Scholarships for international students
The schemes listed are the main funding awards for international students.
Most funding schemes offer partial assistance; funding bodies have strict criteria and competition for awards can be fierce. Therefore it is worth remembering to follow any instructions for how to make an application and make sure you apply before the deadline (which can be over a year before the start of your programme).
If you are seeking financial assistance you should first contact your own Ministry of Education who will be able to advise you on your own government’s schemes for students studying abroad. The British Council in your country should also be able to tell you of any British scholarship schemes for which you are eligible. If there is no British Council office, then contact your nearest British Embassy or High Commission. Some international organisations such as UNESCO and WHO operate scholarship schemes, usually for developing countries. In addition voluntary organisations such as religious bodies and charities sometimes award small bursaries. Contact the appropriate organisations in your own country for more information. You may also wish to visit the British Council scholarships and funding web pages.
Undergraduate
Subject-specific scholarships and bursaries
A number of Colleges offer scholarships for students on specific degree programmes or subjects, and travel bursaries for study abroad. See our list of current subject-specific scholarships.
These scholarships are available to offer holders aged 25-35 from a wide range of countries, excluding the USA. Details can be obtained from the British Council or Embassy in your own country. See the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Chevening Scholarships page.
The Shared Scholarship Scheme is a joint initiative between the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and UK universities, to support students from developing Commonwealth countries who would not otherwise be able to study a Masters programme in the United Kingdom. For details please visit the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme website.
Scholarships, including payment of tuition fees and living expenses, are available to students of high academic quality from Commonwealth countries. You must apply well in advance through the Commonwealth Scholarship Agency in the country in which you have your permanent home. Full details are available on the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan website.
The University is recognised by the US Department of Education for Title IV financial assistance. The University's Federal School Code list number is G09442. Advice on applications for federal aid is available on our Student Finance pages or may be sought from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) website. Disbursement of loan funding is made by cheque to the University on a termly basis.
American citizens may be eligible to apply for a Fulbright Award or Marshall Scholarship to support their Masters or PhD study. Awards are made on a competitive basis. See the relevant website for further information.
The Thouron Award is a graduate exchange programme between British universities and the University of Pennsylvania.
The University co-operates with the Said Foundation to offer Karim Rida Said Fund Scholarships to Jordanian, Lebanese, Syrian or Palestinian (including Palestinians inside Israel) nationals who are resident in the Middle East. The scheme is able to provide full or matched funding for taught masters or masters by research. In order to apply for funding you must return a Said Foundation application form to the British Council office in Amman, Beirut, Damascus, East Jerusalem or Gaza by 31 January. Ideally you will have applied to the University for your preferred course of study before this date. Further information about the scheme is available from the Said Foundation’s UK Scholarships page.
WorldWide Studies Scholarships is an educational initiative of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, aimed at fostering a new generation of Ukrainian professional elites.
The project encourages Ukrainian youth to get Master's degrees in the world's best universities in the fields selected by the Foundation as top priority for further development of Ukraine. In 2010 the first 17 young Ukrainians won the "WorldWideStudies" grant of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation. They began their studies in the fall of 2010. From November 2010 all candidates for WorldWideStudies grant award can submit their applications for academic years 2011-12 online: www.worldwidestudies.org.
Grants are offered in the following four fields: agricultural studies, environment and ecology, law and public administration. The grant primarily covers tuition fees, books and medical insurance. The scholarships are open to students commencing post-graduate study (a one or two year Masters programme) at the University of Exeter.
Application procedure:
Further information on the scholarships and how to apply can be found on the World Wide Studies for Ukraine website.
Funding for students from Japan
Daiwa Foundation Tohoku Scholarships. In response to the 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in the north east of Japan the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, in partnership with the British Council in Japan, has launched a £250,00 scholarship fund to support Japanese students in the Tohoku region. The aim of this initiative is to support post-secondary level students from any part of Tohoku (Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima or Yamagata prefectures), in particular those areas most affected by the recent events (Miyagi, Fukushima and Iwate prefectures) seeking to study for a period at an educational institution in the United Kingdom. Applications will also be considered from students from the Tohoku region who are currently studying in the UK but who require financial support to continue their studies. Scholarship applications may be submitted for the following types of courses, beginning in 2011, 2012 or 2013:
- Undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses (including foundation programmes) in all subject areas
- PhD and post-doctoral research programmes
- Vocational courses at universities and colleges of further education
- English language course (e.g. pre-sessional courses, English language summer schools)
For more details, including how to apply, please see www.dajf.org.uk or www.britishcouncil.org/japan and refer to the Tohoku Scholarships publicity. The application deadline is the 31 August 2011.
