Fully Funded Scholarships in the UK for International Students
The United Kingdom remains one of the premier study destinations for international students, offering globally recognized degrees, accelerated program durations, and world-class research facilities across undergraduate, taught master’s, and doctoral levels, offering fully funded packages that cover 100% of university tuition fees, monthly living stipends, return international airfare, arrival allowances, and student visa application costs (alongside the NHS healthcare surcharge).
Don’t Miss: Top Fully Funded Scholarships for International Students
When applying for UK funding, prospective candidates must navigate key structural and eligibility requirements: prestigious awards like Chevening and Commonwealth enforce strict post-study return requirements mandating scholars to return to their home countries for a minimum of two years, require demonstrated leadership track records alongside undergraduate academic excellence, and operate on rigid annual deadlines nearly a full academic year prior to program intake, making early application preparation, university admission clearing, and meticulous documentation essential for success.
Also, Check Out: Top Fully Funded Master’s Scholarships in Europe
Fully Funded Scholarships in the UK for International Students Summary
| SCHOLARSHIP | HOST INSTITUTION | STUDY LEVEL |
| Churchill Cambridge Scholarship | Churchill College, Cambridge | PhD |
| Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships | Various UK universities | Master’s |
| University of Leeds Doctoral Scholarships | University of Leeds | PhD |
| LSTM Future Leaders Scholarship | Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine | Master’s |
| LSTM Humanitarian Scholarship | Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine | Master’s |
| Stirling SAIC MSc Scholarships | University of Stirling | Master’s |
| SOAS Teaching Scholarships | SOAS University of London | Master’s & PhD |
| SOAS Hyundai Motor Group Scholarship | SOAS University of London | Master’s & PhD |
| Aston University Ferguson Scholarship | Aston University | Master’s |
| JP Morgan Scholarship | Imperial College London | Master’s |
| Strathclyde Global Research Scholarship | University of Strathclyde | PhD |
| Oxford Ellison Undergraduate Scholars Program | University of Oxford | Undergraduate |
| UCL Biosciences Graduate Training Assistant Scholarship | University College London | PhD |
1. Churchill Cambridge Scholarship
This scholarship has one of the narrowest eligible applicant pools on this list: it is exclusively for University of Alberta graduates entering PhD studies in Engineering at Churchill College, Cambridge. The university awards only one scholarship each year, and applicants follow a highly focused application process. You must submit a single PDF directly to the University of Cambridge’s Engineering Department containing a two-page letter explaining your interest in Cambridge, your Alberta transcript, and two references, preferably from Alberta, rather than applying through a general scholarship portal.
Scholarship Name ⇒ Churchill Cambridge Scholarship
Host Country ⇒ United Kingdom
Study Level ⇒ PhD
Click Here for Churchill Cambridge Scholarship Application Process
2. Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships
This is a genuinely distinctive structure among UK scholarships: rather than requiring relocation, it funds part-time Master’s study delivered entirely through distance learning, letting recipients stay in their home country while studying at a UK university. It’s specifically restricted to citizens of low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries, and the funding runs for up to five years of part-time study — a considerably longer support window than most UK scholarships, which typically fund a single one- or two-year programme.
Scholarship Name ⇒ Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships
Host Country ⇒ United Kingdom (distance learning)
Study Level ⇒ Master’s
Click Here for Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships Application Process
3. University of Leeds Doctoral Scholarships
Worth flagging directly: despite appearing on an international scholarship compilation, this specific Leeds scholarship is restricted to UK-only, Home fee-rated students — international applicants don’t qualify under this particular award, regardless of academic strength. It’s genuinely comprehensive for eligible students, though: full tuition plus a maintenance stipend, supporting both full-time and part-time PhD study.
Scholarship Name ⇒ University of Leeds Doctoral Scholarships
Host Country ⇒ United Kingdom
Study Level ⇒ PhD
Click Here for Leeds Doctoral Scholarships Application Process
4. LSTM Future Leaders Scholarship
This is a separate award from LSTM’s Humanitarian Scholarship below, worth distinguishing clearly — Future Leaders is open broadly to applicants from low- and middle-income countries generally, without the specific refugee or humanitarian protection status requirement the Humanitarian Scholarship carries. It’s built around developing leadership skills specifically for tackling global health challenges, reflecting LSTM’s institutional focus on tropical medicine and global health rather than a general Master’s scholarship.
Scholarship Name ⇒ LSTM Future Leaders Scholarship
Host Country ⇒ United Kingdom
Study Level ⇒ Master’s
Click Here for LSTM Future Leaders Scholarship Application Process
5. LSTM Humanitarian Scholarship
LSTM’s Humanitarian Scholarship carries a specific eligibility bar that the Future Leaders Scholarship above doesn’t: evidenced Refugee Status or Humanitarian Protection recognised under the 1951 UN Convention, not simply general LMIC citizenship. Your application needs a 700-word statement covering the specific risk you’ve faced, your academic goals, and the concrete impact your studies will have on addressing global health challenges — a meaningfully different application than a standard personal statement.
Scholarship Name ⇒ LSTM Humanitarian Scholarship
Host Country ⇒ United Kingdom
Study Level ⇒ Master’s
Click Here for LSTM Humanitarian Scholarship Application Process
6. University of Stirling SAIC MSc Scholarships
Funded specifically by the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre, this scholarship is narrower than a general Stirling award — tied to aquaculture-relevant Master’s programmes at the Institute of Aquaculture specifically, a university globally recognised for aquaculture research. The two-tier deadline structure is worth noting: Overseas applicants face a considerably earlier cutoff (March 28) than UK applicants (May 29), a two-month gap reflecting the longer visa and enrolment lead time international students typically need.
Scholarship Name ⇒ Stirling SAIC MSc Scholarships
Host Country ⇒ United Kingdom
Study Level ⇒ Master’s
Click Here for Stirling SAIC MSc Scholarships Application Process
7. SOAS Teaching Scholarships
This is a genuinely distinctive PhD-level scholarship structure: alongside full tuition and a maintenance stipend, recipients gain actual teaching experience as part of the award, building both financial support and academic career development into a single package. Eligibility spans an unusually broad mix — International Students, UK Students, and applicants specifically from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East together — reflecting SOAS’s core institutional focus on those regions rather than a general global scholarship.
Scholarship Name ⇒ SOAS Teaching Scholarships
Host Country ⇒ United Kingdom
Study Level ⇒ Master’s & PhD
Click Here for SOAS Teaching Scholarships Application Process
8. SOAS Hyundai Motor Group Scholarship
This scholarship is deliberately restricted to African students specifically — not international students broadly — reflecting its explicit purpose of building expertise that contributes to sustainable development and transformation across Africa. The Master’s and PhD funding levels differ meaningfully: Master’s recipients receive a defined funding package, while PhD recipients receive full tuition plus a separate, larger annual stipend.
Scholarship Name ⇒ SOAS Hyundai Motor Group Scholarship
Host Country ⇒ United Kingdom
Study Level ⇒ Master’s & PhD
Click Here for SOAS Hyundai Motor Group Scholarship Application Process
9. Aston University Ferguson Scholarship
This scholarship is unusually specific in its geographic targeting — restricted to African countries and India together, a combination reflecting the Ferguson family’s own specific philanthropic priorities through the Allan and Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust, rather than a broader institutional Aston scholarship policy. The combined benefit — £22,500 tuition plus £6,000 living support — is structured to cover a genuinely meaningful share of both academic and living costs together, rather than a tuition-only award leaving recipients to separately fund an entire year of UK living expenses.
Scholarship Name ⇒ Aston University Ferguson Scholarship
Host Country ⇒ United Kingdom
Study Level ⇒ Master’s
Click Here for Aston Ferguson Scholarship Application Process
10. JP Morgan Scholarship
This scholarship requires meeting at least one specific widening participation criterion — financial disadvantage, minority ethnic background, being a woman in a field where finance remains male-dominated, or having a disability recognised under Section 6 of the UK Equality Act — alongside exceptional academic merit; strong grades alone aren’t sufficient without also meeting one of these criteria. A specific sequencing applies: you must first accept your MSc offer and pay any required deposit before your scholarship application is even considered.
Scholarship Name ⇒ JP Morgan Scholarship
Host Country ⇒ United Kingdom
Study Level ⇒ Master’s
Click Here for JP Morgan Scholarship Application Process
11. University of Strathclyde Global Research Scholarship
This scholarship is genuinely open to both domestic and international students under the same funding pool, spanning applicants from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, and every international country — a genuinely rare structural openness among UK PhD scholarships, most of which draw a hard line between Home and international funding streams. At full tuition for up to 36 months, this represents comprehensive coverage of a standard three-year UK PhD timeline, delivered through Strathclyde Business School specifically.
Scholarship Name ⇒ Strathclyde Global Research Scholarship
Host Country ⇒ United Kingdom
Study Level ⇒ PhD
Click Here for Strathclyde Global Research Scholarship Application Process
12. University of Oxford Ellison Undergraduate Scholars Program
This is a genuinely unusual undergraduate structure at Oxford: it’s led not by Oxford itself but by the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), and it combines standard undergraduate degree study with real-world innovation project work run through EIT — meaning scholars split their time between traditional Oxford coursework and applied, project-based work outside the standard academic curriculum. The benefit package is genuinely comprehensive: tuition, living stipends, travel costs, paid internships, and healthcare together, reflecting a programme built to fully remove financial barriers rather than offering partial support.
Scholarship Name ⇒ Oxford Ellison Undergraduate Scholars Program
Host Country ⇒ United Kingdom
Study Level ⇒ Undergraduate
Click Here for Oxford Ellison Scholars Program Application Process
13. UCL Biosciences Graduate Training Assistant Scholarship
This is a four-year funded PhD studentship specifically within UCL’s Biosciences department, combining tuition fee coverage with a living stipend across the full standard duration of a UK doctorate — a genuinely complete funding package rather than a partial award requiring supplementary funding elsewhere. As a departmental studentship rather than a university-wide scholarship, it’s tied to specific ongoing research within Biosciences, meaning applicants should identify genuine research fit with active projects or supervisors in the department before applying.
Scholarship Name ⇒ UCL Biosciences Graduate Training Assistant Scholarship
Host Country ⇒ United Kingdom
Study Level ⇒ PhD
Click Here for UCL Biosciences Scholarship Application Process
Frequently Asked Questions
Which of these are actually restricted to UK or single-institution applicants, despite appearing on an international scholarship list?
The University of Leeds Doctoral Scholarships are restricted to UK-only, Home fee-rated students. The Churchill Cambridge Scholarship is restricted specifically to University of Alberta graduates — neither is genuinely open to the broader international applicant pool this list otherwise targets.
Are the two LSTM scholarships (Future Leaders and Humanitarian) the same award?
No — they’re separate scholarships sharing the same deadline and financial benefit, but with different eligibility. Future Leaders is open broadly to applicants from low- and middle-income countries; Humanitarian requires evidenced refugee status or humanitarian protection specifically.
Which of these has the narrowest eligible applicant pool by sheer numbers?
The Churchill Cambridge Scholarship, awarding just one scholarship per year restricted to University of Alberta engineering graduates, is the most numerically narrow entry on this list.
Which scholarship offers the longest funding duration?
The Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships fund up to five years of part-time study — considerably longer than most entries on this list, which typically fund a single one- to four-year programme.
Do any of these combine academic funding with hands-on professional or teaching experience built directly into the award?
Yes — SOAS Teaching Scholarships build genuine teaching experience into the PhD funding structure, and Oxford’s Ellison Undergraduate Scholars Program combines standard undergraduate study with real-world innovation project work and paid internships.
Disclaimer: All scholarship details, award values, and eligibility criteria in this post were verified from official and closely tracking sources as of August 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly on each scholarship’s official page before applying. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with any of the institutions or organisations listed above.
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