The United Kingdom is one of the most popular destinations for international students. With its top-ranking universities, pioneering research, and historic culture, it comes as no surprise why 485,000+ international students come have made the UK their academic home. There has been a rise of international students coming from India and Nigeria especially to study in the UK, with one of the reasons being that they are able to study in the United Kingdom for free.

While the UK has gained the notoriety of being one of the more expensive countries for education, there is a way for you to get world-class education without paying for anything as an international student. In this article, we will go over the generous process as well as specific universities where international students can get their bachelor’s, master’s, or Ph.D. degrees in the UK for free.

How to Study in the United Kingdom for Free

1. Submit Your Applications Early

Whatever course you want to take in the UK, it’s best if you applied early.

For undergraduates, applications can easily be submitted through the Universities and College Admissions Service portal or UCAS. If you plan on applying to Oxford or Cambridge – or if you want to take a Medicine or Dentistry course – you need to complete your application as early as October.

As for other courses, you should meet the deadline of January 15. If you’re planning to apply for art or design programs, you may submit your documents as late as March. Although applications are accepted until June 30, it’s best to apply early as you will need to register for a student visa, among many other documents.

As for graduate studies, requirements and deadlines vary according to the university. Generally, these institutions will require you to submit your qualifications, personal statement, and reference letters.

2. Get Financial Aid in the United Kingdom

UK universities offer a variety of scholarships for international students, which is the best way to get free education in the United Kingdom. These include the GREAT Scholarship, Chevening Scholarship, and Commonwealth Scholarship.

3. Apply to Affordable Universities

Although UK universities can cost you up to GBP £38,000 (USD $51,550) per year, there are quality schools that levy lower fees. A good example is Buckinghamshire New University, where the annual tuition is GBP £9,500 (USD $12,890). Another good option is London Metropolitan University, where you only need to pay GBP £10,000 (USD $13,560) per year for an undergraduate degree.

Check Also: Available Programs in the United Kingdom

Study Bachelor’s in the United Kingdom for Free

Here are some British universities that offer full scholarships to international students so that bachelor students can study in the United Kingdom for free. The University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Warwick University, University of St. Andrews, University of Bristol, Teesside University, and University of Arts London provide a free UK bachelor’s degree for international students if they get the following scholarships.

1. University of Oxford

UK’s premier university offers the following full scholarship programs to international students:

  • Hill Foundation Scholarship – Available to Citizens of Russia
  • Bright Oceans Corporation Scholarship – Available to Chinese Undergraduate Students
  • Palgrave Brown Scholarship – Available to Citizens of Eastern Europe
  • Reach Oxford Scholarship – Available to Students of Any Developing Country
  • Simon and June Li Scholarship – Available to Students from Developing Countries

2. University of Cambridge

As one of the UK’s top universities, Cambridge offers full scholarship programs to students of certain nationalities:

  • Carlos & Gabriela Rodriguez Pastor Scholarship – Available to Citizens of Latin America
  • Khazanah Cambridge Scholarship – Available to Students from Malaysia
  • Prince Philip Scholarship – Available to Students of Hong Kong
  • Rowan Williams Cambridge Scholarship – Available to Students from Struggling Countries

3. University of Warwick

Self-funded international undergraduate students at the University of Warwick may apply for the Global Excellence Scholarship. To date, there are 20 slots available for the full scholarship offered by the University of Warwick.

4. University of St. Andrews

Study for free by applying for full scholarships offered by the University of St. Andrews. These scholarship programs are offered only to international undergraduates, so make sure to set apart some time to apply for these scholarships.

  • International Excellence Scholarship – Available to Gifted International Applicants
  • Davis United World College Scholarship – Available to Citizens of the United States
  • Bermuda to St. Andrews Scholarship – Available to Students from Bermuda
  • SOCAR Scholarship – Available to Students from Azerbaijan

5. University of Bristol

There are many scholarships offered by the University of Bristol, and the most significant scholarship is called Think Big Scholarship, which covers the fees for the entire undergraduate stay at Bristol.

6. Teesside University

Students from Commonwealth countries may apply for any of the 3 Commonwealth scholarships This program covers the full tuition fees levied by the Middlesbrough-based institution.

7. University Arts London

Most of UAL’s full undergraduate scholarship programs are offered to students in their final year of study. These include the Xintiandi Scholarship for Chinese/Hong Kongese who are interested in Fashion Design, and the JNBY Scholarship or Grand Prix LVMH Scholarship students interested in BA Fashion Design.

Study Master’s in the United Kingdom for Free

International students can study Master’s degree for free in the UK if they receive scholarships. Oxford University, University of Birmingham, Nottingham Trent University, and Royal College of Art are some of the universities where international students can acquire a free Master’s degree in the UK by applying for full-ride scholarships.

1. Oxford University

International Masters students bound for Oxford can apply for the following full scholarship programs in order to get a free education in the UK:

  • Dulverton Scholarship – Available to Students from Europe & Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Jardine-Oxford Graduate Scholarship – Available to Students from Certain Asian Countries
  • Michael Wills Scholarship – Available to Students from Africa
  • Oxford-Brunsfield ASEAN Human Rights Graduate Scholarships – Available to Students from ASEAN Countries

2. University of Birmingham

The University of Birmingham offers various scholarship programs for its Master’s students. One is the Chevening Scholarship, which covers a one-year Master’s degree at the university. There are 10 slots available for students from 150 countries – excluding the EU and the US.

Another option is the Commonwealth scholarship, which is offered to students from developing Commonwealth countries. There are two slots open for applicants who wish to enroll in the programs of African Studies, International Development, and Medical or Dental Science. It covers full tuition and also includes airfare, a maintenance stipend, thesis expense, and a study travel grant so that international students can study Master’s degree for free in the UK.

Students who want to take up a Master’s in tax policy, economic policy management, and infrastructure management may also apply for the Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship program. Available to students from developing countries, this covers full tuition, roundtrip airfares, and stipends.

Depending on your nationality, you may also be eligible for other postgraduate scholarships offered by the University of Birmingham.

3. Nottingham Trent University

NTU, which was founded in 1843, usually offers partial scholarships for prospective international students. However, it does have a full scholarship program for LLM students coming from Sub-Saharan Africa.

4. Royal College of Art

The prestigious, London-based Royal College of Art offers a variety of partial scholarship programs for Master’s students. However, you may apply for the Liu Ling Scholarship, which covers the full tuition for the MA Service Design course.

Study Ph.D. in the United Kingdom for Free

You can complete your doctorate studies for free in the UK at the following institutions:

1. Oxford University

At Oxford, Ph.D. students may apply for the following full scholarships:

  • Hill Foundation Scholarship – Available to Students in Russian Federation
  • Oxford-E P Abraham Research Fund Graduate Scholarship – Available to Students Interested Taking DPhil in Molecular Cell Biology in Health and Disease
  • Oxford-Taiwan Graduate Scholarship – Available to Students from Taiwan
  • All Souls Hugh Springer Graduate Scholarship – Available to Students in the Caribbean
  • Dulverton Scholarship – Available to Students in Europe & Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Jardine-Oxford Graduate Scholarship – Available to Students from Certain Asian Countries
  • Oxford-Berman Graduate Scholarship – Available to Ph.D. Candidates in Physics.

2. University of Cambridge

Offered by this prestigious institution, here is the list of many full scholarships offered by the University of Cambridge.

  • Aker Scholarship – Available to Students of Norway
  • ANID-Chile Cambridge Scholarship – Available to Students from Chile
  • Cambridge Africa Scholarship – Available to Students from Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Cambridge Australia Scholarship – Available to Students from Australia
  • Cambridge International Scholarship – Available to Students from All Countries (Other Than UK or Ireland)
  • Cambridge Schröder Scholarship in German Studies – Available to Students Taking German Studies

In addition to all the scholarships listed above, there are many more scholarships that are offered to international students who want to join the Ph.D. program at the University of Cambridge, so be sure to take a look at all the scholarships offered by the University of Cambridge using the link above.

 

We hope that this article on how to study in the United Kingdom for free was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Available Programs in the United Kingdom!

About the Author: Hyun Lee

Hyun is the founder at Global Scholarships. He has received a full-tuition scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College as well as $1,000 Burger King Scholarship for his undergraduate degree and has been offered a fully funded scholarship consisting of tuition, living stipend, and health insurance for computer science Ph.D. program at North Carolina State University. Read more about his scholarship journey here.

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