Value of award

£5,000

Number of awards

36

Start date and duration

Commences September 2018 for the one year duration of a full time course (two years pro rata for a part-time course).

Application closing date

The closing date for applications is 29 June 2018. No further applications for 2018 entry will be considered after this date.

In order to be considered for a Postgraduate Opportunity Scholarship, you must have already applied to the University for an eligible taught or research Master’s course and received an offer of a place by this date.

Overview

The scholarships are available as part of Newcastle University’s 2018 Postgraduate Support Scheme for Master’s students. They have been designed to enable students from under-represented groups to progress to higher level study.

The University is offering Postgraduate Opportunity Scholarships on the basis of:
• a £5,000 award per student
• for UK students progressing from an undergraduate course for which they were charged the higher tuition fee (normally £9,000) from 2012 onwards
• targeted at under-represented groups in Higher Education including women studying postgraduate engineering and computing science courses
• for students with an offer of a place on an eligible Master's degree starting in September 2018. Students without an academic offer will not be considered

Please see our lists of eligible and non-eligible courses that fall into the following categories:

• Postgraduate Opportunity Scholarships (General) (Word: 15KB)
• Postgraduate Opportunity Scholarships (Women into Postgraduate Engineering and Computing Science) (Word: 15KB)

Newcastle and non-Newcastle students are eligible to apply. You do not need to wait for your undergraduate degree classification to apply for a scholarship.

Newcastle alumni students are able to take advantage of the University’s 20% reduction in postgraduate tuition fees (conditions apply). Read more about the alumni discount.

The scholarships are not available to:
• EU or international Master’s students
• students studying a non-eligible degree  
• students studying full-time and part-time courses lasting longer than 2 years

Sponsor

Newcastle University

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible students

Postgraduate Opportunity Scholarships are available only to students applying to Newcastle University who meet the following criteria:

• have been offered a place to study on one of the University’s eligible taught or research Master’s courses commencing in September 2018 for a maximum of two years (full-time or part time)
  
  
• are UK students progressing from undergraduate courses for which they were charged the higher tuition fee applying since 2012/13 and falling into the following categories:
  • a student living in England when they entered undergraduate study at any UK institution
  • a student living in Scotland when they entered undergraduate study at any English, Northern Irish or Welsh institution
  • a student living in Northern Ireland when they entered undergraduate study at any English, Scottish or Welsh institution
    
    
• UK domiciled students (Newcastle and non-Newcastle graduates) who have paid fees at the ‘home’ rate since commencing undergraduate study from 2012 onwards
  
  
• meet one or more of the following criteria
  • a woman studying an eligible engineering or computing science course
  • have been in Local Authority care, or supported by the Foyer Federation, for at least three months in the last 10 years before September 2018
  • have been in receipt of Disabled Students' Allowances (DSA) while an undergraduate
  • have been in receipt of the maximum Maintenance Grant (not just loan) from the Student Loans Company in their final academic year
  • were from a neighbourhood which has a low progression rate to higher education (as determined by individual postcode on entry to undergraduate study)
  • were from a neighbourhood which has a high level of financial, economic or social deprivation (as determined by individual postcode on entry to undergraduate study)

Check if your postcode is eligible using our postcode checker

If your postcode is not recognised please contact us

Non-eligible students

Students ineligible to receive scholarship awards are those:

• already holding higher degrees at Masters’ or doctoral level
• studying any non-eligible course
• undertaking a full-time or part-time course lasting longer than 2 years
• studying intercalating Masters’ degrees within MBBS or BDS courses
• who are eligible to apply for a healthcare bursary from any of the following organisations:
  • National Health Service (NHS)
  • Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS)
  • Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS)
• who are eligible to apply for an undergraduate tuition fee loan and a living cost loan from The Student Loans Company
• continuing their study and registered for higher degrees prior to September 2018
• commencing doctoral degrees as research students in 2018
• commencing undergraduate study in 2011/2012 or earlier before £9,000 fees were introduced
• who have not been made academic course offers by Newcastle University for study in 2018/19 by 29 June 2018
• categorised as international for fee paying purposes or EU domiciled students

• categorised as UK students not progressing from undergraduate courses for which they were charged the higher tuition fee (normally £9,000) and specifically:
  • students from Wales who entered undergraduate study from September 2013 as the Welsh Government, through the Student Loans Company, provided tuition fee grants of some £5,500 to all Welsh students to cover partial fee costs
  • students from EU countries outside the UK who entered undergraduate study from September 2012 at an institution in Wales, if they were in receipt of a tuition fee grant from the Student Loans Company that covered fee costs
  • students from Scotland or other EU countries outside the UK who entered undergraduate study from September 2012 at an institution in Scotland, if their fees were paid for them by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland
  • students from Northern Ireland or other EU countries outside the UK who entered undergraduate study from September 2012 at an institution in Northern Ireland
  • students who studied for their undergraduate degree outside the UK.

For more information about the scheme, please see our Postgraduate Opportunity Scholarships regulations (Word: 17 KB). 

Evidence Required for Postgraduate Opportunity Scholarship Applications

In your application, you will normally be required to supply evidence of your eligibility for a Postgraduate Opportunity Scholarship. This may differ between applicants depending on claims made but includes:

• if claiming eligibility due to being in receipt of an undergraduate maintenance grant (not just loan) from the Student Loans Company in your final academic year: a copy of your Student Finance England, Student Finance Northern Ireland or Student Award Agency for Scotland entitlement letter for your final academic year only. Previous years’ funding letters are not acceptable.
• if claiming eligibility due to postcode on entry to undergraduate studies you must provide clear documentation such as your UCAS application or Student Loans Company entitlement letter showing an eligible post code prior to commencing your studies. Relocation of home address after this date cannot be taken into account.
• if claiming eligibility on disability grounds, you must provide a copy of your DSA Entitlement Letter which outlines the support you were eligible to receive as an undergraduate.
• if claiming eligibility on care leaver grounds, Local Authority or equivalent confirmation of the period in care including precise dates.

Applicants unable to provide proof of eligibility to the University’s satisfaction cannot be considered under that specific criterion.

If you are a woman and applying for a postgraduate engineering or computing science course, you will not be required to supply any evidence for this criterion. You will however have to state which course you have received an offer for.

Please note that for Newcastle undergraduates or recent graduates the University may already hold some of the above information.

How to apply

To apply for the Postgraduate Opportunity Scholarship, please complete the online application form. 

Contact

Questions regarding the Postgraduate Opportunities Scholarship should be sent to: UK.postgraduate-scholarships@ncl.ac.uk