UK Fellowships Direct Application - No Nomination Required

External Awards for Graduate Study in UK

Most of these fellowships are not limited to US applicants. Fellowship Programs offers advice on all awards. Book an appointment early in the process to get ahead. 

Alumni & Friends of the LSE Scholarship
Supports a year’s tuition fees at the London School of Economics & Political Science. Eligible: US citizens and permanent residents.  Rolling application: apply early for better chances.

Associated Board International Scholarships for Music
Support one or two years of postgraduate study of performance, conducting, or composition at one of the Royal Schools of Music. Eligible: citizens of non-EU countries. Apply to the degree course for consideration for these scholarships. Deadline is variable, but early.

Cambridge Commonwealth, European and Overseas Trust Scholarships
Support postgraduate degree study at the University of Cambridge. Eligible: applicants for graduate study at Cambridge. Apply at the same time as for the Gates Cambridge, or by the appropriate deadline at the beginning of December or January, depending on citizenship.

Canon Collins Educational Trust
Supports a year (sometimes more) of postgraduate degree study in southern Africa, the UK, or Ireland. Eligible: seniors and recent graduates from southern Africa. Application deadlines vary by program.

Chevening Scholarships
UK government’s international award aimed at developing global leaders. It supports one-year master’s courses in the UK for students committed to returning and contributing to their home countries. Eligible: recent graduates from eligible countries (see website for eligibility; does not include US or UK). Deadline typically early November.

Commonwealth Scholarships
Support postgraduate study in the UK for citizens of Commonwealth countries, or for citizens of the UK for postgraduate study in other Commonwealth countries. Application deadlines vary by program.

Ertegun Graduate Scholarships in the Humanities
Fully supports postgraduate degrees in the humanities at Oxford. Eligible: applicants in humanities: apply to the degree course and Ertegun by January deadline. Read about recent Ertegun Scholars in 2018 and 2021.

Fulbright Grants for US Students
The UK Fulbright funds degree study. This application is a bit different form other Fulbright grants. Eligible: US citizen graduating seniors and alumni.

Note: Alumni apply directly or through their current graduate school (seniors should apply through Yale), but Fellowship Programs can provide advising.

Gates Cambridge Scholarships
Supports graduate study in any discipline at Cambridge. Eligible: citizens of any country except the UK. Application deadline typically in mid-October for US applicants and the beginning of December for the international competition. Read about recent Gates-Cambridge Scholars. 

Kanders Churchill Scholarship
Supports the one-year Master's in Public Policy at Cambridge. Eligible: US citizens majoring in science, mathematics, or engineering and interested in science policy. Application deadline in early October.

Marshall-Sherfield Fellowships
Support postdoctoral fellowships at British universities or research institutes. Eligible: US citizens with PhD in science or engineering. Application deadline typically in October.

Mitchell Scholarship
Supports one year of study at a university in Ireland. Eligible: US citizen graduating seniors and alumni between ages of 18 and 30.

Note: Only alumni apply directly to the Mitchell.

National Institutes of Health Graduate Partnership Program
Supports three years of a PhD in the biomedical sciences at the National Institutes of Health and one of the NIH university partners, including University College London (for neuroscience), Oxford, and Cambridge. Eligible: US citizens and permanent residents, graduating seniors and alumni applying for appropriate programs or, in some cases, who have already begun their graduate education. Application deadlines vary by program but are usually in early December.

Oxford Clarendon
Supports postgraduate study in any subject at Oxford. Eligible: all applicants to Oxford: apply to the degree course by the January deadline to be considered for the Clarendon.

Oxford Pershing Square Graduate Scholarship
Full-cost scholarships for the MBA year of the Oxford 1+1 MBA program. Eligible: applicants for the 1+1 MBA program. For the Pershing Square, apply for the partnering master's degree of your choice and for the MBA by January if your chosen master's degree closes then, or by March (when other master's and the MBA close).

Rhodes Scholarships
Support one to three years of study at Oxford. Eligible: graduating seniors and alumni who are citizens of Australia; Bermuda; Canada; China; Germany; Hong Kong; India; Israel; Jamaica and the Commonwealth Caribbean; Kenya; Malaysia; New Zealand; Pakistan; Southern Africa, including South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia and Swaziland; Syria, Jordan, Lebanon & Palestine; the United Arab Emirates; the US; Zambia; or Zimbabwe, and who meet the eligibility requirements specified by the Rhodes Trust. 

Note: Citizens of these countries apply directly and do not require Yale’s endorsement, although Fellowship Programs provides advising. Application deadlines vary between late July and mid-October; see the appropriate country page of the Rhodes Trust website for specifics.

Society for Classical Studies Lionel Pierson Fellowship
Supports one year of postgraduate study of Classics at an English or Scottish university. Eligible are American & Canadian seniors nominated by their undergraduate Classics department. Deadline for nomination usually late September.

Where Else to Look

Especially if you've found a degree course which sounds like a great fit for you, don't just look at the fellowships listed above. Look locally. Explore funding information provided for prospective students by individual universities such as Cambridge, Edinburgh, the London School of Economics & Political Science, and Oxford, among others.

Check out the British Council’s information about scholarships, Postgraduate Search, and the Development Studies Association. Students from developing countries and/or students interested in development studies can explore Scholarships for Development. International students at Yale might also try the website of the ministry of education in their home countries to see what postgraduate scholarship opportunities may be available.