Postgraduate Scholarships
FAQs

Click on the section headings below to find out more...

Scholarship application procedure

How do I go about applying for a scholarship?
We recommend that you visit our website http://scholarships.leeds.ac.uk This website will give you access to a database of postgraduate funding opportunities at Leeds. You can search the database for current opportunities according to your nationality, subject and level of study (i.e. postgraduate taught or postgraduate research degrees). Application forms for most scholarships are available to download from the website. Please note that some Schools at the University of Leeds offer their own scholarships. Many of these are advertised on our website, however, we also advise you to contact the School in which you wish to study in case they offer any funding not included on our website.

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I’m having trouble finding information on a particular scholarship. Can you give me some advice on using your website?
When you visit the website http://scholarships.leeds.ac.uk, you will need to select your nationality, level of study (i.e. postgraduate taught or postgraduate research degrees) and the name of the School where you will be undertaking your studies (eg Education). The database will then provide a list of the current scholarships available that fit your criteria. You can click on "Further Information" to download application forms. If the scholarship is not administered by the Postgraduate Scholarships Office office, the link may take you to a School or external website where you can find further information. If you know the name of the scholarship you wish to apply for and you are still unable to find the application form, please contact us at pg_scholarships@leeds.ac.uk. Please note that when the closing date for a scholarship has passed, it will no longer appear on the website.

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Can I apply for more than one scholarship?
 Yes, you can apply for any scholarship for which you meet the eligibility criteria. If you are successful in more than one scholarship competition you will only be permitted to hold one full scholarship covering tuition fees and maintenance. You can hold more than one partial scholarship (for example you could hold one or more scholarships to meet the full cost of your fees and a separate maintenance scholarship.)

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Can I submit my scholarship application by email?
 You can submit your scholarship application form to us by email (pg_scholarships@leeds.ac.uk). In fact, we prefer to receive applications by email rather than hard copies. Please note that we will need to receive your application form in our email inbox by midnight (UK time) on the evening of the closing date. Applications received after that time will not be considered.

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Can I apply for a scholarship if I haven't applied for a study place?
No, you have to have started the application process and be in receipt of a BANNER ID number (9 digit Student ID number) as this number is required to be entered on your application form.

 If you wish to apply for a scholarship and have not yet applied for a place at the University you will need to apply as quickly as possible.
Taught Postgraduate Applicants can apply online at http://www.leeds.ac.uk/students/apply.htm
Research Applicants can apply online at http://www.leeds.ac.uk/students/apply_research.htm

In most cases you do not need to wait until you have received a firm offer of admission before you submit your scholarship application, however, you will not be considered for the scholarship if you have not applied for admission to the University.

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Do I need to send transcripts with my scholarship application?
 No, you do not need to send transcripts with your scholarship application. Transcripts should normally be sent in support of your application for admission and we do not need additional copies with your scholarship application.

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How will you confirm receipt of my scholarship and how soon will I find out if my application has been successful?
 If you email your scholarship application/s to pg_scholarships@leeds.ac.uk, you will receive an automated email response. This confirms receipt of the email in our scholarships inbox. You will also normally receive an email up to 2 weeks after the scholarships closing date informing you that we have logged your application form on our database and forwarded it on to the School for consideration.. As a general rule, we will inform you of the outcome of your application approximately 8 weeks after the closing date of the scholarship competition. Some Scholarships, such as the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, have a longer administration process. Applications for some of our scholarships can be tracked on the Postgraduate Scholarships website - http://scholarships.leeds.ac.uk/tracking.aspx. Please see the tracking page for the list of scholarships that can be tracked.

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Scholarship eligibility

What are the eligibility criteria for the scholarships?
Each scholarship has different eligibility requirements, usually relating to nationality, level of study and subject of study. Please check the requirements of the scholarship to ensure you are eligible before you apply.

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Is there an age restriction for the scholarships?
 Some scholarships do have age restrictions. Please check the eligibility requirements of the scholarship you are interested in.

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What are the selection criteria for the scholarships?
 Scholarships administered by the Postgraduate Scholarships Office are awarded on the basis of academic merit, not financial need.

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Are split-site doctoral students eligible for the University of Leeds scholarships?
 No, split-site students are not eligible for any of the scholarships administered by the Postgraduate Scholarships Office.

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What are the English language requirements for admission to the University of Leeds?
 All students whose first language is not English are required to provide satisfactory evidence of a recognised English language qualification prior to registration. Acceptable minimum qualifications for admission to a research degree at the University of Leeds include: British Council IELTS with a score of 6.0 (with not less than 5.5 in any component), or Internet Based TOEFL (iBT) 87 (with not less than 21 in listening, 22 in reading, 23 in speaking and 21 in writing). Acceptable minimum qualifications for admission to a taught postgraduate degree at the University of Leeds include: TOEFL score (internet-based test) of at least 94 overall with at least 21 in listening, 23 in reading and speaking, and 24 in writing; or a minimum IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with at least 6.0 in all components; or a PTE (Academic) score of 64 with at least 60 in all components. Please note that some Schools require a higher level of English than the standard admission requirement above. Please check with the School for further guidance. You can apply for admission prior to taking one of the tests. If you meet the other requirements for admission, you would be given a conditional offer of a place and you would need to meet the IELTS/TOEFL requirements before you can be admitted to the programme of study.

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What are the English language requirements for the scholarships?
 This varies according to the scholarship. Please check the eligibility requirements of the scholarship you are interested in. You should note that the English language requirements for some scholarships are higher than the standard requirement for admission to the University and that some Schools require a higher level of English than the standard admission requirement. Please also note that for some scholarships (Fully-Funded International Research Scholarships and China Scholarship Council-University of Leeds Scholarships) applicants are required to have already met the University's English Language requirements for admission at the time of applying for the scholarship.

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My first language is not English and I will not receive my IELTS/TOEFL test result until after the closing date of the scholarship. Can I still apply?
 It depends on the scholarship that you are applying for, so check the eligibility criteria for the relevant scholarship carefully. Some scholarships require applicants to have already met the University's English Language requirements for admission before applying for the scholarship but others do not. Please note that some Schools require a higher level of English than the standard admission requirement. Please check with the School for further guidance.

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I am from a non-EU country but have lived and worked in the UK for several years. Which scholarships am I eligible to apply for?
 When you apply for a study place at the University of Leeds, the office handling your application for admission will decide whether you are eligible to pay fees at the UK/EU rate or at the international rate, based on certain residency criteria. This would be Taught Student Administration (tp_applications@leeds.ac.uk) if you are applying for a taught postgraduate master's programme, or Research Student Administration (rp_applications@leeds.ac.uk) if you are applying for research degree study. We recommend that you contact the relevant office as soon as possible for advice on your fees status. Your fees status determines which scholarships you will be eligible for. If you are eligible to pay fees at the UK rate, then you would be able to apply for the scholarships for UK/EU students. If you are rated as an international student, you may only apply for the scholarships available for international students. While you are waiting for the outcome of your fees assessment, we recommend that you apply for scholarships for both UK and international students in order to avoid missing any application closing dates. Once your fees status has been decided, you can then withdraw applications for scholarships for which you are not eligible.

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Scholarship funding for particular areas

I am intending to apply for a Master’s by Research. Which scholarships can I apply for?
If you wish to apply for a Master's by Research, you will need to search for scholarships in both the taught postgraduate and the research postgraduate categories on the website and check the criteria of each scholarship carefully before applying.

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Are there any scholarships available for part-time students?
 Most scholarships are only available to full-time students. However, the University Research Scholarship for PhD study and the Full Fee Scholarship for taught postgraduate master’s programmes are also available for part-time study. Please note that the Full Fee Scholarship is only available for 12 months, so funding for the second year of a part-time master’s would need to be found from a different source. Some Research Councils also offer funding for part-time UK/EU students.

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Do you offer any funding for PGCE courses?
 The Postgraduate Scholarships Office does not offer any funding for students undertaking PGCE courses. We recommend that you contact the School of Education or visit their website http://www.education.leeds.ac.uk/prospective/pgce/programme.php

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Do you offer any Sports Scholarships?
 There is a Sports Scholarship Programme available. Please see the website http://www.leeds.ac.uk/sports/pages/performance/scholar.htm for further details

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I wish to come to the University of Leeds as an exchange student. Do you have any funding available that I could apply for?
 The Postgraduate Scholarships Office does not offer any funding for exchange programme students, however, we recommend that you visit the Study Abroad Office website for details of their Travel Awards http://www.leeds.ac.uk/studyabroad/

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Is there any funding available for disabled students?
 The Postgraduate Scholarships Office does not have any funding specifically for disabled students, all of our scholarship awards are made on the basis of academic merit. We recommend that you visit the following website for the Snowdon Trust: http://www.snowdonawardscheme.org.uk/index.asp The Snowdon Trust provides grants of up to £2,500 for disabled students of all nationalities. Please note the aim of the Scheme is to provide funds that help cover the additional costs of being disabled and a student in further and higher education, or a person in training. The Award Scheme will not therefore usually meet expenses that have to be borne by all students, such as tuition fees or standard living and accommodation costs. Please also see the University of Leeds Equality Services website for useful information: http://www.equality.leeds.ac.uk/for-students/disability/

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I am intending to study at a different university. Can you offer me any funding?
 The University of Leeds only offers funding to students studying at this institution.

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I am a UK student wishing to study at undergraduate level at the University of Leeds. What funding opportunities are available to me?
Funding for UK undergraduate scholarships is handled by the Access & Community Engagement Office. Please see their website for further details of the funding opportunities available http://www.leeds.ac.uk/ace/PS/scholarships.html or contact the undergraduate scholarships team at ugscholarships@leeds.ac.uk

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I am an EU student wishing to study at undergraduate level at the University of Leeds. What funding opportunities are available to me?
The Postgraduate Scholarships Office does not offer any scholarships for undergraduate students. Unfortunately, there are very few scholarships available for EU and international undergraduates but some Schools or Departments at the University offer their own internal scholarships so it is worth contacting the undergraduate secretary at the School in which you wish to undertake your studies to find out whether they have any funding available. Contact details for Faculties and Schools can be found by following the links at http://www.leeds.ac.uk/faculty/
Please also see http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/StudentsFromOtherEUCountries/index.htm

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I am an international student wishing to study at undergraduate level at the University of Leeds. How do I apply for admission and are there any scholarships I can apply for?
Undergraduate admissions are handled by UCAS, the central organisation that processes applications for full-time undergraduate courses at UK universities and colleges. Please see their website http://www.ucas.com/students/ for further information. The Postgraduate Scholarships Office does not offer any scholarships for international undergraduate students. There are very few scholarships for international undergraduates but some Schools or Departments at the University offer their own internal scholarships so it is worth contacting the School in which you wish to undertake your studies to find out whether they have any departmental funding available.

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General Information

I have an offer of a place at the University of Leeds but have missed the scholarship closing dates. What shall I do?
If you do not have funding to take up your place, you should consider deferring entry to the University until the next session to sthat you have time to apply for funding. If you wish to defer your admission, please contact the School in the first instance.

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Iam an international student. Are there any other organisations apart from the University that I can apply to for funding?
Your local British Council office is a good starting point. The British Council administers Chevening Scholarships (www.chevening.com) and has information on other sources of funding. Please see www.britishcouncil.org. If you are from a Commonwealth country you can also contact the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission for details of their scholarships. Please see http://www.cscuk.org.uk/ for more information.

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I am an international undergraduate student. Can you help me pay my UCAS fee?
 The Postgraduate Scholarships Office is unable to help with payment of UCAS fees. Queries should be directed to UCAS – please see their website www.ucas.ac.uk which contains details of how to pay.

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How can I obtain a university prospectus?
 You can request a prospectus on-line at http://www.leeds.ac.uk/info/20026/choosing_leeds/410/order_a_prospectus or by emailing study@leeds.ac.uk

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How do I apply for a place at the University?
 Undergraduate applications are made via UCAS (please see http://www.ucas.com/students for details).
Admissions information specifically for research degree students can be found at http://www.leeds.ac.uk/rds/prospective_students/apply/I_want_to_apply.html or by contacting rp_applications@leeds.ac.uk
Admissions information for Taught Postgraduate students is available at http://www.leeds.ac.uk/students/apply.htm or by contacting tp_applications@leeds.ac.uk
Application forms for postgraduate research degree study can be downloaded from http://www.leeds.ac.uk/students/appfmweb.doc or you can apply on-line at the following address http://www.leeds.ac.uk/students/apply_research.htm

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