UK degrees can be expensive. Tuition fees for international students can range between £20,000 and £40,000 per year. This does not include rent and flights, which means most families can’t afford to pay.
There are a number of large scholarships that have already closed this October. Some close in December and January, and others will have no official dates for 2027.
All dates listed were checked in November 2026. It is important to note that dates vary, so make sure to check the official website.
What Does “Fully Funded” Usually Include?
- Tuition fees.
- Living costs: This could include rent, food, and everyday expenses. However, many scholarships do not fully fund this.
- Airline tickets.
- Visa and health surcharge: A few scholarships will cover these, e.g. UCL. (From a guide.)
- Additional funding: Such as family allowance or fieldwork. Not all scholarships will have this.
There are also some partial scholarships. We will list what they cover below so you know what you can expect.
Application Deadlines
- Gates Cambridge (International): Depending on your course, the deadline is either 8th December 2026 or 6th January 2027. The US had an October deadline, which is now closed.
- Clarendon Scholarships (Oxford): The deadline depends on your course funding deadline. This is either December 2026 or January 2027. Check your course page.
- Imperial Inspires: The deadline depends on the deadline of your course. Imperial states that undergraduate scholarships will be decided by mid-April 2027.
- UCL Global Undergraduate Scholarship: No official date for 2027/28 yet. Last year, the deadline was 27th April 2026.
- Chevening: The deadline was 6th October 2026 for 2027/28.
- Commonwealth Scholarships: The deadline was 20th October 2026 for 2027/28.
- Reach Oxford: Needed an application to Oxford by 15th October 2026. Offer holders have until 26th January 2027.
Current Open / Opening Soon
1. Gates Cambridge Scholarship (Cambridge)
Funds a master’s or PhD at Cambridge. Two-thirds of awards go to PhD students.
Deadline:
For most international students, the deadline is 8th December 2026 or 6th January 2027. Check your course page for the funding deadline.
US citizens living in the US submitted their applications by 14th October.
What It Covers:
Fully funded according to Gates. Additional funding, such as conference funding and family allowance, is also available. Funding can be reduced by salary or a large scholarship.
Things to Note:
Apply through the Cambridge application. Tick the Gates box. References must be submitted by the deadline.
2. Clarendon Scholarships (Oxford)
Over 200 scholarships are given out each year to master’s and DPhil students. No separate application is required.
Deadline:
You must apply to your course by the funding deadline.
Dates we found were 2nd December 2026, 6th January 2027, and 27th January 2027. Some sites show a deadline of 31st January. Check your course page.
What It Covers:
Covers course fees and living costs. Oxford has not released how much living costs will be for 2027/28, so don’t trust any numbers you find online.
Things to Note:
If your course has a later deadline in March, you won’t qualify for Clarendon. Apply by December/January.
3. Imperial Inspires Scholarships (London)
At least 300 scholarships are available for 2027. These include undergraduate and some taught master’s courses.
Deadline:
No separate application is required. Apply to your course by the deadline.
Undergraduate scholarships will be decided by mid-April 2027. Check the course search tool for exact dates.
What It Covers:
£15,000 per year. This is a large discount, but it is not fully funded. You will still have to pay the remaining amount and living costs.
Things to Note:
Only certain courses in 4 faculties are eligible. Check your course.
4. UCL Global Undergraduate Scholarship (London)
Awarded to international undergraduates from low-income families. The 2027/28 call has not been released yet.
Deadline:
Last year, the deadline was 5 p.m. on 27th April 2026. Late applications were rejected.
Expect something similar. It is a guess until UCL releases the date.
What It Covers:
Last cycle, there were 10 fully funded scholarships. This includes tuition, living costs, and a fixed amount for additional costs.
There were also 23 partially funded scholarships. Check the UCL page for 2027 numbers.
Things to Note:
UCL has to confirm your fee status before the application opens. Apply early to get into the application.
Closed for 2027 – Plan for Next Year
5. Chevening Scholarships
Fully funded one-year master’s degrees for future leaders from eligible countries.
Deadline:
The 2027/28 call opened on 4th August. The deadline was 6th October 2026 at 11 a.m. UTC.
Interviews will take place between March and April 2027. Results will be released from mid-June.
The next call has not been released. Previous calls have opened in August.
What It Covers:
Tuition, living costs, and travel. See the Chevening page.
Things to Note:
Winners must have sent at least one unconditional offer from their university by 8th July 2027 at 5 p.m. BST.
6. Commonwealth Master’s/PhD Scholarships
Fund study for students from eligible low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries. Master’s scholarships are for one-year taught courses.
Deadline:
The CSC closed at 4 p.m. on 20th October 2026.
Your country’s nominating agency also had a deadline. Pakistan used the same deadline as the CSC.
The 2028 call has not been released. This year’s call opened on 8th September.
What It Covers:
Tuition and return flights. PhD students also receive fieldwork funding. Some receive a family allowance. See the CSC page.
Things to Note:
There is no direct application for master’s scholarships. You must be nominated by your country’s agency.
7. Reach Oxford Scholarship
Awarded to undergraduates from low-income countries. You had to apply to Oxford.
Deadline:
The application to Oxford closed on 15th October 2026.
You can only apply if you have an offer. Offer holders have until 26th January 2027. Results will be released by the end of May 2027.
What It Covers:
Tuition and living costs. It can be used for any course except Medicine. See the Oxford page for amounts.
Things to Note:
Very few people will win. Two or three a year, according to one guide. Apply to other programmes.
How to Find the Right Scholarship for You
Find One That Fits Your Profile
If you have a bachelor’s degree and high grades, look at Gates Cambridge and Clarendon.
If you are leaving high school, look at Imperial Inspires and UCL.
If you want to do a master’s and return home, look at Chevening and Commonwealth next year.
Check Your Country
Chevening and Commonwealth only take students from eligible countries. Both have lists.
Commonwealth also goes through your country’s agency. Start here.
Reach Oxford and UCL also have restrictions. Make sure to read the rules before spending time on an essay.
Plan Around the Deadlines
Many scholarships have deadlines in December and January. Don’t try to apply to three scholarships in the last two weeks.
Ask your referees now. Late references can ruin a good application.
Add all the dates to your phone. Set reminders 2 weeks in advance.
Common Mistakes
1. Wrong Dates
Gates Cambridge has two dates. Clarendon depends on your course.
Look up your course page. Don’t copy dates from a list.
2. Partial Funding
Imperial Inspires gives £15,000 per year. Whilst this is a great amount of funding, it is not fully funded.
Work out how much you will have to pay.
3. Waiting to Get an Offer
Gates and Clarendon require you to have applied to your course by the funding deadline.
Chevening requires you to have an offer by 8th July 2027.
Apply early.
Conclusion
Your closest deadlines are in December. Clarendon has some courses closing on 2nd December. Gates Cambridge closes on 8th December for some courses.
Many have a deadline of 6th January. Reach Oxford offer holders have until 26th January.
Imperial and UCL depend on when you apply for admission. Check your deadline.
Tonight, look up your top course for Oxford/Cambridge and note the funding deadline. Email your two referees.