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Do universities in the UK provide 100 percent scholarships to students?

03 Jun 2026 · Answered by Shairal Pathak · 2 min read
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Yes, fully funded scholarships exist at UK universities but are highly competitive and mainly for postgraduate students. Chevening covers full tuition plus living stipend and flights. Most university-internal awards are partial, ranging from £2,500 to £5,000. Full fee waivers are rare except through government schemes.

Shairal Pathak
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Yes - fully funded scholarships do exist at UK universities, but they are highly competitive and mainly available for postgraduate (Master's and PhD) students. Full undergraduate scholarships are rare. Most university-internal awards are partial. The fully funded options come primarily through government and prestigious external schemes.

Types of 100% Scholarships Available

Scholarship

Coverage

Who It's For

Chevening (UK Government)

Full tuition + living stipend + flights

Outstanding Master's students worldwide

Commonwealth Scholarship

Full tuition + living costs

Students from developing Commonwealth countries

Oxford Rhodes Scholarship

Full tuition + living + travel

Exceptional graduates worldwide

Cambridge Gates Scholarship

Full tuition + maintenance

Outstanding postgraduate applicants

Edinburgh Global

Partial to full - varies

International postgraduate students

Great Scholarships (British Council)

£10,000 fee reduction

Wide range of nationalities, multiple universities

University Internal Scholarships (Mostly Partial)

Most university-level awards range from £2,500-£5,000 fee reductions to 50% waivers. Full internal fee coverage is uncommon and typically limited to PhD programs.

My Advice

I always tell students to apply for Chevening and Great Scholarships alongside their university application - not after. Chevening opens in August each year for the following September intake, which means you need to start your application over a year before your course begins. Most students discover it too late. The Great Scholarship through the British Council is more accessible and less competitive - it won't cover everything, but a £10,000 reduction on a £20,000 Master's is significant. Don't assume scholarships aren't available for your profile before checking.

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