University of Leicester Global Excellence Scholarship 2027

Applicants domiciled in India are specifically excluded from this scholarship.

The scholarship is for full-time, campus-based Master's programmes. PGCE programmes, postgraduate certificates and postgraduate diplomas are excluded.

For applicants considering the April 2027 intake, it is particularly important to confirm that the specific programme they intend to study is offered for an April start. The University currently states that only eligible postgraduate taught programmes within the College of Business have an April 2027 intake.

Application Requirements

Applicants are required to submit a separate scholarship application after meeting the University's eligibility requirements.

A key part of the application is a video of no more than two minutes answering three questions:

1. What experience do you have of achieving academic and/or personal excellence?

2. What are your plans for building on these achievements after completing your Master's programme?

3. How will your chosen Master's degree help you achieve those plans?

The video can be submitted as a link through platforms accepted by the University, including Google Drive, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, WeChat Video or Douyin.

Applicants do not need professional filming equipment or editing skills. The University states that the assessment focuses on how applicants approach and answer the questions rather than their filmmaking ability.

The scholarship application also considers the applicant's personal statement and extracurricular activities.

How Applicants Are Assessed

The University evaluates scholarship applications using three main areas:

Realism

Applicants should present realistic and achievable plans for using their Master's education after graduation. The University wants to see that applicants have thought carefully about their future direction rather than simply listing broad ambitions.

Creativity

Creativity relates to the applicant's ideas, perspective and approach rather than production quality. Applicants should communicate their experiences and ambitions in a way that reflects their own thinking.

Impact

Applicants should demonstrate the impact they have already made and explain the positive impact they hope to make in the future. This can include academic, professional, community, entrepreneurial or other meaningful achievements.

Important Financial Considerations

The £7,000 award is a tuition-fee discount, not a full scholarship.

Successful applicants must still pay the remaining balance of their tuition fees and cover accommodation, food, transportation, visa-related costs and other living expenses.

The University also requires successful students to pay the applicable deposit by the relevant deadline and provide evidence of funds for the remaining fees and living expenses where required.

Applicants should therefore calculate their total financial requirement before accepting the scholarship. Receiving the £7,000 award does not by itself demonstrate that the applicant has sufficient funds to study in the UK.

The scholarship is not transferable and applies only to the academic year in which the student begins the programme. If a student defers their place to a later academic year, the scholarship will no longer remain valid and they would need to apply again under the funding arrangements for that new year.

Application Timeline

For January and April 2027 starters:

• Scholarship application deadline: 6 November 2026
• Scholarship winners announced: 25 November 2026
• January 2027 deposit deadline: 2 December 2026
• April 2027 deposit deadline: 28 January 2027

Applicants should not wait until the scholarship deadline to begin the process because they first need to have an eligible University of Leicester postgraduate offer.

Applicant Tip

The strongest applications should avoid treating the three video questions as three unrelated answers.

Instead, build one clear story:

Achievement → Master's programme → Future impact.

For example, an applicant could briefly establish a significant academic, professional, entrepreneurial or community achievement, explain what challenge or ambition grew from that experience, and then show why the chosen Leicester Master's programme is a logical next step.

Be specific about impact. Rather than simply saying that you want to "help your country" or "make a difference", identify the problem you intend to work on, what skills the Master's programme will provide and what you realistically hope to accomplish after graduation.

The two-minute limit also makes preparation important. Applicants should practise their answers so that they can communicate their strongest evidence without spending most of the video introducing themselves.

Most importantly, the video should sound personal. The University is specifically assessing the applicant's own approach, ambitions and achievements, so a highly generic scholarship speech is unlikely to communicate the qualities the selection criteria are looking for.