A growing number of external organisations offer scholarships, helping you successfully complete your studies.
Our scholarships search tool
Search all the scholarships that we administer in one place.
External scholarships and awards
- Scholarship search engines that you can use to help find an award for you
- External funding organisations that offer who provide funding opportunities
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 Masters courses and events.
External funding organisations
- Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Scholarships – Undergraduate/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
- 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 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
- Yanai Tadashi Scholarship - Undergraduate
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.
Grants for undergraduate study - To be eligible to apply, you need to be: a resident of the UK; studying for a full-time undergraduate degree at a recognised UK university; in ‘financial need’; The child (including step child/under the care of), spouse, or those themselves who work: In the Grocery Industry; In a Community Pharmacy or as a registered Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician; As a Commercial Traveller
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.
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.