University of Manchester Scholarships for International Students 2026

Yes, some funding can apply to online/distance learning, but it depends on the scholarship. You can also see this in real recipient stories: Zubair Mahar (Pakistan) says he was awarded the “Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarship… as a distance learning scholar” while enrolled at the University of Manchester.

Scholarships at Manchester can be available across a wide range of subjects, often university-wide (merit/need/region-based), and sometimes targeted by faculty/discipline.

Recipient stories show how broad this can be in practice: Marcos Cáceres studied MSc Economics, Alamin Mahmoud studied MSc Business Analytics, Annet Nakkazi is a PhD student in Cancer Sciences, and Zubair Mahar pursued an MA in Educational Leadership in Practice via distance learning.

In general, you’ll commonly find funding routes connected to STEM (including engineering and computer/data science), business (including finance/analytics/management), humanities (for example, humanities excellence-style awards may appear in scholarship listings), and many other areas.

Medicine: international students can apply to Medicine at Manchester, but scholarship eligibility can be more restricted depending on the award. Some scholarships (such as certain Global Futures regional awards) explicitly exclude “Clinical Medicine and Dentistry” degrees, so for medicine applicants it’s especially important to read scholarship exclusions carefully.

It varies by scholarship. Some awards are open broadly to international applicants, while others are limited to specific countries/regions (or residency/domicile rules). From GlobalScholarships recipient stories alone, you can see funded Manchester students from multiple countries: e.g., Marcos Cáceres (Paraguay), Annet Nakkazi (Uganda), Alamin Mahmoud (Sudan), and Zubair Mahar (Pakistan).

Often yes, but it depends on your programme and your prior education/qualifications. Manchester lists course-specific English language requirements and commonly accepted tests (including IELTS and TOEFL iBT), plus important rules (for example, some at-home TOEFL options are not accepted and test validity windows may apply).

In recipient experiences, Alamin Mahmoud shares: “I focused my preparation on the IELTS, which I knew was a standard requirement,” adding that his undergraduate degree was “mostly taught in English.”

There isn’t one universal minimum for every programme; entry requirements are programme-specific. Many master’s courses commonly refer to a UK honours classification (for example, an Upper Second/2:1 or higher), or an overseas equivalent. Manchester also provides country-specific equivalency guidance, because “2:1 equivalent” can look different depending on your grading system.

From scholarship recipients: Alamin Mahmoud notes he earned a “First Class Honours” undergraduate degree, and Zubair Mahar reports graduating “magna cum laude with a CGPA of 3.7.”

That said, strong academics aren’t the only factor; Annet Nakkazi puts it plainly: “Getting scholarships is more than just grades.”

Minimum eligibility depends on the scholarship type. Some scholarships focus heavily on academic excellence (eg, top performance in your class), while others weigh leadership, impact, professional experience, or your personal statement just as strongly.

For example, Chevening (an external scholarship frequently used by Manchester students) is often described by recipients as leadership- and impact-focused. Marcos Cáceres emphasizes that scholarships “aren’t just looking for perfect grades,” and Alamin Mahmoud describes Chevening as “more than financial support—it’s a leadership development platform.”

On the application side, Marcos Cáceres says, “I spent several months drafting and refining my essays,” while Zubair Mahar highlights fit + documentation: “I drafted a clear statement of purpose… [and] sought references from mentors.”

Exact documents vary by level (undergraduate vs master’s vs PhD) and by course, but common requirements include academic transcripts/records, degree certificates (if completed), a personal statement/statement of purpose, references, and proof of English (if required). Some programmes also request a CV, writing sample, portfolio, or course-specific forms.

Recipient stories give a practical sense of what matters: Zubair Mahar mentions drafting a “statement of purpose” and securing “references,” while Alamin Mahmoud notes, “The Chevening application is intensive, with four structured essays.”

And at least for some Manchester master’s applications, you may be asked to submit “your latest transcripts with your online application,” so it’s smart to prepare certified records early.

It depends on what you apply for. For undergraduate applications, you apply via UCAS, and UCAS charges an application fee.

For postgraduate taught study, many Manchester programmes do not charge an application fee, but some do. For example, Alliance Manchester Business School lists a non-refundable £60 application fee for certain master’s programmes (and notes that if your programme isn’t listed, you don’t need to pay a fee).