University scholarships for international students

University awards fund more international students than any other source, and they are the category most often ignored because they are less prestigious. Many are decided automatically from your admission application.

At a glance

Awards we list in this group	20

Automatic, applied-for, and hidden

Kind	How it is decided	What to do
Automatic merit award	From your admission application	Apply early — many are allocated in order
Applied-for award	A separate short form	Find it; most people never submit one
Departmental award	By the department	Check department pages, not the central one
Country-specific award	For students from particular countries	Check whether India is listed

The third row is where the uncontested money is. Central scholarship pages are read by everyone; a departmental page offering a few thousand pounds is read by almost nobody.

Applying early is a funding decision

Where awards are allocated as applications are assessed rather than on a closing date, a strong application submitted late competes for money that has already gone. In Canada and Ireland particularly, this is the single most actionable thing on this page.

Ask the admissions office directly what funding you are automatically considered for and what needs a separate application. They answer, and almost nobody asks.

University awards we list

Showing 12 of 20, most searched first. Each one carries its own deadline, eligibility and the source we read it from.

Aalto University Scholarships Aalto University · Full tuition fee waiver (Aalto University Excellence Scholarship) · Dates vary Bologna International Talents Scholarship University of Bologna · €6,500 gross plus full exemption from tuition fees, awarded for two academic years · Dates vary Clarendon Fund Scholarships University of Oxford · Full course fees at Home or Overseas rate, plus an annual living grant of at least the UKRI minimum doctoral stipend — £20,780 in 2025-26 — for the period of fee liability · Dates vary Danish Government Scholarships Danish universities · Two parts — a full or partial tuition fee waiver and/or a grant towards living costs — with amounts set by each institution · Dates vary Edinburgh Global Scholarships University of Edinburgh · India Merit Scholarship: £5,000 towards tuition for a one-year on-campus postgraduate taught Master's · Dates vary Gates Cambridge Scholarship University of Cambridge / Gates Cambridge · University Composition Fee at the appropriate rate, a maintenance allowance of £23,152 for 12 months at the 2026-27 rate, economy airfare at the start and end of the course, inbound visa costs and the Immigration Health Surcharge · Dates vary HKU Scholarships The University of Hong Kong · For top-ranking students, up to the equivalent of a full tuition fee waiver plus an accommodation scholarship and an annual living allowance · Dates vary NTU Scholarships Nanyang Technological University · University-specific · Dates vary NUS International Scholarships National University of Singapore · Science & Technology Undergraduate Scholarship: full subsidised tuition after the MOE Tuition Grant, S$6,000 a year living allowance, an annual accommodation allowance, and one-off S$1,750 computer and S$200 settling-in allowances · Dates vary PolyU Entrance Scholarships Hong Kong Polytechnic University · Other qualifications: renewable full tuition plus an annual allowance up to HK$60,000 and a one-off HK$30,000 exchange scholarship. The IB/A-Level route goes to HK$70,000 a year · Dates vary Qatar University International Scholarships Qatar University · Tuition and textbook fees waived, QR 500 a month, shared student housing with campus transport, an annual return air ticket, and a residence permit under Qatar University sponsorship · Dates vary SINGA A*STAR + Singapore universities · A*STAR Graduate Scholarship, international students: full tuition for up to 4 years plus S$3,600 a month on STEM tracks, or S$5,000 on the semiconductor, quantum and computing tracks · Dates vary

Browse all 20 in the explorer

University awards — FAQs

2 questions

Do I need to apply separately for university scholarships?

For many, no — they are assessed from your admission application. Others need a separate form, and departmental awards are usually advertised only on department pages.

When should I apply to maximise funding?

As early as the cycle allows. Several universities allocate entrance awards in order of assessment rather than on a deadline.

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Sources

Checked against these sources on 1 October 2026.

chevening.org/