Abertay International Scholarship | How to Apply
The Abertay International Scholarship provides a highly accessible financial boost for overseas students heading to Abertay University in Dundee, offering up to £7,000 per year automatically applied as a tuition fee reduction. With flexible stacking rules, the award can be combined with other university funding, such as the Principal’s Excellence Scholarship – Global, increasing total financial support to £7,000 annually without a separate application. Available for up to four years across undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes, this combinable structure makes studying in the UK significantly more affordable. Below is an exact breakdown of eligibility criteria, award values, automatic assessment procedures, and how these funding options work together.
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Abertay International Scholarship Summary
| Scholarship Name ⇒ | Abertay International Scholarship |
| Host Country ⇒ | United Kingdom |
| Study Level ⇒ | Undergraduate and Masters |
| Benefits ⇒ | Up to £7,000 per year, for up to 4 years, deducted directly from tuition fees |
| Funded By ⇒ | Abertay University |
| Eligible Countries ⇒ | All countries |
| Application Deadline ⇒ | No separate scholarship deadline — automatically assessed alongside your course application. UCAS undergraduate applications generally run September to mid-January; postgraduate taught applications for September entry should ideally be submitted by early August for visa-requiring international applicants |
A Scholarship Built Into the Admissions Process Itself
Abertay University, based in Dundee, Scotland, runs this scholarship as a low-friction award — there’s no separate application form, no essay specific to the scholarship, and no additional deadline to track beyond your own course application. Every new international student who meets the eligibility conditions is automatically assessed for it as part of their standard offer of admission.
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Reducing the practical and administrative barriers between talented international applicants and financial support, rather than layering a competitive scholarship process on top of an already demanding admissions journey. Because the scholarship is deducted straight from your tuition fees rather than paid out as a separate stipend, its impact shows up immediately in what you owe the university.
What the Abertay International Scholarship Provides And How It Combines
- Up to £3,000 per year, for up to four years, deducted directly from your tuition fees
- Combinability with other Abertay scholarships, meaning your total award can be considerably higher than £3,000 depending on what else you qualify for:
- Combined with the Dean’s Scholarship (£2,000), the total rises to £5,000 per year
- Combined with the Principal’s Excellence Scholarship – Global (£4,000), the total rises to £7,000 per year
- Also combinable with the Abertay IB30+ Scholarship, for eligible International Baccalaureate applicants — check that scholarship’s own page for its specific value
- Not combinable with the Abertay Alumni Discount, which is unavailable to international (overseas) fee-paying students in the first place
Abertay also runs the Principal’s Excellence Scholarship – Europe, a considerably larger £8,000-per-year (up to £32,000 total) award specifically for EEA-domiciled students applying to the School of Social and Applied Sciences or Dundee Business School — but this particular scholarship cannot be combined with any other University scholarship or discount, unlike the International Scholarship covered here.
Also Read: How to Write a Personal Statement for Scholarship
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for the Abertay International Scholarship, applicants must meet all of the following conditions:
- You must be classified as International (Overseas) fee status by Abertay University
- You must have met all the academic conditions attached to your offer of admission, entering as a new full-time student studying an undergraduate or postgraduate taught degree, on campus, at Abertay
- For postgraduate taught programmes specifically, you must be applying with the equivalent of a UK 2:1 Bachelor’s degree or better (approximately 60% and above)
- Students admitted with Advanced Entry into Year 2 or above of an undergraduate programme are also eligible, provided they meet the conditions above
The award applies to each year of your degree, up to a maximum of four years, for the entire time you’re studying in Dundee.
Required Documents
Because there’s no separate scholarship application, the documents that matter are simply the ones required for your underlying course application, which doubles as your scholarship assessment:
For undergraduate applicants (via UCAS):
- A completed UCAS application, including your personal and contact details
- Your academic qualifications and results (or predicted grades, if still studying)
- One reference, submitted directly to UCAS by your chosen referee — typically a teacher if you’re in education, or a professional referee such as a former employer, guidance counsellor, or coach if you’re not
- Your personal statement, structured around the three questions UCAS uses for 2026 entry onward
For postgraduate taught applicants (direct application to Abertay):
- Degree transcript and certificate — an interim transcript is accepted if you’re still completing your final year
- A personal statement, around 500 words, covering why you chose the course, why you’re a strong candidate, and your plans afterward
- One or two references — an academic reference is standard, or a professional reference if you’ve been out of study for more than two years
- An English language test certificate, if English isn’t your first language (IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Cambridge English, and others are accepted)
- A passport copy, if you’re not a UK national
How to Apply for the Abertay International Scholarship
There is no separate scholarship application. You are automatically assessed for the Abertay International Scholarship based entirely on your application for study. If you meet all the eligibility criteria and are awarded the scholarship, Abertay will notify you by email following your offer of study — so continue checking your inbox closely once you’ve received your offer.
Because the scholarship rides entirely on your course application, applying well and on time to your actual degree programme is effectively your scholarship application. The process differs depending on whether you’re applying for undergraduate or postgraduate taught study:
For undergraduate applicants (via UCAS):
- Register for a UCAS account and choose your course from Abertay’s undergraduate course list.
- Apply for up to five courses through UCAS, then select your firm choice (preferred) and insurance choice (backup) once all your responses come in.
- Arrange a referee — typically a teacher if you’re currently in education, or a former employer, guidance counsellor, or coach if you’re not — and give them time to respond, ideally by applying before Christmas.
- Write your personal statement carefully: explain your reasons for choosing the course, describe your academic skills with examples, mention relevant jobs, hobbies, or volunteer experience, and outline your future career plans. As of 2026 entry, the UCAS Personal Statement is structured around three specific questions rather than a single free-form essay.
- Submit your application by the UCAS deadline, typically mid-to-late January (the exact date shifts slightly each year) — though applying earlier means an earlier offer, and if spaces remain, applications may still be accepted up to the end of June, with Clearing running from early July through August.
For postgraduate taught applicants (direct application):
- Start on your chosen course page and click “Apply Now” to reach the correct application form for your intended year of entry.
- Confirm you meet the entry requirements — most Abertay Master’s programmes require a 2:2 Honours degree or equivalent, though a few require a 2:1 (check your specific course page), and relevant professional experience can sometimes substitute for the academic requirement.
- Provide evidence of English language proficiency if English isn’t your first language — IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Cambridge English, and others are accepted.
- Fill in your personal details, list your qualifications, and upload your degree transcript and certificate (an interim transcript is accepted if you’re still studying).
- Write a personal statement of around 500 words, covering why you chose this specific course (naming modules or staff that drew you in), why you’re a strong candidate, and where the degree will take you afterward.
- Add one or two references — an academic reference is standard, though a professional reference is acceptable if you’ve been out of study for more than two years.
- Upload your supporting documents (English language certificate if applicable, and a passport copy if you’re not a UK national) and submit — you’ll receive an immediate email acknowledgement and access to the Applicant Portal to track your application.
Application Deadlines
Because the scholarship has no deadline of its own, the deadlines that actually matter are your course application deadlines:
- UK undergraduate applicants (UCAS): the final deadline is usually mid-to-late January, though early submission is strongly recommended for an earlier offer
- UK postgraduate taught applicants: aim to apply at least four weeks before your course starts; later applications may still be accepted if spaces remain
- International applicants requiring a Student visa (postgraduate taught): aim to apply by early August at the latest for September entry, to allow time for a decision, CAS issue, and visa processing
- Scholarship-specific reminder: because the Abertay International Scholarship is assessed automatically, there’s no separate scholarship deadline to track — but if you’re also hoping to combine it with another named scholarship requiring its own application or earlier cutoff, check that specific scholarship’s page, since some close earlier than the general course deadline
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to submit a separate application for the Abertay International Scholarship?
No. You are automatically assessed for it based on your standard application for study — there’s no separate form, essay, or deadline specific to the scholarship itself.
Can this scholarship be combined with other Abertay scholarships?
Yes. It can be combined with the Dean’s Scholarship (bringing the total to £5,000/year), the Principal’s Excellence Scholarship – Global (bringing the total to £7,000/year), and the Abertay IB30+ Scholarship. It cannot be combined with the Abertay Alumni Discount, which international fee-paying students aren’t eligible for regardless.
Is this scholarship available for postgraduate research degrees, like a PhD or MPhil?
No. This scholarship is specifically for undergraduate and postgraduate taught degrees, not research degrees. Postgraduate research funding at Abertay follows an entirely separate application and funding process.
What minimum grade do I need for a postgraduate taught programme?
The equivalent of a UK 2:1 Bachelor’s degree or better, approximately 60% and above.
Can students entering via Advanced Entry (into Year 2 or above) still receive this scholarship?
Yes, provided they meet all the other eligibility conditions.
How will I know if I’ve received the scholarship?
Abertay will notify you by email following your offer of study — there’s no separate scholarship notification date, so keep checking your inbox once your offer arrives.
Disclaimer: All programme details, values, and eligibility criteria in this post were verified from Abertay University’s official scholarships pages as of September 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly on Abertay University’s official website before applying, and contact [email protected] with any specific questions. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with Abertay University.
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