’ details. Brief referees on your aims so their letters align with your application.

"Begin with a clear checklist and give referees at least four weeks to respond."

1. Tailor your personal statement to the award’s priorities.
2. Rehearse interview answers that show research fit and impact.
3. Record submissions and feedback for continuous improvement.

Deadlines and timelines: when to apply for the next intake

Start with the end date: work backwards from your course start to set test dates, references and portal submissions for the coming year.

Map the cycle many UK calls open in early autumn, with major scholarship deadlines in autumn and winter and offers arriving in the new year. Cambridge recommends searching at least 12 months ahead, and up to 18 months for January or April intakes.

Keep a master calendar and set milestone reminders for application steps, internal funding forms and departmental cut‑offs that are separate from course deadlines.

• Schedule tests and brief referees early so your application is ready well before key windows close.
• Track rolling opportunities and reopened studentships throughout the year.
• Align your process with funders’ interview weeks and result announcements.
• Plan when tuition is due and how award payments affect your cashflow for the year ahead.

Partially funded options to combine with loans and support

If a full award is out of reach, partially funded paths can still make study viable.

Bespoke awards reduce your tuition fees and let you arrange loans or government support for the remainder. For many applicants this mix is the only realistic route to start on time.

University of Dundee & Bath examples

University of Dundee Global Excellence provides £5,000 for one year on many postgraduate taught courses. This global excellence award directly lowers the tuition fee you owe.

At Bath, the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence gives £5,000 and the Global Leaders Scholarship often appears as a £5,000 fee waiver. Both are useful when you need to reduce costs towards cost coverage.

Tactics for stacking partial awards and loans

• Confirm whether each award pays the tuition fee directly or reimburses you; this affects cash flow and visa proof.
• Combine departmental fee reductions with an external loan or government-backed loan where available to close gaps.
• Time applications so partial awards are settled before tuition deadlines to avoid last-minute borrowing.

"Small awards can change the math: £5,000 cuts a typical tuition bill significantly and reduces how much you need to borrow."

Keep a shortlist of partial options and compare the long‑term cost of loans against the immediate saving from a scholarship. Check eligibility for open international applicants and plan to combine funding in a way that keeps your study plan viable.

Spotlight on Loughborough and London campus offers

Loughborough and the London campus list a wide range of awards that cut tuition bills sharply for many applicants.

International student awards: up to 100% tuition fee waivers

International students can access awards that range from a full tuition fee waiver to large partial grants.

Available options include a 100% tuition fee waiver for one year, a £15,000 partial fee waiver, 90% off at the London campus and smaller 20% discounts.

UK student support: bursaries and variable discounts

UK students see grants and bursaries up to £10,000 and campus-specific support up to £18,025 or £12,471 (2024–25 figures).

Some awards are open to all UK and international students; others are department-specific, such as Institute for Sport Business (100% tuition fees for one year) or Business and Economics (50% off tuition fee).

How to use these offers:

• Compare 20%, 50% and 100% discounts and check eligibility by campus and department.
• Prioritise open international awards or those open international students can enter to maximise options.
• Confirm whether awards apply automatically for academic excellence or require a separate application and supporting evidence.

Combine campus awards with departmental discounts to bring your overall fees down. Check renewal criteria early and submit your application on time to secure the best funding mix.

Eligibility and selection criteria: who stands out

What wins attention is a blend of top grades, a tight research plan and activities that prove you can turn ideas into results.

Academic excellence is often the first filter. Panels expect first-class or high 2:1 results, published work, prizes or major project outputs that show deep subject knowledge.

Leadership and impact matter too. Evidence of community work, internships or professional achievements tells selectors you will contribute beyond the lecture theatre.

You must align your programme and degree choice with the funder’s aims. Chevening values leadership and networks; Gates Cambridge looks for academic fit with Cambridge; Clarendon rewards academic merit across Oxford. Show how your studies advance those goals.

• Demonstrate research potential with a clear proposal and supervisor fit for master and doctoral posts.
• Meet language and minimum eligibility checks so you clear early filters.
• Explain costs and personal circumstances where schemes weigh financial need alongside merit.

"Tailor examples to each university’s norms and use measurable outcomes rather than generic claims."

For a deeper case study on postgraduate awards and eligibility, read this short guide: Beit Trust postgraduate awards.

Where to find funding opportunities beyond this list

Start your search beyond headline awards to uncover lesser-known funds that match your course and profile.

Postgraduate Funding Search, departments and colleges

Use the Postgraduate Funding Search to scan central university awards and studentships first. Then drill into department pages and college notices for niche grants and fee support tied to a specific programme or supervisor.

Check doctoral training programmes and funded research projects — they often include tuition plus a stipend that contributes towards cost.

Government support, external scholarships and loans

Look beyond university pages: government schemes, reputable external scholarships and sensible loans can complete your funding mix. The Accessibility and Disability Resource Centre lists extra help for disabled students and international students who need tailored support.

• Set alerts for new listings and internal deadlines so you can apply fast.
• Contact departments about unlisted studentships attached to supervisors or grants.
• Review tuition and fees schedules to align award payments with university deadlines.

"Cross-check eligibility across multiple opportunities and keep a simple tracker of outcomes and feedback."

Take the next step: apply now and maximise your chances

Act now to align each deadline, refine your story and submit applications that stand out. Use the university portal, tick the funding option and map your application process to key dates so nothing is missed.

Target the major awards and sensible partial routes in parallel. Competitive calls like Chevening, Gates Cambridge, Clarendon, OCIS, Imperial PhD and Pershing Square are time‑sensitive. Also include Dundee and Bath fee reductions and one year campus waivers from Loughborough or London.

Get references, transcripts and a tight personal statement ready this week. Confirm tuition, fees, waiver and living cover, and plan any small loans to close gaps. Early, well‑paced students win the best offers; start your applications today.

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