Scholarships at University of Essex

If you're an international student, took your undergraduate degree overseas or in the UK and are self-funding your postgraduate studies, you could be eligible for a scholarship worth up to £5,000, paid as a discount on your tuition fee.

Eligibility

• These scholarships are restricted to students who are overseas fee payers and are entirely selffunded*. They are not available to students who are fully or partly sponsored.

• These scholarships may be awarded to students who have completed relevant university studies in one of the specified countries. Where a degree has been awarded by an institution based in the UK, students must have been domiciled in one of the other specified countries.

• Awards made by an institution based in one of the specified countries above, but delivered in another country, will also be eligible.

• Students must have been awarded an undergraduate degree (this includes integrated Masters degrees) with the grade specified or above. A higher Masters grade cannot be taken to compensate for a lower Bachelors grade.

• Eligible courses are those which are full-time taught Masters courses leading to MA, MSc, LLM and MRes degrees and start in October 2023 and January 2024.

• Only one scholarship award can be made per student and the award cannot be held in conjunction with any other University of Essex scholarships. Students from link partners receiving a discount will only receive one award, whichever is highest.

• This scholarship is available for the first year of Masters study only.

• Successful applicants should be available for promotional activities.

Students receiving a repayable loan to fund their studies will be considered as self-funded.

Students who are not eligible

The following students are NOT eligible for the Academic Excellence International Masters Scholarship regardless of meeting the above criteria:

• Students who are joining Essex through a link agreement which includes a discounted fee. In this case, where a student is also eligible for this award, we will apply the award which is greater in value.

• Students undertaking the MBA.

• Students undertaking courses at East 15 Acting School.

• Students undertaking a masters course that is normally delivered wholly online.

• Students progressing from a University of Essex International College programme.

• Students studying postgraduate courses below Masters level: including, but not limited to, Graduate Certificates, Graduate Diplomas, Postgraduate Certificates (PGCerts), and Postgraduate Diplomas (PGDips).

• This scholarship award does not apply to deferred entry. Where a scholarship has been awarded to a student who subsequently defers entry to the following academic year, the award will be withdrawn, and the applicant will be considered again in line with the terms and conditions that apply in the new proposed year of entry.

• Graduates of the University of Essex are not eligible for this award.

If you're an international student studying at one of our Global Partner Institutions listed below and are self-funding your undergraduate studies, you could be eligible for a scholarship worth up to £3,000, which you'll receive as a tuition fee discount distributed across your years of study.

If you’re an international student studying at one of our global channel partners, you could be eligible for a 20% tuition fee discount or a scholarship worth £3,000, which you’ll receive as a tuition fee discount on your first year of study.

Terms and conditions 

Eligibility

• These scholarships are restricted to students who are overseas fee payers and are entirely selffunded.

• Applicants joining Essex from one of our Global Channel Partners listed above will be considered for this award.

• Students must be studying on one of the accelerated Master’s progression programmes outlined in the link/partnership agreement between the University and the appropriate Global Channel Partner listed in these terms and conditions. 

• Applicants who have firmly accepted an offer of a place by 14 July 2023 (for October 2023 start) or 13 October 2023 (for January 2024 start) and met the academic conditions of entry, will be considered for these scholarships. 

• Students must be starting their Masters at Essex in 2023-24.

• Only one scholarship award can be made per student and the award cannot be held in conjunction with any other University of Essex scholarships.

• This scholarship is available for the first year of Masters study at Essex only.

• Students must be applying directly, not through an agency, for admission to any of our Masters courses.

• Successful applicants should be available for promotional activities.

Students receiving a repayable loan to fund their studies will be considered as self-funded.

Students who are not eligible

The following students are NOT eligible for the scholarship regardless of meeting the above criteria:

• Students who are classified as a Home fee paying student.

• Students who are fully or partly sponsored. 

• Students undertaking a Masters course that is normally delivered wholly online.

• This scholarship award does not apply to deferred entry. Where a scholarship has been awarded to a student who subsequently defers entry to the following academic year, the award will be withdrawn and the applicant will be considered again in line with the terms and conditions that apply in the new proposed year of entry

If you're starting at Essex in 2023-2024 and achieve academic excellence in your International Baccalaureate, we will offer you a scholarship of £2,000 for your first year.

Eligibility

• These scholarships are available to both Home and Overseas fee payers, your funding status is not considered for this award.

• Students must have received an Unconditional offer of admission for entry to the University of Essex for 2023-24 and must actively make Essex their firm choice.

• Students must register for a full-time undergraduate degree* at the University of Essex with first enrolment at the University of Essex in 2023-24;

• Students must be commencing studies in Year 0 or Year 1 at the University of Essex in 2023-24.

• Students must have obtained 34 points or above in the International Baccalaureate.

• Successful applicants should be available for promotional activities

• Courses leading to the award of a Diploma of Higher Education, Foundation Degree, Bachelors Degree, Integrated Masters (four years)

Students who are not eligible

• The following students are NOT eligible for this scholarship regardless of meeting the above criteria:

• Students undertaking courses at East 15 Acting School.

• Students on Higher/Degree Apprenticeship courses.

• Students undertaking a degree that is normally delivered wholly online

• Students directly continuing from one course to another (for example from Foundation degree or HND on to the final year of an honours degree).

• Students transferring into the second year from another UK higher education institution.

• This scholarship does not apply to deferred entry. Where a scholarship has been awarded to a student who subsequently defers entry to the following academic year, the award will be withdrawn and the applicant will be considered again in line with the terms and conditions that apply in the new proposed year of entry. 

If you're an international student studying at one of our UKT Law global channel partners, listed in the table below, you could be eligible for a scholarship to the value of 50% fee discount, worth approximately £9,785, for your first year of study.

Country: Malaysia

Eligibility

• These scholarships are restricted to students who are overseas fee payers and are entirely self-funded*.

• Students must be starting their first year of undergraduate study at Essex in 2023-24.

• Students must be commencing study at Essex on one of the UK Law transfer degree routes from one of the partner institutions listed above.

• Applicants must exceed 68% for 2+1 route and 56% for 1+2 route.

• Applicants must submit a 500-word essay as part of the scholarship application process.

• Only one scholarship award can be made per student and the award cannot be held in conjunction with any other University of Essex scholarships.

• This scholarship is available for the first year of study only.

• Successful applicants should be available for promotional activities.

• Students receiving a repayable loan to fund their studies will be considered as self-funded.

Students who are not eligible

• You are not eligible for the award, even if you meet the criteria above, if you fall into any of the following categories:

• Students who are fully or partly sponsored.

• Students who are classified as a Home fee paying student.

• This scholarship award does not apply to deferred entry. Where a scholarship has been awarded to a student who subsequently defers entry to the following academic year, the award will be withdrawn and the applicant will be considered again in line with the terms and conditions that apply in the new proposed year of entry.

• Current students are not eligible for this award.

• Applicants placed through any Clearing process are not eligible for this award.

We offer sports scholarships to talented athletes in our five main sports of Basketball, Volleyball, Tennis, Football and Rugby 7s, providing coaching and support services, and free kit and use of facilities worth in excess of £1000. An adapted scholarship package may be available to exceptional individual athletes outside of these sports. Our package includes:

• Performance Coaching

• Strength and Conditioning Coaching

• Performance Analysis

• Access to Physiotherapist

• Use of the onsite Sports Therapy Clinic

• Access to on-site accommodation

• allocated lifestyle advisor

• Comprehensive Workshop programme

• Complimentary Gym Membership

• Playing and Leisure Kit

• flexible academic provision (extended study, adapted exam times)

Bursaries

Additionally, we offer sports bursaries for undergraduate students worth up to £3000 per year, for dual-career athletes looking to combine their education with a route to playing professional sport upon graduation. We also offer a small number of fee waivers and fee reductions to post-graduate students who have already competed at the highest level.

The University is offering a tuition fee discount to students who successfully completed a University of Essex validated Bachelors degree, Masters degree, Postgraduate Diploma or Graduate Diploma, either at Essex or one of our partner institutions. The discount is available for the first year of postgraduate study at Masters and PhD level in academic year 2023-24. Students who previously received the discount for a Masters course, will also be eligible to receive the discount for a research degree programme starting in 2023-24.

The amount discounted will depend on the achievement of the previous University of Essex validated qualification as below:

Terms and conditions 

Eligibility 

• These discounts are restricted to students who are entirely self-funded.

• The discount will be awarded to holders of the following University of Essex validated qualifications: 

  • Bachelors degrees

  • Masters degrees

  • Postgraduate Diplomas

  • Graduate Diplomas

  • Postgraduate Certificates in Education

• Students must register for full-time or part-time postgraduate study at Essex in October 2023-24 or January 2024 and must be studying one of the following postgraduate taught courses or research degree programmes:

  • MA, MSc, MBA, LLM, MFA, MAPH, MRes, MAD, MSD, MPhil, PD or PhD

• Students who previously received the discount for a Masters course, will also be eligible to receive the discount for a research degree programme starting in 2023-24.

• The award cannot be held in conjunction with any other University of Essex scholarships.

• This discount is available for the first year of full time study or the first two years of part-time study in 2023-24 only.

• Students who graduated from the University of Suffolk in 2016 or earlier will still be eligible for the discount.

• Successful applicants should be available for promotional activities.

Students receiving a repayable loan to fund their studies will be considered as self-funded.

Students who are not eligible

The following students are NOT eligible for this discount regardless of meeting the above criteria:

• This discount does not apply to deferred entry. Where a scholarship has been awarded to a student who subsequently defers entry to the following academic year, the award will be withdrawn and the applicant will be considered again in line with the terms and conditions that apply in the new proposed year of entry.

• Students who are fully or partly sponsored. 

• Students undertaking a course that is normally delivered wholly online.

• Students transferring from another UK higher education institution.

• Following the launch of the University of Suffolk as an independent institution, students studying towards a joint University of Essex and University of East Anglia award, are no longer eligible to receive the Essex Alumni Discount. This will be the case regardless of whether they opt to remain on an Essex/UEA award or switch to University of Suffolk awards.

• Students studying the following courses will not be eligible for the discount:

  • Graduate and Postgraduate Diplomas and Certificates

  • Further exchange study

  • Executive (modular) MBA study

  • Modern language modules

  • Credit accumulation study

  • Professional development modules

  • Degree Apprenticeship programme

If you're an international student studying the Law LLB M103 (Senior Status) programme you could be eligible for a scholarship worth £3,000, which you'll receive as a fee discount in your first year of study.

Eligibility

• These scholarships are restricted to students who are overseas fee payers and are entirely self-funded*.

• These scholarships are restricted to students studying on the LLB M103 Law (Senior Status) programme only.

• Students must be starting their first year of study on the LLB M103 Law (Senior Status) programme at the University of Essex in 2023-24

• Students must have been awarded an equivalent of a UK 2.1 at undergraduate level.

• Only one scholarship award can be made per student and the award cannot be held in conjunction with any other University of Essex scholarships.

• This scholarship is available for the first year of study only.

• Successful applicants should be available for promotional activities

*Students receiving a repayable loan to fund their studies will be considered as self-funded.

Students who are not eligible

• The following students are NOT eligible for the Scholarship, regardless of meeting the above criteria:

• Students who are fully or partly sponsored.

• Students who are classified as a Home fee paying student.

• This scholarship award does not apply to deferred entry. Where a scholarship has been awarded to a student who subsequently defers entry to the following academic year, the award will be withdrawn and the applicant will be considered again in line with the terms and conditions that apply in the new proposed year of entry.

• Current students.

The GREAT Scholarships programme is a joint initiative by the British Council and the UK Government, designed to attract some of the brightest postgraduates from around the world to study at UK universities. It is launched by the British Council together with 49 UK universities, supports postgraduate students from Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam to access world-class UK higher education opportunities. For more information on the GREAT Scholarships 2023, please visit Study UK.

In partnership with the British Council and the GREAT Britain Campaign, the University of Essex is proud to be able to offer five (5) University of Essex GREAT Scholarships for applicants from Bangladesh, Egypt, Ghana, India, and Pakistan.
The University of Essex GREAT Scholarships 2023 are valued at £10,000, which must be used towards the cost of tuition fees for any one-year taught Master's (MA, MSc or LLM) degree offered at the University of Essex for applicants from Bangladesh, Egypt, Ghana, India, and Pakistan. 

In addition to the normal criteria for admission to the chosen University of Essex Master’s degree, a GREAT Scholar must be:

• Active in the field with work experience or with a proven interest in the proposed subject area

• Able to demonstrate their motivation and academically be able to follow and benefit from an Essex postgraduate taught course

• Willing to embody the UK Higher Education experience, by attending lectures and tutorials and engaging with extra-curricular activities, and act as an ambassador for UK Higher Education, by promoting the value of studying at a UK HEI

• Willing to act as a spokesperson in the relevant subject space

• Willing to establish an engagement with the UK as a scholar, through personal and academic fulfilment

• Willing to attend related events in the UK upon invitation from the British Council

• Willing to demonstrate future contribution to capacity-building and socioeconomic advancement in the climate change space through the benefits achieved after graduating from UK higher education

• As an alumnus of the UK, be willing occasionally to speak to potential candidates about his or her own experience of studying in the UK. 

Eligibility

• You must hold a passport from an eligible country (Bangladesh, Egypt, Ghana, India, and Pakistan)

• Be classed as an overseas fee payer and entirely self-funded*.

• Students receiving a repayable loan to fund their studies will be considered as self-funded.

• Hold an offer (conditional or unconditional) to start a one-year full time masters degree on the provided subject list starting in October 2023.

• Have a background of extracurricular activities relating to your subject area.

• Only one scholarship award can be made per student and the award cannot normally be held in conjunction with other University of Essex awards. 

Students who are not eligible 

The following students are NOT eligible for this scholarship regardless of meeting the above criteria:

• Students undertaking courses at East 15 Acting School.

• Students who are fully or partly sponsored

• These scholarship awards do not apply to deferred entry. Where a scholarship has been awarded to a student who subsequently defers entry to the following academic year, the award will be withdrawn and the applicant will be considered again in line with the terms and conditions that apply in the new proposed year of entry.

• Students who are not assessed as paying overseas fees. 

If you're an international student from one of the above countries and you're funding your own studies, you could be eligible for a scholarship worth £4,000 which you'll receive as a tuition fee discount in your first year.

Country: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

Eligibility

• These scholarships are restricted to students who are overseas fee payers and are entirely self-funded*.

• Students must be ordinarily resident (see below for the definition of ordinary residence) in one of the countries specified above.

• Students must be commencing studies in the first year (Year 1) of an undergraduate degree at Essex in 2023-24.

• Only one scholarship award can be made per student and the award cannot be held in conjunction with any other University of Essex scholarships.

• This scholarship is available for the first year of study only.

• Successful applicants should be available for promotional activities.

• Students receiving a repayable loan to fund their studies will be considered as self-funded.

Students who are not eligible

The following students are NOT eligible for this scholarship regardless of meeting the above criteria:

• Students undertaking courses at East 15 Acting School.

• University of Essex International College students progressing from the International Year One.

• Students who are fully or partly sponsored

• Students who are classified as a Home fee paying student.

• Students undertaking a programme of study normally delivered fully online

• This scholarship award does not apply to deferred entry. Where a scholarship has been awarded to a student who subsequently defers entry to the following academic year, the award will be withdrawn and the applicant will be considered again in line with the terms and conditions that apply in the new proposed year of entry.

• Students transferring into the second year from another higher education institution.

If you're an international student from one of the above countries and you're funding your own studies, you could be eligible for a scholarship worth £3,000 which you'll receive as a tuition fee discount in your first year.

Country: Brunei; Cambodia; East Timor; Indonesia; Laos; Malaysia; Myanmar; The Philippines; Singapore; Taiwan; Thailand; Vietnam

Eligibility

• These scholarships are restricted to students who are overseas fee payers and are entirely self-funded*.

• Students must be ordinarily resident (see below for the definition of ordinary residence) in one of the countries specified above.

• Students must be commencing studies in the first year (Year 1) of an undergraduate degree at Essex in 2023-24.

• Only one scholarship award can be made per student and the award cannot be held in conjunction with any other University of Essex scholarships.

• This scholarship is available for the first year of study in 2023-24 only.

• Successful applicants should be available for promotional activities

• Students receiving a repayable loan to fund their studies will be considered as self-funded.

• University of Essex International College students are exempt from this deadline.

Students who are not eligible

The following students are NOT eligible for this scholarship regardless of meeting the above criteria:

• Students undertaking courses at East 15 Acting School.

• University of Essex International College students progressing from the International Year One.

• Students undertaking a degree that is normally delivered wholly online.

• This scholarship award does not apply to deferred entry. Where a scholarship has been awarded to a student who subsequently defers entry to the following academic year, the award will be withdrawn and the applicant will be considered again in line with the terms and conditions that apply in the new proposed year of entry.

• Students who are fully or partly sponsored.

• Students who are classified as a Home fee paying student

The University is offering a bursary of up to £1,500 for students who achieve a 1st or 2.1 in year 0 and progress to year 1 at the University of Essex in academic year 2023-24.

Terms and conditions 

Eligibility

• Must have completed year 0 at the University of Essex during academic year 2022-23.

• Achieved a 1st or 2.1 in year 0.

• Register for your first year of study for a full-time undergraduate degree course, leading to the award of a, Bachelor’s Degree, Integrated Masters (four years), starting in October 2023-24.

• Students who achieve a 1^st in year 0 will receive £1,500.

• Students who achieve a 2.1 in year 0 will receive £1,000.

• This bursary is available for the first year of study in 2023-24 only.

• This bursary may be held in conjunction with other University awards.

• Successful applicants should be available for promotional activities.

Students who are not eligible

The following students are NOT eligible for this scholarship regardless of meeting the above criteria:

• Students studying online distance learning courses.

• Students transferring in from year 0 from another UK higher education institution.

• Students repeating Year 1 of a full-time undergraduate degree course leading to the award of a, Bachelor’s Degree, Integrated Masters (four years), starting in October 2023-24.

• This Bursary award does not apply to deferred entry. Where a scholarship has been awarded to a student who subsequently defers entry to the following academic year, the award will be withdrawn and the applicant will be considered again in line with the terms and conditions that apply in the new proposed year of entry.

The University is offering a £250 cash bursary to support students progressing into higher education following the global pandemic who complete the pre-arrival study skills course.

Terms and conditions 

Eligibility

• These bursaries are restricted to students applying for eligible undergraduate courses at the University of Essex, who complete the pre-arrival study skills course, Essex Preparation Programme.

• Eligible courses are full time courses leading to the award of a Foundation Degree, Bachelor’s Degree or Integrated Masters (four years), or year 0 of an Essex Pathways Degree course.

• Students must register for their first year of full-time undergraduate study at the University of Essex in October 2023-24.

• Complete the pre-arrival study skills course by 23:59 (BST) on 5 October 2023, if you complete the course on the 6 October 2023 or later, you will not be eligible;

• You must complete the full course and receive the completion certificate to be eligible.

• This bursary is available for the first year of study in 2023-24 only.

• This bursary may be held in conjunction with other University awards.

• Successful applicants should be available for promotional activities.

Students who are not eligible 

The following students are NOT eligible for this scholarship regardless of meeting the above criteria:

• Students who complete the course on the 6 October 2023 or later.

• Students studying on University of Essex Online courses.

• University of Essex International College students progressing from the International Year One.

• Students progressing from year 0 to year 1 of study in 2023-24.

• This scholarship award does not apply to deferred entry. Where a scholarship has been awarded to a student who subsequently defers entry to the following academic year, the award will be withdrawn and the applicant will be considered again in line with the terms and conditions that apply in the new proposed year of entry.

• Students directly continuing from one course to another (for example from Foundation degree or HND on to the final year of an honours degree).

The University is offering eligible students from Schools Membership Plus (SMP) schools and colleges, progressing to an undergraduate course at the University of Essex in October 2023, the opportunity to apply for a £1,000 bursary.

Students eligible to apply for the SMP Bursary are those from SMP schools or colleges.

Terms and conditions 

Eligibility

• Students must have attended a University of Essex Open Day or Applicant Day.

• This bursary is restricted to students who have completed their studies at one of our Schools Membership Plus schools/colleges in academic year 2022-23.

• Students must be progressing directly from their studies at one of the named Schools Membership Plus schools/colleges.

• Students must be starting and register for their first year of full-time undergraduate study at the University of Essex in October 2023.

• This bursary is available for the first year of study in 2023-24 only.

• Successful applicants should be available for promotional activities.

Students who are not eligible 

The following students are NOT eligible for this scholarship regardless of meeting the above criteria:

• Students undertaking courses at East 15 Acting School.

• Students undertaking a degree that is normally delivered wholly online.

• This scholarship award does not apply to deferred entry. Where a scholarship has been awarded to a student who subsequently defers entry to the following academic year, the award will be withdrawn and the applicant will be considered again in line with the terms and conditions that apply in the new proposed year of entry.

• Students transferring into the second year from another UK higher education institution.

• Students directly continuing from one course to another (for example from Foundation degree or HND on to the final year of an honours degree).

• Students who are fully or partly sponsored.