funding and scholarships for study in United Kingdom

Financial help for international students for higher studies in United Kingdom:

There are many scholarships and awards offered to international students by The British government and other UK organizations. Go to the funding section of the British Council website. You can also download a basic guide to possible sources of funding for international students who want to study in the UK.
Following provides a partial list of grants and scholarships for postgraduate studies in UK:*

• British Chevening Scholarships: (Funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) Selection of candidates is carried out overseas by British Embassies and High commissions in consultationwith the local British Council Director. You should, therefore, be resident in your home country when you apply. Some British Chevening awards are jointly funded with private companies, universities, trusts, foundations and other grant-making organisations. These are usually advertised locally in those countries where the awards are offered and on the British Council country web pages. Contact the British Embassy, British High Commission or British Council office in your own country.

• Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP): (Funded by the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) You may be eligible for a Commonwealth Scholarship if you are a citizen of either a Commonwealth country (not the Commonwealth of Independent States) or a British dependent territory. Grants are for one to three years and usually cover the cost of travel, tuition fees and living expenses. www.acu.ac.uk

Grants and scholarships from other agencies:
•  European Union (EU) schemes: The European Union (EU) provides some grants to promote the exchange of students and academic staff within Europe, such as the SOCRATES and LEONARDO programmes.
• International agencies: Some international organizations such as UNESCO and WHO operate schemes, usually for developing countries. Contact your own government’s Ministry of Education.
•  Voluntary organizations: Search in your own country if any charitable organization or religious bodies offer any award.
•  UK colleges and universities: Many UK institutions have a limited number of scholarships for international students. However, they may be restricted to students studying particular subjects or from certain countries. When searching for the institutes, we advice you to also look for the scholarships that are offered by the university / college for the particular course of study, though it shouldn’t be a deciding factor in selection of an institution.
*Sourced from the British Council web site.

It is essential that you thoroughly explore all the options while still in your home country. You should get as much information as possible from your home countries education ministry. Other best way is to contact the local British Council office to find the scholarships that are available to students from your country.
To search scholarships by institution, charity and organization use British Council web site
http://www.educationuk.org/scholarships/.

• DfID Shared Scholarship Scheme: (Funded by the Department for International Development and participating universities in theUK). This scheme assists academically able students from developing Commonwealth countries.

• Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme (ORSAS): (Funded by the Department for Education and Skills (DFES)). These grants are for postgraduate students undertaking full-time study for a higher degree as registered research students at British universities. Selection of candidates is based solely on academic merit and research potential. www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/orsas

• Royal Society Fellowships: These fellowships enable key postdoctoral scientists from a selection of countries to undertake research in the UK.

• British Marshall Scholarships: (Funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) Awards are open to US citizens under twenty-six years of age who are graduates of US universities, to undertake study in any subject leading to a degree at a UK university. Selection is by regional committee in the USA. www.marshallscholarship.org

• Fulbright Scholarships: (Funded by the Department for Education and Skills (DFES) and the US government) This scholarship is open to a limited number of US graduate students studying in UK. There are no restrictions on subject or age. This scholarship is awarded on a competitive basis for nine months, with renewal of one year to a limited number of students. The awards cover round-trip travel, a maintenance allowance, approved tuition fees, where applicable, and an incidental expense allowance. www.iie.org/fulbright