UK Masters Funding for International Postgraduates in 2022

The UK is one of the world’s most popular destinations for international study, with prestigious universities and a wide range of highly regarded Masters courses.

However, international postgraduate fees in the UK are usually higher than those for home’ students. You might also find that some funding sources aren’t available to you.

This page explains the different kinds of postgraduate scholarships for international Masters students in the UK. We’ve also covered the instances in which overseas students may be eligible for a postgraduate loan from the UK government.

We can’t list every postgraduate funding opportunity for international students here, but we’ve done our best to cover most of the main options that might be available to you. We’ve also made sure that all of this information is up-to-date for 2022.

UK Government funding

The UK Government administers a series of scholarship schemes aimed at funding talented international postgraduates to study in the UK. These include the Chevening programme, Commonwealth Scholarships and Scotland’s Saltire Scholarships.

Chevening scholarships

Chevening is a prestigious UK Government postgraduate funding scheme specifically for international students in the UK. It covers full payment of your Masters tuition fees, travel and visa costs, as well as a monthly living allowance.

Commonwealth Scholarships

The Commonwealth Scholarships programme is aimed at supporting citizens of the 53 Commonwealth countries (nations that were part of the former British Empire). It’s organised by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) on behalf of the UK Government.

Commonwealth Masters Scholarships

These opportunities are offered to citizens of developing Commonwealth countries. They offer support for one-year UK Masters degrees (not including MBAs) at partner universities.

To qualify you must be a citizen of an eligible developing Commonwealth country, a refugee or a British protected person. Read more