Finding and applying for scholarships is one of the very next steps after submitting your university application. Most of the time this step comes before even accepting your offer of admission. It can feel really overwhelming to get started with the scholarships process and keep track of even more deadlines. Below I will detail my experience, timeline, and advice for finding scholarships to partially fund my time here at the University of Glasgow to hopefully provide some helpful insight. 

I applied for my programme in December 2023 and received an offer of admission in January 2024. Shortly after receiving my offer, I began the search for scholarships. I started with the webpage for my programme which had a "Fees & Funding" section (note: all programme webpages have a Fees & Funding section) containing some available scholarships through the university as well as some other funding resources. I reviewed all the available funding options and made notes of the scholarships that I was eligible for. At this point, several of the scholarship deadlines had already passed. I applied to a total of five scholarships in addition to completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (this is relevant to students from the United States only). Of the five scholarships I submitted applications for, I received two awards. The two scholarships I received cover most of my international student tuition and the remaining amount is covered through US Federal Aid. 

I did find it a little difficult to find scholarships that I was eligible for due to a number of complicating factors such as being a postgraduate student rather than an undergraduate student and the fact that I was attending a university outside of my country of residence. The currency difference between USD and GBP was also a complicating factor. In addition to reviewing the available funding through the University of Glasgow scholarships portal on my programme webpage, I also searched websites such as Postgrad and Fastweb. I also looked at available scholarships from my undergraduate university and any honor societies that I belonged to (National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Phi Kappa Phi, and Alpha Phi Sigma). Some banks also offer scholarship opportunities, although I was not eligible for any through my bank. I reached out to several of those funding bodies (honor societies and scholarships through Postgrad and Fastweb) to confirm my eligibility prior to applying. 

I applied for a scholarship through the University of Glasgow using the online portal in late January 2024. I kept a separate Word document with the application requirements and deadlines. This is also where I kept and worked on my personal statement. I received and accepted the scholarship within two weeks of submitting my appliaction. This award came in the form of a tuition discount. The other scholarship that I received was a fellowship through one of the honor societies mentioned above. I submitted that application in April 2024 and received an award in the summer of 2024. That scholarship required an active membership with the honor society, official transcripts, a writing sample, two sealed letters of recommendation, which necessitated the coordination of several schedules. I was lucky that my references were able to accommodate a tight turnaround for the deadline, but I cannot recommend enough reaching out as early as possible for letters of recommendation. I also highly recommend keeping a few sealed official transcripts on hand because it can be a lengthy process to obtain them. 

I am extremely grateful to have received the scholarships that I have. My top tips for tackling scholarships are:

  • Start looking for scholarships and confirming eligibility as soon as possible
  • Keep separate documents for each scholarships to keep track of all application requirements and your responses thereto 
  • Track scholarships submission deadlines and when awards are to be announced 
  • Don't be afraid to reach out to the university or funding bodies with any questions!

If your application requires official transcripts and / or letters of recommendation, start with these first:

  • Reach out to your references as soon as possible to give them ample time to complete a letter of recommendation. Offer to provide relevant information and send a thank you card or correspondance afterwards.
  • Order a few official transcriptss to have on standby.

I hope that sharing a bit of my experience and advice surrounding the scholarship process has been helpful! Good luck!

First published: 10 April 2025

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Reminder: Fees & Funding sections across all programme pages contain scholarship information so remember to check your relevant programme page.