The University of Edinburgh of Scotland’s oldest and most respected universities, and every year it draws students from more than 160 countries. For many prospective international students, the gap between accepting an offer and actually enrolling comes down to one thing: funding. Fortunately, Edinburgh runs one of the more extensive scholarship programs among UK universities, spanning undergraduate, postgraduate taught, and doctoral study. This guide breaks down the main scholarship categories open to international students for 2026 entry, what each typically covers, and how to put together a strong application.
Why International Students Choose Edinburgh
Edinburgh consistently ranks among the world’s top 30 universities and combines centuries of academic tradition with modern research facilities across its colleges. Beyond academics, the city is regularly rated one of the most welcoming places in the world for people studying away from home, and the university’s alumni network stretches across industries and continents. That combination of reputation, research strength, and quality of life is exactly why competition for Edinburgh’s scholarships is so fierce, and why early, well-prepared applications matter so much.
Undergraduate Scholarships
International undergraduates have several dedicated funding routes. The Edinburgh Global Undergraduate Mathematics Scholarship rewards outstanding academic performance among applicants heading into mathematics-related degrees, while the Global Talent Fund BIG Scholarships target students who have medalled at international academic Olympiads. New for the 2026 intake, the Rosedale OSSD University of Edinburgh Scholarship provides £10,000 toward first-year living costs for one outstanding candidate. Background- and country-specific awards exist too, including the Defne-Muhtar Kent Education Foundation Scholarship, which supports a student from Turkey facing financial hardship, and a small number of places on the Asylum Seeker Scholarship, covering tuition and living costs for students seeking asylum in the UK. The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies also sets aside scholarships for international entrants to its veterinary medicine programme. Each award has its own eligibility profile, so it’s worth checking the details on the university’s official funding pages before applying.
Postgraduate Taught (Master’s) Scholarships
This is where Edinburgh’s funding options really multiply. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program remains the flagship award for students from across Africa, funding full tuition, accommodation, travel, and a living stipend for one-year, on-campus master’s degrees, with part-time online options also available, all built around a climate justice and sustainability theme. Its 2026/27 intake has already closed, so anyone targeting 2027 entry should watch for the next application window, which typically opens in October. GREAT Scholarships, delivered in partnership with the British Council, offer a minimum of £10,000 toward a one-year postgraduate degree; recent Edinburgh rounds have prioritize applicants from Thailand, Mexico, and Ghana. Chevening, the UK government’s flagship scholarship scheme, isn’t Edinburgh-specific but can fund a one-year master’s there for candidates with at least two years of relevant work experience and clear leadership potential; its cycle usually opens in August and closes in early October. Beyond these headline programs, individual schools, including Business, Divinity, Law, and Mathematics, run their own smaller, subject-specific master’s scholarships worth exploring once you have a course in mind.
PhD and Research Scholarships
Doctoral applicants should start with the Edinburgh Global Research Scholarship, the university’s main funding award for international PhD researchers. Around 30 are granted each year, covering the gap between UK/EU and overseas tuition rates, though not living costs, and renewable for up to three years with satisfactory progress. It’s open to any subject area, but applicants must already hold a PhD offer before applying, and the deadline typically falls in early February. Sitting alongside it are dozens of school- and subject-specific research scholarships and studentships, some funded through UK research councils and others through external trusts tied to particular fields, from physics to literature. Because these are spread across individual schools, the university’s central scholarship search tool is the most efficient way to find ones matching a specific research area.
Eligibility and Tuition Context
Eligibility varies by award, but most combine strong academic merit with “overseas” fee-paying status, meaning UK and most EU students don’t qualify for international-specific scholarships. English language proficiency, usually through IELTS or an equivalent test, is required for both admission and most scholarships. For context, international tuition for 2026-27 runs roughly £26,500 to £37,500 a year for undergraduate degrees and £9,600 to £40,900 for postgraduate taught programmes, depending on subject, figures worth keeping in mind when judging how far a particular scholarship will actually stretch. Living costs in Edinburgh sit on top of that, so even a partial award covering fees alone won’t remove the need for a realistic budget for rent, food, and day-to-day expenses.
How to Apply
Start by choosing a course and, in most cases, securing a conditional or unconditional offer, since many scholarships require this before you can even apply. From there, most awards are applied for separately, either through the university’s online MyEd portal or a dedicated scholarship platform, as with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. Gather transcripts, degree certificates, a personal statement or research proposal, and reference letters well ahead of time, since some schemes request references or interviews at short notice. Scholarship applications are usually free even where the degree application carries a fee, and while you can apply for more than one scholarship, you can typically hold only one Edinburgh-administered award at a time.
Final Tips
Start early. Many of the most generous awards close months before teaching begins, and application windows don’t stay open for long. Tailor your personal statement or research proposal to each specific scholarship rather than reusing a generic version, and be explicit about your field’s relevance where a scheme favours STEM, public health, or development-related subjects. Above all, treat the university’s official Scholarships and Student Funding website as the final word, third-party guides, including this one, are useful for orientation, but deadlines, amounts, and eligibility criteria can change from year to year.
