University College London (UCL) Scholarships for International Students in UK
University College London (UCL) is one of the UK’s leading universities and attracts students from more than 150 countries. For international students, studying in London can be expensive, but UCL offers several scholarships designed to make its programmes more accessible.
The university provides funding opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate students, with some scholarships based on financial need, academic achievement, nationality or other eligibility criteria.
For the 2026/27 academic year, one of the most important opportunities is the UCL Global Scholarship programme, which includes separate awards for undergraduate and Master’s students.
UCL Global Undergraduate Scholarship
The UCL Global Undergraduate Scholarship is designed to support international students from lower-income backgrounds who want to pursue a full-time undergraduate degree at UCL.
The scholarship is open across UCL’s undergraduate programmes and is primarily intended to help students who may not otherwise be able to afford an education in London.
Applicants need to have submitted an application for admission to UCL before applying for the scholarship. They do not necessarily need to have received an admission offer when submitting the scholarship application, but their fee status must be confirmed as overseas.
Financial circumstances form an important part of the assessment. Applicants should therefore provide accurate information about their household and financial situation.
UCL Global Master’s Scholarship
International students planning to pursue a Master’s degree can apply for the UCL Global Master’s Scholarship.
For 2026/27, the scholarship is worth £15,000 for one year, with up to 85 scholarships available. Five awards are ring-fenced for students from India, while one award is reserved for a student from Japan through the Musubi Global Master’s Scholarship.
The scholarship is available to international students who:
- Are eligible to pay overseas tuition fees.
- Come from a lower-income background.
- Have submitted a complete application for a full-time Master’s programme at UCL.
- Plan to study in person in the UK.
The scholarship is primarily awarded based on financial need.
For a one-year Master’s programme, the £15,000 award is normally used first toward tuition fees, with any remaining amount paid to the student in three instalments toward maintenance costs.
UCL International Master’s Awards
UCL also offers a wider collection of International Master’s Awards supported by alumni donations, university funding and external partnerships.
For students starting in 2026/27, the schemes listed include the:
- UCL Global Master’s Scholarship
- Ardalan Scholarship
- Bseisu-UCL Scholarship
- GREAT Scholarship
- Humanitarian Scholarship
- Mukul Madhav Foundation Scholarship
- Musubi Global Master’s Scholarship
Students can complete one application to be considered for multiple schemes for which they meet the eligibility requirements.
This makes the International Master’s Awards particularly useful for international applicants because students do not necessarily have to apply separately to every scholarship.
Scholarships for Nigerian Students
Nigerian students can explore several UCL funding opportunities.
UCL maintains country-specific information for Nigerian applicants and lists scholarships and funding opportunities that may be relevant to students from Nigeria. These can include international scholarships as well as awards connected to particular faculties or programmes.
However, being from Nigeria does not automatically guarantee scholarship eligibility. Applicants must still meet the requirements of the individual award, including academic, financial and programme-specific conditions.
Nigerian students should therefore search UCL’s scholarship database using their nationality and intended level of study.
UCL Scholarships for Undergraduate Students
Apart from the Global Undergraduate Scholarship, international undergraduate applicants may find other funding opportunities connected to specific programmes.
For example, students progressing through the UCL International Foundation Year may be eligible for progression scholarships. The UPC Progression Scholarship provides £5,000 per year toward undergraduate tuition fees for an eligible student with the strongest academic performance on the pathway.
The availability of these awards can depend on the programme and academic year.
How to Apply for UCL Scholarships
The application process varies depending on the scholarship.
For many international scholarships, students must first submit an application for admission to UCL. For the 2026/27 International Master’s Awards, applicants needed a complete admission application, including references, before accessing the scholarship application.
A typical application process involves:
- Choose an eligible UCL programme.
- Check the international admission requirements.
- Submit your admission application.
- Search for scholarships that match your nationality and programme.
- Check the scholarship eligibility criteria.
- Prepare financial and academic information.
- Submit the scholarship application before the deadline.
- Monitor your email for the outcome.
Applicants should start early because some scholarship deadlines can arrive before the final course application deadline.
What Do UCL Scholarships Cover?
The amount of funding varies significantly.
Some scholarships provide a fixed tuition fee reduction, while others offer more comprehensive support.
For example, the UCL Global Master’s Scholarship is worth £15,000, while the UCL-UWC/ISH Scholarship can provide full tuition fees, a maintenance allowance, accommodation, visa costs and international air travel for eligible undergraduate students.
Students should therefore read the terms of their specific scholarship carefully. Receiving a tuition award does not necessarily mean that all living expenses will be covered.
Final Thoughts
UCL scholarships for international students provide valuable opportunities for students who want to study at one of London’s leading universities.
The UCL Global Undergraduate Scholarship can support international students from lower-income backgrounds, while the UCL Global Master’s Scholarship offers £15,000 for eligible postgraduate students. There are also several additional International Master’s Awards and programme-specific funding opportunities.
International students should begin their scholarship search early, carefully review eligibility requirements and make sure all applications are submitted before the relevant deadlines.
For the latest scholarship opportunities, prospective students should check UCL’s official scholarships and funding pages because available awards, deadlines and eligibility requirements can change from one academic year to another.
