UK scholarships for master’s: Where international students should look

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14 Aug 2020

scholarship to uk universities — There are many organisations and charities where international students can win funds, grants and scholarships to UK universities. Source: Ben Stansall/AFP

In pre-pandemic days, international students heading to UK universities would be looking forward to experience the world-famous charms of the country: the electrics of London, pub culture, world-famous museums, fish and chips. UK scholarships for master’s studies let international students experience all the above and earn a respected degree at the same time.

Things will be a little different this year and next but a UK scholarship is still the coveted prize it is.

Sure, you’ll probably spend the first few months online, some classes will be virtual and the student union will probably be quieter than usual. The upsides, however, is it will be more affordable and even easier to win a scholarship from UK universities during COVID-19.

Try the fish and chips, yes, but also go for the double-carbohydrate guilty pleasure of pattie and chips when you’re in the UK — you’ve earned it, scholarship recipient. Source: Paul Ellis/AFP

We’ve written about the most popular UK scholarships for international students before. Financial support for international students typically isn’t as numerous as for domestic students, but if you know where to look, there are many lesser-known resources to tap.

Scotland: Saltire Scholarship

This is a programme of scholarships offered by the Scottish Government in collaboration with Scottish universities in the areas of science, technology, creative industries, healthcare and medical sciences, and renewable and clean energy. Up to 50 awards are up for grabs, each worth 8,000 pounds towards tuition fees for any one-year of full-time study on a postgraduate master’s programme at any of Scotland’s higher education institutions.

Citizens of Canada, India, Japan, USA, Pakistan or China (Hong Kong citizens are also eligible as it is a Special Administrative Region of China) with an unconditional or conditional offer from a participating university are eligible to apply.

The Charles Wallace Pakistan Trust

Doctoral students are invited to apply for awards by this charity twice a year, in late May and early December. It is open to doctoral students in certain disciplines from Pakistan who are already in the UK and who are normally in their final year, or anticipating the final year, of their PhDs.

Pakistanis are the second-largest ethnic minority population in the UK. Source: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP

The maximum grant is usually 1,000 pounds. Discplines eligible for this are: the humanities, arts, and creative industries; the social sciences and social development; and life sciences including medicine.

The Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust

Every year, the trust offers grants between 500 to 1,500 pounds to mature students of proven academic merit and in financial need to pursue postgraduate degrees in any subject, as well as courses in medicine or veterinary sciences taken as a second degree.

Students from all countries can apply but must be a resident in the UK at the time of applying and during their course of study. Applications for 2021/211 will open next January.

KESWA Charity

KESWA offers help to several groups in need of welfare, including disadvantaged students. Scholarships, incentives and other support are provided. Shristhi, an MSc Marketing student at Nottingham Trent University won a small grant from KESWA, which partially helped her pursue her master’s in the UK.

Gilchrist Educational Trust

Established in 1865, the trust initiallyfunded many students from India, Canada and Australia to study in Britain. Today, it has evolved to help students in the last year of the course facing unexpected financial difficulties which may prevent the completion of it. There are travel grants for students who need to spend a short period studying abroad as part of their course as well.