Scholarships for international students in the UK

It’s no secret that London is one of the world’s most expensive cities to live in, but scholarships for international students in the UK can significantly offset the cost of studying here, making it more affordable than you might think. And when studying at St Mary’s University, you often don’t even have to go through a lengthy application process. We apply international scholarship tuition discounts automatically to eligible students.

In this blog, we break down the scholarships and financial support available to international students, so you can see how accessible a London-based university education can be

Yes. There are a variety of scholarship options for international students in the UK, through university awards, government-funded schemes and external funding organisations. At St Mary’s, these range from automatic tuition fee discounts to fully funded external schemes, such as the Chevening Scholarship

If you’re an undergraduate international offer-holder at St Mary’s, you could save up to £4,000 per year on your tuition fees

Our Country Scholarship gives up to a £1,500 per year tuition fee discount (£1,000 for some courses) to offer-holders from countries on the OECD’s official development assistance list, including India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Ghana and many more. There’s no application – if you’re eligible, we simply add the discount when you receive your offer

Our Excellence Scholarship goes further, offering up to £4,000 (£3,000 for certain courses) a year based on your academic achievement and which country you live in. Again, we consider all eligible undergraduate students automatically once they hold an offer. Across a three-year degree, that’s a saving of up to £12,000

See our for the full breakdown of undergraduate options and eligibility criteria

Tuition discounts aren’t just for undergraduates. If you’re considering a master’s or other postgraduate course, there’s a range of overseas graduate scholarships available too

At St Mary’s, our Country and Excellence programmes also run for postgraduate students. The Country Scholarship offers up to a £1,500 tuition fee discount to offer-holders from countries on the OECD’s list (£1,000 for certain courses). The Excellence Scholarship awards up to £4,000 (£2,000 for certain courses) and works in a similar way to the undergraduate programme. Both are applied to your first year of study and eligible offer-holders are considered automatically.

If you’re applying for one of , there’s a dedicated MBA Scholarship of up to £2,500 for international applicants, rising to £4,000 for a limited number of applicants demonstrating higher academic achievement

Student athletes may alternatively be eligible for one of our , worth up to £2,000 – though note you can only hold one St Mary’s award at a time

See our for the full breakdown of postgraduate options and eligibility criteria

Prospective medical students with a commitment to community-based care can qualify for the St Mary’s Medical Student Community Health Champion Scholarship – a tuition fee discount of up to £3,000 for every year of study, worth up to £15,000 across the five-year programme

For 2026 entry, the award is open to 10 international applicants to . Recipients are chosen based on their performance in the Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI), where they should demonstrate how they exemplify the values of St Mary’s School of Medicine: excellence, generosity of spirit, inclusiveness and respect. That might include volunteering with vulnerable groups, supporting public health campaigns, or working to increase healthcare access in under-resourced communities.

We consider all eligible MBBS applicants automatically following their interview

St Mary’s financial awards are tuition fee discounts that offer international students significant savings – in many cases applied to every year of study

If you’re looking for a fully funded scholarship, there are various external schemes accessible to St Mary’s applicants. The , funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), offers one-year master’s students a full tuition waiver, plus a living stipend and financial support for airfares and visas

The  gives students from selected Commonwealth countries a full tuition waiver alongside funding for flights, visas and living expenses. For details of which St Mary’s programmes are covered in the current cycle, visit our

For specialist support, the  – run by St Mary’s in partnership with the British Council – supports junior academic staff from Palestinian universities in pursuing an English Master’s degree in the UK

While international students generally can’t access UK student finance, several loan schemes are available depending on your nationality

EU students can apply for from FINS for undergraduate or postgraduate studies at St Mary’s, which can be used for tuition fees, accommodation, travel and other study costs

Several countries run their own schemes too, including the US government’s William D Ford , Norway’s and Denmark’s . Note that some schemes only cover approved programmes – Denmark’s SU, for example, currently applies to a select list of St Mary’s courses, so check with the provider or email before applying

Postgraduate applicants can also access the – a database of charities and organisations that fund postgraduate study in the UK – free of charge with a St Mary’s offer. Email with your student ID and course name for access

Applying for a St Mary’s international scholarship couldn’t be easier, because for most of our awards, there’s no additional application. Simply:

1. Apply for your chosen course at St Mary’s. 2. Receive your offer. 3. If you’re eligible, we apply your tuition fee discount automatically

There are no essays to write, no separate forms and no deadlines to track – you just need to apply for your course in time for that year’s intake

External schemes work differently. You apply directly to the awarding body, not through St Mary’s. Chevening and Commonwealth Shared Scholarship applications are made ation windows, so check the current cycle dates early – some open almost a year before your course starts

To be eligible for a St Mary’s international scholarship, you must:

• Be classified as an overseas fee payer (this includes British passport holders living abroad)
• Be enrolled on a full-time, on-campus course
• Meet any country of domicile criteria for your specific award
• Hold only one St Mary’s award at a time. For example, you can receive either the Country or the Excellence Scholarship, but not both

A few exclusions apply. Scholarships aren’t available for distance learning courses, research degrees (including MPhil and PhD), or the MBBS programme – with the exception of the Medical Student Community Health Champion Scholarship. And if you’re an EU student with settled or pre-settled status, you’ll pay home fees, which means you aren’t eligible for an international scholarship – but you may qualify for and UK student finance instead.

Scholarship holders also agree to act as ambassadors for St Mary’s during their studies. This might include providing a testimonial or taking part in events, subject to your availability and timetable

You’ll find full terms and eligibility criteria on our

Studying in London may seem like an expensive choice, but with the right funding scheme, it’s more affordable than you might think

At St Mary’s University, we provide an inclusive space where can grow, achieve and make an impact. Our campus is set in Twickenham offers a welcoming community and plenty of green space to focus on your studies and a lower cost of living than central London – which is just a short train ride away when you want it. With a wide range of and , and various scholarships for international students, it’s the perfect place to pursue your overseas studies.

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Source: www.stmarys.ac.uk