UCL Global Master’s Scholarship
Unusually, Part of This Award Can Reach Your Bank Account
Nearly every UK university scholarship in this series is a tuition discount money you never see, deducted from an invoice. UCL’s Global Master’s Scholarship works differently:
The scholarship first covers tuition fees, with any remaining amount paid to the recipient in three equal instalments throughout the year for living costs.
Tuition is covered first, then the remaining balance is paid to you in three instalments across the year for living costs. If your programme’s fees are below £15,000, the difference reaches you as cash for rent and food.
For a student living in London Britain’s most expensive city that distinction matters enormously.
The UCL Global Master’s Scholarship supports international students from lower income backgrounds in pursuing full-time Master’s degrees at UCL.
And the volume is genuinely significant:
There are up to 85 (eighty-five) scholarships available in 2026/27 with five ring-fenced for students from India, and one for a student from Japan.
Up to 85 awards far more than most named scholarships, and more than Bristol or Sheffield offer at this value.
⚠️ It Is Need-Based, Not Merit-Based
Some third-party sites describe this as a merit award. UCL’s own listing states the selection criterion plainly: financial need. Your household income determines your candidacy, not your grades alone.
The Award
The scholarship is worth £15,000, paid for one year — or split 50% across each year if the full-time programme runs for two years.
| Programme Length | Payment Structure |
|---|---|
| 1-year Master’s | £15,000 in one year |
| 2-year Master’s | £7,500 in each year |
How the Money Reaches You
- UCL applies the award to your tuition fee bill first, then pays any remaining balance to you in three equal instalments across the academic year for living costs
UCL applies the award to tuition first, then manages any remaining balance under their payment rules.
Worked example: if your Master’s tuition is £12,000, the scholarship clears it in full and roughly £3,000 reaches you across three instalments. If your tuition is £30,000, the entire £15,000 goes to fees and you receive nothing in cash but your fee liability halves.
⚠️ Check your programme’s fee before assuming you’ll receive living-cost money. Many UCL Master’s programmes cost well above £15,000.
Eligibility
Core Requirements
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Any country outside the UK |
| Fee status | Overseas, must be confirmed by UCL Admissions |
| Level | Full-time Master’s (postgraduate taught) |
| Selection criterion | Financial need, household income |
| Study mode | ❌ Distance-learning options are not eligible; students must be coming to the UK to attend UCL in person |
⚠️ You Must Have Applied for Admission First — With References
You need to have submitted an admission application to UCL (including the submission of references) in order to apply for the scholarship. While you do not need to have received an offer of admission to be eligible for this scholarship, you will need to have had your fee status confirmed by UCL Admissions.
This is the sequencing that catches people out:
| Needed before applying for the scholarship | Status |
|---|---|
| Admission application submitted | ✅ Required |
| References submitted | ✅ Required |
| Offer of admission | ❌ Not required |
| Fee status confirmed by UCL Admissions | ✅ Required |
Your references must already be in. Chasing referees in late April is how people miss this scholarship referees routinely take weeks.
Fee status confirmation takes time too. UCL Admissions must have classified you as an overseas fee payer before your scholarship application is valid.
Household Income
Check UCL’s essential information page for guidance on how they define household income.
UCL publishes a specific definition of household income. Read it before applying — how UCL calculates income, which household members count, what qualifies as income, and how currency is treated all determine whether you qualify.
How to Apply
You will need to have specific information and documents ready to complete the scholarship application form via the UCL Portico portal. A valid UCL student number (received after applying for admission).
Step by Step
Step 1: Apply for admission to a UCL Master’s Submit your full application, including references.
2: Receive your UCL student number Issued after you apply for admission. You cannot access the scholarship form without it.
3: Confirm your fee status UCL Admissions must classify you as overseas fee status.
4: Apply via Portico Complete the scholarship application form in UCL’s Portico portal, providing detailed financial information.
5: Submit before the May deadline The deadline for applications to this scholarship will be at 5pm BST, Thursday 7 May 2026. The 2027 cycle deadline is expected in early May 2027.
6: If shortlisted, provide evidence of financial need Shortlisted candidates will be contacted mid May to provide evidence of financial need.
Step 7: Result When this has been assessed, successful candidates will typically be informed by late June.
Timeline
| Stage | Timing |
|---|---|
| Admission application + references | Well before May |
| Fee status confirmed | Before scholarship application |
| Scholarship deadline | ~early May, 5pm BST |
| Shortlisting | Mid-May |
| Evidence of financial need requested | Mid-May onward |
| Results | Late June |
⚠️ Confirm exact 2027 dates at ucl.ac.uk/scholarships.
⚠️ Prepare Your Financial Evidence Now
Shortlisted candidates have a short window to produce documentation of financial need. Gather in advance:
- Parental income statements or salary certificates
- Tax documents (local equivalents are normal for international applicants)
- Evidence of household composition
- Certified translations where documents are not in English
Students who cannot evidence their stated need at this stage lose the award.
⚠️ You Must Declare Other Funding
Recipients must immediately inform the UCL Student Funding Office of any other funding awarded toward their UCL Master’s degree, whether before or after receiving this scholarship.
If you win Chevening, Commonwealth, an employer sponsorship or any other award before or after the UCL decision, you must tell UCL immediately. Failing to disclose is a serious breach.
This is a disclosure obligation, not an automatic disqualification — but expect your funding package to be adjusted.
Other UCL Scholarships Worth Knowing
⭐ UCL-GREAT Scholarship — Nigeria and Pakistan
UCL’s GREAT Scholarship excluded India for 2026/27, restricting eligibility to Nigeria and Pakistan.
For the 2026/27 cycle, UCL’s GREAT Scholarship was restricted to Nigeria and Pakistan. This is directly relevant for ScholarWing’s core audience.
UCL hasn’t confirmed whether India will be reinstated for 2027/28 — check their official GREAT Scholarship page before applying.
⚠️ GREAT Scholarship country lists change annually. Check UCL’s official GREAT page each cycle.
UCL Global Undergraduate Scholarship
Value: 10 awards of full tuition fees and maintenance allowance, and 23 awards of full tuition fees. Available to: Prospective students. Selection criteria: Financial need. Eligible fee status: Overseas. Eligible programmes: All Undergraduate degrees. Deadline: 5pm BST, Monday 27 April 2026.
| Award Type | Number | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Full tuition + maintenance | 10 | Full funding |
| Full tuition only | 23 | Tuition covered |
This is far more generous than the Master’s award, 10 students receive full tuition and a maintenance allowance, which is genuine full funding at a top-10 global university.
Awards last for the standard duration.
⚠️ The undergraduate deadline is earlier than the Master’s deadline late April versus early May.
UCL India Excellence Scholarship
UCL India Excellence Scholarship gives 33 Indian students £5,000 toward Master’s fees.
Honest Cost Planning — London Is Expensive
UCL sits in Bloomsbury, central London. This is the single most important financial consideration.
Master’s Example (£15,000 award)
| Item | Approximate |
|---|---|
| UCL Master’s tuition (international) | £25,000–£40,000 |
| Minus £15,000 award | £10,000–£25,000 tuition remaining |
| London living costs (12 months) | £15,000–£20,000 |
| Visa + IHS | £1,500–£2,500 |
| Flights | £600–£1,200 |
| Your total remaining cost | ~£27,000–£48,000 |
£15,000 is a meaningful award, but London costs are brutal. UCL’s own maintenance guidance for London typically exceeds £1,400 per month.
Compare this with Sheffield (£10,000–£13,000 annual living costs) or Bristol (£11,000–£15,000). The same scholarship stretches considerably further outside London.
If you genuinely cannot fund the remainder, look at fully funded routes first Chevening, Commonwealth, Clarendon, Gates Cambridge and treat UCL Global Master’s as a supplement rather than a solution.
Who This Suits
✅ Good fit if you:
- Are from a lower-income household and can evidence it properly
- Have partial funding family support, savings, or a loan and need the gap narrowed
- Are on a programme with tuition near or below £15,000 (so some cash reaches you)
- Have your admission application and references submitted early
❌ Poor fit if you:
- Need full funding for London costs
- Cannot document household income
- Are applying for distance learning
- Cannot get references submitted well before the May deadline
Quick Reference
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scholarship | UCL Global Master’s Scholarship |
| University | University College London QS global top 10 |
| Value | £15,000 (or £7,500 × 2 for two-year programmes) |
| Awards available | Up to 85 (2026/27), 5 ring-fenced for India, 1 for Japan |
| Selection criterion | Financial need not merit |
| Level | Full-time Master’s (postgraduate taught) |
| Fee status | Overseas, confirmed by UCL Admissions |
| Nationality | Any country outside the UK |
| Payment | ⭐ Tuition first, remainder paid to you in 3 instalments |
| Distance learning | ❌ Not eligible must attend in person |
| Admission application | ✅ Required before applying, including references |
| Offer of admission | ❌ Not required |
| Application route | Portico (needs your UCL student number) |
| Deadline | ~early May, 5pm BST |
| Shortlisting | Mid-May |
| Financial evidence | Requested from shortlisted candidates |
| Results | Late June |
| Other funding | ⚠️ Must be declared immediately |
| Related: UG Scholarship | 10 × full tuition + maintenance, 23 × full tuition late April deadline |
| Related: GREAT Scholarship | 2026/27 restricted to Nigeria and Pakistan |
| Related: India Excellence | £5,000 × 33 Indian students |
| Official site | ucl.ac.uk/scholarships |
FAQ
How much is the UCL Global Master’s Scholarship?
The scholarship pays £15,000 for one year, or 50% each year if the programme runs for two years.
Is it merit-based or need-based?
Need-based. UCL selects recipients based on financial need, targeting international students from lower income backgrounds.
Do I receive any money directly?
Yes, potentially, the scholarship is first applied to tuition fees, with any remainder payable to the recipient in three equal instalments throughout the academic year, towards maintenance.
How many awards are there?
Up to 85 in 2026/27, with five ring-fenced for students from India and one for a student from Japan.
Do I need an offer before applying?
No, but you must have submitted an admission application including references, and have had your fee status confirmed by UCL Admissions.
Where do I apply?
Via the UCL Portico portal, you need a valid UCL student number, received after applying for admission.
Is distance learning eligible?
No, students must be coming to the UK to attend UCL in person.
When will I hear?
UCL contacts shortlisted candidates mid-May for financial need evidence and notifies successful candidates by late June.
What if I win another scholarship?
You must inform the UCL Student Funding Office immediately of any other funding awarded, whether before or after receiving the UCL award.
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