Studying in the UK is a life-changing experience for many international students. With its renowned universities and research opportunities, the UK offers a unique platform for students to excel in their chosen fields. However, the financial challenges of studying abroad can be significant. Scholarships help in overcoming these hurdles and achieving academic success.

The UK Government and its partners have established several scholarships for international students which offer a range of benefits including tuition fee coverage and living expenses.

In this article, we will explore these leading scholarships and discuss alternative funding options for students like student loans in UK that can help students to have a successful journey abroad.

Popular UK Government Scholarships for International Students

1. Chevening Scholarships

• Scholarship Type: Academic
• Level of Study: Postgraduate
• Scholarship Value: Fully Funded
• Application Deadline: The dates for 2025 are not declared yet, but Application Deadlines are mostly around 1st week of November

Description: The Chevening Scholarship was founded by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and other organisations. The scholarship is awarded to students who have a combination of strong leadership skills and academic background.

To be eligible for this scholarship, the applicant should:

• Be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible Country or Territory.
• Return to their country of citizenship for at least two years after your award has ended.
• Have completed an Undergraduate Degree and gain entry into a postgraduate program at a UK University by the time you submit your application. This is equivalent to an upper second-class 2:1 Honours Degree in the UK but may differ depending on the course and university choice.
• Have at least two years of work experience or equivalent to 2,800 hours.
• Apply to 3 different eligible UK University courses and have received an unconditional offer from any one of these choices before the deadline.
  
  

2. Commonwealth Masters Scholarships

• Scholarship Type: Academic
• Level of Study: Postgraduate
• Scholarship Value: Full Tuition Fees Coverage, Monthly Stipend for Living (£1,652 per month for London & £1,347 per month for other Cities) and other benefits
• Application Deadline: The deadlines for 2025 will be announced soon
  

Description: The Commonwealth Masters Scholarship is offered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK providing Government Scholarship Schemes led with the intent of international development. This Scholarships for International Students in the UK aims to attract students with outstanding talent along with recognizable potential from all backgrounds.

To be eligible for this Scholarship the applicant should match the following criteria:

• Should be a Citizen or Permanent Resident of an eligible Commonwealth country
• Should start studies in the UK by the beginning of the UK’s academic year in September 2025.
• Should hold their first degree by September 2024, of at least upper second-class (2:1) honours standard, or a lower second-class Degree and a relevant postgraduate qualification. This scholarship is only for the first Master's Degree. However, if applying for a second Master’s degree, applicants must provide justification as to why they wish to undertake this study.
• Should have all supporting documentation in the required format.
  
  

3. British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM

• Scholarship Type: Academic
• Level of Study: Postgraduate
• Scholarship Value: Full Tuition Fees Coverage, Stipend, Visa and Health Coverage, Travel Costs, Refund of IELTS
• Application Deadline: The application deadlines for 2025 will be announced soon

Description: The Scholarship intends to promote the role of women in STEM-related fields in higher education. The involvement of more women can lead to better scientific and financial outcomes, improving diversity in the workforce, bringing fresh perspectives and ideas giving organisations a competitive edge.

To be eligible for this scholarship the applicants must match the following criteria:

• Should be able to take up a course of study in the UK for the academic year from September/October 2025 – 2026.
• Should require financial support.
• Should have an Undergraduate Degree that will help them to gain access to the pre-selected Postgraduate Courses at a UK University
• Should be able to attain the level of English required for Postgraduate study at a UK University.
• Should be active in the field with relevant work experience or a proven interest in their subject area.
• They should be passionate about their course of study and willing to engage as a British Council Scholarship Alumni.
  
  

4. GREAT Scholarships

• Scholarship Type: Academic
• Level of Study: Postgraduate
• Scholarship Value: £10,000
• Application Deadline: Application for 2025-26 Intakes are expected to Open Shortly

Description: GREAT Scholarships are for students from 15 countries who come to study one-year taught postgraduate courses in the UK. In this academic year 2024-25, the scholarships have been awarded to 2010 students by 71 universities across countries like England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The scholarship is available for international students from countries like

• China
• India
• Bangladesh
• Egypt
• Ghana
• Greece
• Indonesia
• Kenya
• Malaysia
• Nigeria
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Turkey
• Vietnam
• Thailand

You can find a list of universities that offer this scholarship on their website along with eligible courses and a guide on how to apply.

5. The Global Wales Postgraduate Scholarship

• Scholarship Type: Academic
• Level of Study: Postgraduate
• Scholarship Value: Up to £10,000 Tuition Fees Waiver
• Application Deadline: The application deadline for 2025 will be announced soon

Description: This scholarship is for students in countries like India, Vietnam, Canada, the USA and countries that are a part of the European Union. The prestigious scholarship is the one of its kind in Wales, among all Universities in the country.

The applicant needs to fulfil the following eligibility criteria: To be eligible for the scholarship the applicants must be a part of the eligible postgraduate program at a list of Welsh Universities. Applicants can find this list of universities on their official website.

• Should start their program at the beginning of the year in September.
• Should be classified as a foreign student for fee-paying purposes and should be citizens of the selected countries.
• In case the cost of tuition is less than the scholarship award, the tuition will be covered in full without any extra amount given to the students.

These are the popular scholarships offered by the UK Government. Now let’s take a look at some other ways to fund education in the UK.

Ways to Fund Higher Education in the UK

Other than scholarships, here are some popular ways to fund education in the UK for International students:

• Self-Funding
• Part-time Jobs
• Education Loans
• Crowdfunding

These are some ways students can fund their education. After scholarships, Education Loans are a popular choice among students to fund education. Let’s look at them.

Why Choose Education Loans?

In this article, we have seen 5 Scholarships that are offered by the UK Government. These scholarships are prestigious and offer necessary help to talented students from around the world. However, the reality is that these scholarships are highly competitive as there are students from around the world competing for them.

Along with that, most of the scholarships may only cover tuition fees or a part of the tuition fee or some scholarships cover living expenses as well to a certain extent. So, relying on a scholarship entirely is not wise.

Thus, students need student loans for studying abroad as loans can cover the maximum or the entire expenses of students planning to study abroad. These loans can be Secured or Unsecured based on the applicant’s credit history and can offer the maximum financial support that is required for students to study in international universities. So, taking student loans in the UK can be the right funding decision to make as it can cover a significant portion of the educational expenses.

To know more about these loans, reach out to us at Élan Overseas Education Loans. Our Expert Loan Advisors help students get the right loan option and provide application assistance as well.

Connect with our Team Élan today and get your loan funding sorted!