United Kingdom Scholarships

The British Government and other United Kingdom organizations provide a number of scholarships and awards to help international students study in the UK. Contact your own Ministry of Education or Education Department for details of scholarship opportunities for students studying overseas. Your nearest British Council Office/British Embassy or High Commission should have details of British scholarship schemes, details of educational and training courses and information on living in United Kingdom.

Application for a Scholarship :

Competition is huge with strict requirements to be met. The majority of grants do not meet the whole cost of the course. Deadlines vary but you should apply for your grant at least a year before the start of your course.

Note :

Please ensure you have sufficient money to cover all academic fees and living expenses before traveling to the UK. It is almost impossible to arrange financial support once you have left your home country. Immigration authorities will not normally allow entry into the UK without evidence of total financial cover for the duration of your stay. Be particularly careful if you have only received a partial scholarship or intend to bring your family with you. The local British Council Office will advise you of up to date living costs in the United Kingdom.

British Council offices around the world are listed here : PDF files.

Once you have accepted a scholarship and begun studying, it will be very unlikely that you will be able to change you course or extend your scholarship.

Postgraduate Scholarships :

• British Chevening Scholarships- Foreign and Commonwealth Office
  British Council Fellowship Programme - British Council

Annual scholarships- Preference is given to candidates already in a career Selection is carried out overseas by British Embassies/High Commissions- you should be resident in your home country when you apply. Contact: British Embassy or British High Commission in your home country. Do not write to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London.

Grants for postgraduate study or research. Awarded by local British Council Director. Apply to the British council Office in you home country - you will be interviewed in your home country. Contact: British Council Office in your own country. British Council offices around the world are listed here :

• Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) :

Overseas Development Administration and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

You may be eligible if you are a citizen of either a Commonwealth country (not the Commonwealth of Independent States) or a British dependent territory. You must be under 25 years of age, be a permanent resident of your country and hold a university degree or equivalent qualification. It may sometimes be possible to apply to a first-degree course under this scheme if no appropriate programme of study is available in your home country. Grants are for one or three years and usually cover travel, tuition fees and living expensed. Financial help with books or clothes is sometimes available as in allowance to help you with the cost of maintaining you spouse. Contact: Commonwealth Scholarship Agency in your own country. If you are already in the UK, contact the Association of Connonwealth Universities (ACU) for advice. (See later notes).

• Department for International Development (DfID):
  Citizens of the People Republic of China are eligible to apply for this award for postgraduate research study or research attachments in science, technology, medicine, humanities and social studies. The award may cover tuition fees for up to 3 years plus a contribution to fares and UK costs.
  Contact: Chinese State Education Commission
  Outstanding Hong Kong students, intending to study postgraduate courses overseas, are eligible to apply for this award. Candidates must have a strong commitment and intention to return to Hong Kong following completion of their studies where they will be expected to work for a minimum of three years.Contact: The Secretary, Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund Council, Queensway Government Offices, Low Block, G/F 66 Queensway, Hong Kong

Shared Scholarship Scheme (formerly ODASSS) - Joint funding by the DfID and participating universities in the United Kingdom.

To be eligible you must come from a developing Commonwealth country and your chosen course be unavailable in your home country. Awards are usually for taught courses at postgraduate level. You should normally be under 35 years of age, fluent in English language, not employed by your government or by an international organization. Contact: Participating UK University. Lists are available from the British Council Office, British High Commission or the Association of Commonwealth Universities.

British Council offices around the world are listed here :

Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme (ORSAS):

Department for Education and Employment

These grants are for postgraduate registered research students. Selection is purely on academic merit and research potential. Grants, which are initially for one year but may be extended, cover the difference between home and overseas level of tuition fees. There is no maintenance grant. Contact: The British Higher Education institution which has accepted you, or provisionally accepted you, for your course, or the ORSAS office at the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals (CVAP).Royal Society Fellowships

These fellowships enable key post-doctoral scientists from a selection of countries to undertake research in the UK.

Contact: Royal Society, 6 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y5AG

Undergraduate Scholarships :

Most scholarships for study in the UK are for postgraduate courses. In special circumstances, applications for undergraduate study may be considered under the following schemes.

Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan

Department for International Development (DfID) Shared Scholarship Scheme (formerly ODASSS)

Scholarships for Specified Nationals :

Sino-British Friendship Scholarship Scheme :

Hong Kong Industrialist, Chinese Government and the DfID for postgraduate study.

Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fellowships for Overseas Studies

• British Marshall Scholarships :

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Awards for undergraduate study in the UK are open to US citizens who are graduates of US universities and are under 26 years of age. Selection is through regional committees in the US. Awards, which cover fares, tuition fees, maintenance, book, theses and travel allowances are usually for two years renewable to cover a third year in certain circumstances.Contact: USA: Universities/Colleges in the US. British Consulates General or British Information Services, 845 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022, USA.

Contact: UK: Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission, John Foster House, 36 Gordon Square, London WC1H OPF

• Fulbright Scholarships :

Department for Education and Employment and the US Government

Open to US graduates for study in the UK. NO subject or age restriction. Awarded are for nine months with a renewal for one year to a limited number of students. Grants cover round-trip travel, maintenance, approved tuition fees and an incidental allowance.Contact: The Institute of International Education (IIE) 809 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, USA

Lecturing or Advanced Research Awards

Lecturing or Advanced Research awards are also available for a minimum of three months. Programmed awards following specific requests from UK institutions and grants in aid made on a competitive basis are available. There is also a Faculty Exchange Programme award for exchange teaching purposes.Contact: The Fulbright Commission, London, by the British participant in the exchange.

Fellowships are offered for research librarians and academic administrators to spend three months gaining relevant experience in the UK. Arts fellowships and professional fellowships are awarded for periods of six to nine months study in the UK.

Contact: USA: The Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CEIS) 3400 International Drive NW Suite M-500, Washington DC 20008-3097

UK: The Fulbright Commission, 6 Porter Street, London W1M 2HB

Commonwealth Nassau Fellowship

A scheme for non-white South African students to study in Britain. Preference is given to postgraduate students who have not already obtained a first degree.

Contact: Department for International Development (DfID), 94 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 5TL

The African Educational Trust

This offers a number of scholarships to students from Southern Africa (Mostly Namibia and South Africa) especially those students who are unable to study in their home country due to political or educational discrimination.

Contact: United Nations Educational and Training programme for Southern African Scholarships, United Nations, New York, NY 10017, USA.

• Other Scholarships :

European Union (EU) Schemes

Exchange schemes for students and staff include SCRATES and ERASMUS programmes. There are also some European Commission (EC) awards for students from developing countries.

Contact: EC office in your home country or write to European Commission, Directorate General III, Rue de la Loi, 200, B-1049 Brussels, Belgium.

International Agencies

UNESCO and WHO operate schemes for developing countries.

Contact: Your own Government’s Ministry of Education

UK Colleges and Universities

A limited number of awards are available directly from the universities themselves. Contact: Then Institution at which you intend to study

Note : I will post in ASAP

• Useful Publications :

Awards for First-Degree Study at Commonwealth Universities - Association of Commonwealth Universities. Brief information on grants for undergraduate students at Commonwealth universities.

Awards for Postgraduate Study at Commonwealth Universities - Association of Commonwealth Universities. Directory of grants for postgraduate/research students at Commonwealth Universities.

Awards for University Administrators and Librarians - Association of Commonwealth Universities. Grants for students from Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth countries.

Awards for University Teachers and Research Workers - Association of Commonwealth Universities. Fellowships and grants for university staff in Commonwealth countries wishing to study/visit/teach in another Commonwealth country.

Commonwealth Universities Yearbook - Association of Commonwealth Universities. Details 500 universities of the Commonwealth.

Director of Grant Making Trusts - Charities Aid Foundation. Details of over 2,400 grant making organizations in Britain.

Education Authorized Directory and Annual - The School Government Publishing Co. - Educational Authorities and Associations Lists.

Education Yearbook - Longman. Addresses of UK education organizations, schools, tertiary institutions, school associations, and publishers.

Educational Grants Directory - Directory of Social Change. Lists over 1,100 educational charities. Includes section on awards for international students.

Grants Register - Macmillan. Information on scholarships, fellowships, research grants, exchange and vacation study opportunities, professional and vocational grants.

Guide to the Major Grant-Making Trusts - Directory of Social Change. Information on over 200 of the largest grant-making of organizations in the UK.

Study Abroad - UNESCO. Country-by-country list of grants for studying in over 100 countries worldwide, including UK.

Universities of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) 36 Gordon Square London WC1 0PF Tel: 44 20 7 380 6700

Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals (CVP) 29 Tavistock Square London WC1 H 9EZ Tel: 44 20 7 419 4111 Fax: 44 20 7 388 8649

Department for Education and Employment Student Support Division Room 336, Mowden Hall Staindrop Rd, Darlington DL3 9BG Tel: 44 870 001 2345 Fax: 44 207 925 6798

Department for Education and Employment HE Branch International Students Team Sanctuary Buildings Great Smith St. London SW1P 3BT

Students Award Agency for Scotland Gylevciew House 3 Redheaughs Rigg South Gyle Edinburgh EH12 9HH

Sources : Study In Britain

• Australian Scholarships Information
• Ende Regency
• Sikka Regency