Is it possible to study in the UK for free?

Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of studying in the UK, other than its high quality – is the high cost of its tuition fees. In addition to the cost of living and travel when it comes to international students. But with fully-funded scholarships and other tips we’ll give in this article, there will be opportunities for international students to study in the UK for free.

But to begin with, read our overview of the study and living cost in the UK for international students.

Fully-funded scholarships to study in UK for free

Indeed, scholarships in the UK may not include most of the costs a student needs to study in the UK. As a matter of fact, some scholarships may cover tuition fees only, while others may cover living expenses such as medical expenses, travel costs, etc.

Meanwhile, what many students do not know that there are fully-funded scholarships, which provide most of what students need to pursue their studies in the UK for free.

Here are some scholarships which cover the costs of studying and living in UK that we have selected for you. Sometimes they even include travel, health insurance, and book-buying costs. This would reduce the fees that the student should pay by. Hence, this ensures them to focus on good achievement, rather than seeking alternative means of fulfilling the tuition fees.

British Chevening Scholarship

Applying for the British Chevening Scholarship is the first choice for international students, particularly those seeking scholarships for a master’s degree in the UK.

The program usually covers the costs of acquiring a one-year master’s degree. This includes tuition fees in the UK, cost of living, economy class return ticket to the UK, additional grants to cover basic expenses.

Application link to benefit from the British Chevening Scholarship Program

Clarendon Scholarships at Oxford University

The Clarendon Scholarship Fund at Oxford University offers generous and full-cost scholarships to qualified graduates. Basically, Clarendon scholarships are based on the criteria of academic excellence and the high leadership potential that allows for excellence at Oxford university.

The scholarships cover the full tuition, living and transportation expenses.

You can apply here to Clarendon Scholarship Program at Oxford University

Full Westminster International Scholarships

Westminster Scholarships are among the most competitive ones in the UK. This is due to the fact that they are open to international students from developing and middle-income countries.

As an illustration, it gives them full-time study in the UK by covering all tuition, accommodation and living expenses. This is in addition to the expenses of all economy class flights from & to Westminster University.

Application link to benefit from the full Westminster International Scholarship Program

Denys Holland Scholarship

It is a scholarship to the London University College. It seeks to support university students, including international students. The financial need is the first criteria for benefiting from the scholarship. Next are higher academic grades as well as leadership potential.

This bursary covers £9,000 per year of expenses. Furthermore, this scholarship can fulfill the dream of many students to study free of charge in the UK, since students choose to use all or part of the scholarship to cover the due fees.

Learn more about the Denys Holland scholarship program

Rhodes Scholarship

Rhodes scholarship at Oxford University is one of the oldest scholarships in the world. It is a postgraduate scholarship program. Undoubtedly, more than 89 students are selected each year, including international students.

Basically, academic excellence is a good standard which guarantees free study in the UK through this scholarship. Also, the postgraduate study should be related to either Business Management or Financial Economics.

Find here more information about the Rhodes scholarship program

Warwick Chancellor International Scholarship

Warwick Chancellor International Scholarship is a PhD scholarship in the UK. It aims to provide approximately 25 international scholarships annually. Moreover, this scholarship allows students to study in the UK for free by covering full tuition fees, living expenses as well as transportation.

Application link to benefit from Warwick Chancellor International Scholarship Program is here.

How to study in the UK for free for international students: further tips 

Generally, there is no free tuition university education at any level in the UK. But there are some clever ways to considerably reduce your tuition fees and living expenses, so you can study at low to no cost. Apart from the fully-funded scholarships you can benefit from, here are other ways to study cost free in the UK. 

Apply to the cheapest colleges in the UK for international students

Even though UK universities are not among the most affordable in the world, it is still possible to get quality education at affordable institutions. Generally, UK universities’ tuition fees can go up to £38,000 per year. But institutions such as Staffordshire University, which is one of the top universities in the UK, apply a tuition fee of £10,500 per year.

To learn more about these affordable institutions, you should read our article about the cheapest universities for international students in the UK.

Start the application process very early

If there is no way to not pay tuition fees if you study in the UK. There are nonetheless many ways to waive the university application fees. It’s common sense to start your university application very early, since you still have to apply for a student visa. But there are also institutions, some of them being the top universities in the UK that don’t have any application fees. Start by checking these. This will reduce some of the cost you need to take care of in order to study in the UK. 

Work during your studies in the UK

The last way to reduce your study and living cost in the UK is to work part-time. Depending on your visa, you might be allowed to work during your studies in the UK at some degree levels. Usually, international students, who study full-time can work up to 20 hours per week during university term time. And during vacation period, students can work full-time. This, of course, won’t cover the entirety of the tuition fee, but it can help to reduce the student’s living expenses in the UK.

Learn more on the subject in our guide on how to work and study at the same time in the UK.