Scholarships

Scholarships, bursaries and prizes

Find out more about the many scholarships, bursaries and prizes available to our students.

If your household income is at or below £35,000, you may be eligible for the Opportunity Scholarship. You do not need to apply for this as you will be automatically considered if you meet the eligibility criteria.

Many other schemes are provided by both the University and external organisations. This is not a comprehensive list, and you may also find it useful to look at individual academic units to check if any subject specific funding is available, as well as external charities and trusts.

Prizes for academic performance

Endowed prizes: prizes with a range of values, awarded mainly to Stage 1 undergraduates
Engineering prizes: prizes to assist the most promising engineering undergraduates

Care leavers

Care Leaver Bursary: for students who have been in local authority care or under a Care Order

Donor funded schemes

Funded by generous University Alumni and external organisations

Sports and performance

Performance Sport Scholarships: awarded on an annual basis and available to undergraduate and postgraduate applicants, as well as current students. Scholarships are reviewed annually.
Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS): a Government funded programme that represents a unique partnership between sport and higher and further education. A TASS award is made on an annual basis and individuals are nominated by their National Governing Body.

Student parents

Newcastle University Student Parent Bursary: to assist UK undergraduates who have children

University funded schemes

Career Insight Bursary: financial support to help students explore their career options
Expeditions: the University is particularly keen to encourage expeditions organised by students to carry out research at destinations outside the UK and can offer funds to assist with this
ncl+ Student Achievement Awards: local and national recognition for individuals and groups from across the University for their hard work and achievements
Research Scholarships: providing undergraduates who have research potential with experience of research

Charities and Trusts

There are thousands of external bodies and educational trusts with a wide variety of funds available for students.

Postgraduates

Funding for Masters students comes from a variety of sources.

The funding you could apply for may depend on your personal circumstances, your intended course of study, and your financial situation.

Sources of funding

2020/21 Postgraduate Opportunity Scholarship
Research Councils
Frank Knox Memorial Fellowships: available for graduates from the UK to study for up to two consecutive years in one of the Faculties at Harvard
Fullbright Award for study in the US: grants to enable you to study any discipline and at any accredited US institution
Kennedy Scholarships: open to British citizens, tenable at Harvard or MIT, and providing full funding for one academic year
Medical Women's Federation: various grants and prizes throughout the year to assist qualified Doctors or women studying towards a medical degree leading to GMC registration as a doctor
The Gibbs Travelling Research Fellowship assists women graduates with considerable experience of research who intend to undertake fieldwork projects outside of the British Isles in Biology, Archaeology, Social Anthropology or Sociology. The Fellowship is open to women graduates of the University of Cambridge, with preference given to present or former members of Newnham College
Thouron Award: up to 10 awards, covering tuition fees, health insurance and living expenses, which enables travel within the USA, available for British candidates who want to pursue a full-time postgraduate course at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA

Funding for postgraduate study can be very competitive. Start looking for funding about nine months before the start of your course. Many of the schemes have strict and early deadlines.

Studentships

Some University schools and institutes advertise opportunities on their own websites. Studentships are also listed on our Funding and Finance database.

Also see:

Postgraduate Opportunity Scholarships 2020/21

How much are they worth?

Successful applicants will receive a £5,000 scholarship.

How many awards are available?

There are 48 awards available to successful applicants for the 2020/2021 academic year.

When can I apply?

Applications are now live for the 2020/2021 academic year. We will be accepting applications until the deadline date of midnight on the 26^th June 2020.

We will not be accepting any applications after this date.

Am I eligible to apply?

In order for your application to be considered you will need to meet the following eligibility criteria:

- You need to have been offered a place to study full time or part time (maximum 2 years) on one of our eligible postgraduate courses. You can check if your course is eligible here.
- You need to have paid the higher rate of tuition fee for your undergraduate degree. This is usually £9,000 or £9,250.
- You need to be a UK domiciled student who has paid fees at the ‘home’ rate since starting your undergraduate course

In addition to the above you need to meet at least one of the criteria below:

- You are a woman studying an eligible engineering or computing science course. You can check if your course is eligible here.
- You have been in Local Authority Care, or supported by the Foyer Federation for at least three months in the last 10 years before September 2020.
- You were in receipt of Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) during your undergraduate degree.
- You were in receipt of the maximum Maintenance Loan from the Student Loans Company in your final year.
- You were from a neighbourhood which has a low progression rate to higher education.This is determined by your postcode upon entry to your undergraduate degree. You can check if your postcode is eligible here.
- You were from a neighbourhood that has a high level of financial, economic or social deprivation.
This is determined by your postcode upon entry to your undergraduate degree. You can check if your postcode is eligible here.

Who is not eligible to apply?

You are not eligible to apply for this scholarship if you fall into any of the categories below:

- You already hold a higher degree at Masters’ or Doctoral level
- You are studying an ineligible course. Check your course here.
- You are studying a part-time course lasting longer than 2 years
- You are studying an intercalating Masters’ degree within your Medicine or Dentistry course
- You are a continuing postgraduate student prior to September 2020
- You are studying a doctoral degree
- You started your undergraduate degree in 2011/12 or earlier before £9,000 fees were introduced
- You have not received an academic offer to study in 2020/21 by the 26^th June 2020
- You are classified as an international or EU student
- You will be studying at the London, Malaysia or Singapore Campus

What evidence do I need to provide in my application?

You will be required to provide evidence for each criteria that you select in the application form. This includes:

- If you are claiming eligibility based upon receiving the maximum maintenance loan then you will need to provide a copy of your final year entitlement letter from the Student Loans Company.
- If you are claiming eligibility based upon your postcode upon entry then you will need to provide a copy of either your first year entitlement letter from the Student Loans Company or your UCAS application. The document must clearly show your postcode prior to commencing your undergraduate degree.
- If you are claiming eligibility on disability grounds then you will need to provide a copy of your DSA Entitlement Letter. The letter should outline the support that you were eligible to receive as an undergraduate.
- If claiming eligibility on care leaver grounds then you will need to provide a letter from your Local Authority outlining the period of care. This must include precise dates.
- If claiming eligibility as a woman studying an eligible engineering or computing science course then you will not need to provide any evidence. You will however have to state which course you have received an offer for.

If you are unable to provide proof of eligibility to our satisfaction then we cannot consider your application under that specific criterion.

How do I apply?

If you believe that you meet the eligibility criteria to apply for a scholarship then you should carefully read the main advert here.
You should also read the Postgraduate Opportunity Scholarship Regulations 2020/21

You can then apply for the scholarship via our Application Form

If you have any questions then please contact us via email at UK.postgraduate-scholarships@ncl.ac.uk

Research Councils

Funding provided by Research Councils is usually very competitive with strict application deadlines. In most cases, you must apply through the department in which you intend to study. Most Research Councils will not accept applications made directly to them.

Contact your prospective supervisor or department to find out more about Research Council funding opportunities, eligibility criteria and how to apply. UK students are usually eligible to receive funding for all of their tuition fees and maintenance. EU students usually receive fees-only funding.