University of St. Andrews Scholarships for International Students

The University of St. Andrews is a public research university located in St. Andrews, Scotland. Founded in 1410, the university has the honor of not only being Scotland’s oldest university but also the best. It was ranked as Scotland’s #1 university by the Guardian University Guide 2022. Notable alumni include Edward Jenner, the creator of the smallpox vaccine, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, and Catherine.

The University of St. Andrews has established numerous partnerships with universities all over the world, with ties as far as North America and Asia. It is an institution that takes great pride in its community comprised of students from different cultural backgrounds. International students are more than welcome to enroll at this prestigious university, and below are just a few of the many scholarships that the University of St. Andrews has to offer.

University of St. Andrews Scholarships

Undergraduate Scholarships at University of St. Andrews

1. International Undergraduate Scholarship

  • Scholarship Amount: up to £10,000 for tuition fees
  • Eligibility Criteria
    • must intend to enroll in any undergraduate degree at the University of St. Andrews besides BA International Honours
    • must be paying tuition fees for international students
  • Scholarship Link

The International Undergraduate Scholarship is awarded by the University of St. Andrews to deserving students based on financial need. The applicants must provide proof that their household income is well below the average threshold in their country of origin. Priority will be given to those under extenuating circumstances such as those with a disability or those with dependents to care for.

Students may apply for the International Undergraduate Scholarship two days after they’ve applied for admission to the University of St. Andrews. They do not need to have an offer before applying. They will be sent log-in details needed to access the scholarship form on the My Application portal. Applications begin in November and end in March the following year—the results of the application will be released by May.

Along with the requirements needed for undergraduate admission, candidates will be asked for proof of household income such as tax certificates and returns, bank statements, pensions, annuity, and any other financial statements as evidence. They must be in English and uploaded in PDF format.

Additionally, the candidate must also provide a personal statement with any other relevant information to apply for this University of St. Andrews scholarship. Here, the candidates may talk about how many members there are in the household, what previous scholarships they have been granted, and how they keep up their source of income. Essentially, this is where the candidate must explain why they need the scholarship and they are deserving of it.

Postgraduate Scholarships at University of St. Andrews

1. Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme (CSSS)

  • Scholarship Amount
    • full waived tuition fees for a master’s degree program, monthly allowance, round-trip tickets between Scotland and country of origin, fieldwork and thesis grants, and other maintenance fees required by the enrolled program
  • Eligibility Criteria
    • must be a citizen of a least-developed or lower-middle-income Commonwealth country as indicated by the scholarship’s official website
    • must not be living in any developed country at the time of application
    • must have been accepted to a development-related postgraduate degree at the University of St. Andrews
  • Scholarship Link

The Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme is awarded to students from the least-developed and lower-middle-income countries of the Commonwealth. This is a joint agreement between the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission and the University of St. Andrews to support those who are unable to take up a postgraduate degree at the university without financial assistance.

The candidate must be enrolled in any development-related course at the University of St. Andrews. A full list of eligible courses can be found here. Students are expected to study science and technology, global peace and crisis response, access and inclusion, and other contemporary issues affecting development.

Aside from the requirements needed for admission to the University of St. Andrews, the scholarship application also requires proof of the candidate’s citizenship, at least two professional references, and a statement of financial need.

Applicants will be chosen based on their academic merit and their financial needs. Consideration is also given to how much of an impact they can make upon their return to their country of origin.

For more details on this scholarship and the many other scholarships available at the University of St. Andrews that the Commonwealth has to offer, please visit the official website here.

2. Chevening Scholarship

  • Scholarship Amount: full waived tuition fees for a master’s degree program, monthly allowance, round-trip tickets between Scotland and country of origin, visa and medical fees required by the British government, and other miscellaneous fees
  • Eligibility Criteria
    • must be a citizen of any Chevening-eligible country and must intend to return to their country of origin for at least two years after the postgraduate program
    • must have completed a bachelor’s degree with outstanding merit and must have at least two years’ worth of work experience
    • must not have been employed by Her Majesty’s Government (including British Embassies, Home Office, Ministry of Defense, etc.) for the past two years
  • Scholarship Link

Funded by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Chevening Scholarship is catered towards individuals from all over the world who demonstrate outstanding leadership skills. This scholarship available at the University of St. Andrews aims to produce the next generation of scholars with the talent and motivation to make the world a better place.

The Chevening Scholarship takes at least eight months to process, so you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Submissions are usually open at the beginning of August with a deadline set at the beginning of November. It is encouraged to apply for admission to the University of St. Andrews and the Chevening Scholarship at the same time. For a more detailed timeline, please click here.

Candidates will be asked to apply for at least three eligible courses under the Chevening program. A comprehensive list of all available courses—not just those offered by the University of St. Andrews—can be found here. The courses must be full-time master’s programs taught on campus.

The next step is to fill out the online application form through your country’s page. This can be found on the scholarship’s website. This first stage of the application process involves a series of essays relating to your leadership and networking abilities, the reasons behind choosing your three courses, and your previous work experiences. If your application has impressed the team, you will then be shortlisted and be asked to upload some additional documents to the online application system. This includes your academic transcripts, two professional or academic references, and some general information about yourself.

Interview invites are then sent out. Most interviews will be conducted at the British embassy in your country and are always face-to-face. You will be asked questions on a variety of questions relating to your leadership skills, ambitions and motivations, choice of studies, and more. This is the last step of the application process, so be sure to make an impact!

Results will be out by June at the earliest. Take note that by this time, you should have already received an unconditional offer from the University of St. Andrews. The deadline to submit an unconditional offer is in mid-July.

The University of St. Andrews has a plethora of scholarships available for its students. Whether you’re an international academic student, a musically-inclined artist, a student-athlete, or whether you come from a developing or developed country, there’s something for everyone. Feel free to check out other undergraduate scholarships and postgraduate scholarships that the university also has in store for deserving international students!

 

I hope that this article was helpful. If you are interested, visit the UK Scholarships Page.