University of Leicester Scholarships for International Students 2026

Leicester, United Kingdom
Location
23,000
Population
6
Number of Scholarships

University of Leicester offers access to scholarships that can reduce tuition burden and sometimes support additional costs. Below are top options prioritized by funding level.

When reviewing university scholarships connected to University of Leicester, these are often the first awards worth checking due to the typical scale of support. International Merit Scholarship is partially funded and typically covers £5,000 for applicants with 3 grades equivalent to above standard A-level (for undergraduates) or a degree equivalent to UK first class (for postgraduates) and £3,000 for applicants with 2 grades equivalent to above standard A-level (for undergraduates) or a degree equivalent to UK high upper second class (for postgraduates).

If you are building a wider scholarship strategy for University of Leicester, external and government programs can be important additions. Here are a few to consider. Commonwealth PhD Scholarships is a fully funded award, and the listed benefits often include full tuition fees, roundtrip airfare ticket, and paid airfare ticket for mid-term visit to home country. Commonwealth PhD Scholarships For High Income Countries is usually considered fully funded, and typical coverage can include full tuition fees, roundtrip airfare ticket, and paid airfare ticket for mid-term visit to home country. A strong option is Saïd Foundation Scholarship which is fully funded and often covers full tuition, living and maintenance costs, and arrival allowance.

For more opportunities beyond these highlights, explore the scholarship listings below on this page.

University of Leicester Scholarships for International Students

The scholarships at University of Leicester can help fund your study expenses. There are currently 6 scholarships being offered to international students at the University of Leicester, all with varying requirements, benefits, and application processes. We have compiled them in this list to help you find the scholarship that best fits you.

External Scholarships

1. Saïd Foundation Scholarship

  • Offered By: Saïd Foundation
  • Scholarship Type: Full Funding
  • Degrees Offered : Master's
  • Scholarship Coverage:
    • Full Tuition
    • Living and maintenance costs
    • Arrival allowance
    • Health insurance
    • Visa fees
    • Return flight (economy)

2. Commonwealth PhD Scholarships For High Income Countries

  • Offered By: Commonwealth Scholarship Commission
  • Scholarship Type: Full Funding
  • Degrees Offered : PhD
  • Scholarship Coverage:
    • Full tuition fees
    • Roundtrip airfare ticket
    • Paid airfare ticket for mid-term visit to home country
    • Up to £1,652 monthly living stipend
    • Clothing allowance
    • Travel allowance
    • Overseas fieldwork allowance
    • Mid-term visit airfare to home country
    • Additional allowance based on the family situation

3. Commonwealth PhD Scholarships

  • Offered By: Commonwealth Scholarship Commission
  • Scholarship Type: Full Funding
  • Degrees Offered : PhD
  • Scholarship Coverage:
    • Full tuition fees
    • Roundtrip airfare ticket
    • Paid airfare ticket for mid-term visit to home country
    • Up to £1,652 monthly living stipend
    • Clothing allowance
    • Travel allowance
    • Overseas fieldwork allowance
    • Family allowances

4. Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships

  • Offered By: Commonwealth Scholarship Commission
  • Scholarship Type: Full Funding
  • Degrees Offered : Master's
  • Scholarship Coverage:
    • Full tuition fees
    • Living allowance of up to £1,378 per month and £1,690
    • Clothing allowance
    • Study travel allowance
    • Roundtrip airfare ticket
    • Allowance of up to £590 per month for single parents with minor children living in the UK and £146 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16

5. GlobalScholarships.com $3,000 Scholarships for International Students

  • Scholarship Type: Partial Funding
  • Degrees Offered : Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD
  • Scholarship Coverage: 3,000 USD

What Scholarship Recipients Say:

"I was awarded the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship … which covered my full tuition fee, round-trip airfare, a monthly stipend for accommodation and living expenses."

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship (Fully Funded) MSc in Geographic Information Science (GIS)

Fareha Siddiqui

Read the full story

"This prestigious scholarship provided me with the financial support needed to focus entirely on my studies and research during my Master’s program."

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship (Fully Funded) MSc in Geographic Information Science (GIS)

Fareha Siddiqui

Read the full story

University of Leicester Scholarship Recipients

Fareha Siddiqui profile image

Fareha Siddiqui

MSc in Geographic Information Science (GIS)
Pakistan
Commonwealth Shared Scholarship

Fareha Siddiqui from Pakistan is a recipient of the prestigious Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, currently pursuing her second Master’s degree in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at the University of Leicester, UK. With a background in Environmental Sciences, Fareha discovered her passion for GIS during her first Master’s, where her thesis involved geospatial analysis.

She prepared strategically for her scholarship by narrowing down universities offering GIS under Commonwealth funding and achieved a solid IELTS score of 7.0 through self-study using online resources. Her relevant practical experience, clear motivation, and volunteer activities made her application stand out.

Read her full story for more insights into how she secured her Commonwealth Shared Scholarship and her inspiring journey in pursuing advanced GIS skills to tackle environmental challenges in Pakistan.

University of Leicester FAQ

Are there any scholarships at University of Leicester that are for online courses?

Yes. The University of Leicester lists funding options specifically for distance/online learners, including things like the Distance Learning Merit Scholarship (fee discount) plus other distance-learning funding options (for example, a full-fee instalment incentive and a distance learning sanctuary award). While these are separate from on-campus awards, they’re designed for students studying remotely and are tied to your distance-learning course and start year.

For which subjects does University of Leicester offer scholarships for?

Scholarships at Leicester can apply broadly across many subjects (STEM, humanities, social sciences, business, and more), with a mix of “any subject” awards and subject- or region-specific awards. For example, Leicester lists broad international scholarships (like merit- and chancellor-related tuition discounts) alongside more targeted options.

For which nationalities does University of Leicester offer scholarships for?

Many Leicester scholarships are open to international-fee-paying students in general, but some are restricted by nationality or domicile. In scholarship stories, Fareha Siddiqui (Pakistan) received a fully funded Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, which is offered to a select number of countries, at Leicester and explained it covered “full tuition fee, round-trip airfare, a monthly stipend… and a research allowance.”

Is having a language proficiency test necessary (IELTS, TOEFL) for University of Leicester?

Often yes for international applicants, unless you already meet Leicester’s English-language rules through accepted prior study/qualifications. Leicester explains you need strong enough English to understand and benefit from your degree, and that each degree page specifies an IELTS minimum (with equivalents listed for other tests). Requirements can be higher for certain courses: for Medicine (international requirements), Leicester lists IELTS 7.5 overall with no component below 7.0 (or TOEFL iBT 110 with minimum component scores). In real applicant experience, Fareha Siddiqui said, “Since UK universities only require a language proficiency test, I took the IELTS and scored 7.0.”

Is there minimum grade for acceptance at University of Leicester?

There isn’t one single minimum grade for all applicants and all programmes; requirements vary by level (undergraduate/postgraduate), course, and your home qualification. For taught postgraduate programmes, Leicester’s regulations state applicants should hold a degree with a first or second class honours (or equivalent). Some scholarships set their own higher bars: for example, Leicester’s Distance Learning Merit Scholarship requires a UK first-class honours degree (or equivalent). For highly competitive courses like Medicine, Leicester publishes detailed international academic and English requirements (including specific test-score thresholds). From scholarship recipient context, Fareha Siddiqui reported a CGPA of “3.26” (Bachelor’s) and “3.54” (Master’s) before starting her Leicester MSc scholarship journey, showing that “minimum grade” questions are best answered by matching your profile to the exact course and the scholarship criteria.

What is a good academic background and the minimum eligibility to get a scholarship at University of Leicester?

“Good” looks like (1) meeting the entry requirements for your course and (2) meeting any scholarship’s academic/eligibility rules (which can be automatic consideration or a separate competition). Leicester lists international scholarships that automatically consider eligible international-fee-paying applicants for undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes, and it also lists scholarships with extra conditions or exclusions (such as exclusions for Medicine on certain awards, or country-specific awards like Pakistan/Thailand-focused options). For distance-learning scholarships, Leicester’s merit scholarship example expects a first-class-equivalent degree.

What documents do I need to apply for University of Leicester?

Leicester’s postgraduate application guidance highlights typical supporting documents such as your qualification details (and proof), a personal statement (or research proposal for some programmes), references, and proof of English language ability. For certain routes (including Medicine international considerations), Leicester notes that if you don’t have standard GCSE-style evidence, you may need to provide school transcripts at the time of application. Scholarship applications can add their own materials: in her Commonwealth Shared Scholarship journey, Fareha Siddiqui emphasized the importance of the written pieces, “the motivation letter matters a lot,” and focusing your answers on a clear fit and goals.

Is there an application fee at University of Leicester?

For undergraduate study, Leicester applications are made through UCAS, and Leicester explicitly includes a step to “Pay your application fee” as part of the UCAS process (the fee is set by UCAS). For postgraduate applications made directly to Leicester via the online “Apply Now” route, Leicester’s official “apply directly” guidance doesn’t state any application fees.

University of Leicester Admissions

Here are the official admission pages for University of Leicester:

University of Leicester Application Deadlines

Degree Admission Deadline
Bachelor'sJanuary 29, 2026
Master'sSeptember 8, 2025 (Different Master's programs have different deadlines)

Tuition Fees at University of Leicester for International Students

Degree Tuition Fee Range
Bachelor's Tuition 19,700 - 24,500 GBP
Master's Tuition 18,950 - 23,650 GBP

Please note that tuition fees can vary based on the specific program you choose. To get accurate tuition fee information, be sure to consult the official tuition fee pages.

About the Author: Hyun Lee

Hyun Lee profile photo
Hi! I am Hyun, and I am the founder at Global Scholarships. I've received a full-tuition scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College and a $1,000 Burger King Scholarship for my undergraduate degree and was offered a fully funded scholarship consisting of tuition, living stipend, and health insurance for computer science Ph.D. program at North Carolina State University. You can read more about my scholarship journey here. If you are interested, you can follow me on Linkedin where I regularly write about scholarships.

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