University of Portsmouth Scholarships for International Students 2026

The University of Portsmouth offers online/distance-learning courses, but most of the University’s headline scholarships for international students are explicitly for full-time, on-campus study.

In general, Portsmouth scholarships span a wide range of subjects, and eligibility often “varies depending on which course you’re studying.” This means STEM (including computing, data/AI, engineering, and sciences), business, humanities, and many other areas can be eligible depending on the specific scholarship rules. As an example, Anum Shahid studied MA International Relations and shared that she pursued Portsmouth to “broaden my knowledge and horizons.” For medicine: Portsmouth hosts a branch-campus Graduate Entry Medicine MBBS delivered with King’s College London, but that specific medicine programme is “open to applications from Home fee payers only,” so it is not an international-student route for medicine at Portsmouth.

• Medicine: Graduate Entry Medicine MBBS (Portsmouth branch with King’s) is home-fee only, so international students are not eligible for that medicine intake route.
• Engineering & STEM: Typically eligible for Portsmouth-wide fee-reduction scholarships where you meet course and fee conditions.
• Business: Included under broad scholarships; some named awards also list business-related programmes in eligible course sets (where specified).
• Humanities & Social Sciences: Specifically featured in GREAT Scholarships (and Anum’s MA International Relations story).

Portsmouth offers scholarships across multiple nationality groupings: (1) broad international (overseas-fee) eligibility for some University awards, (2) an EU/EEA/Swiss route via the EU Scholarship, (3) targeted country lists, and (4) country-specific schemes. The Global Scholarships recipient Anum Shahid is Pakistani and introduced herself as “a Commonwealth Shared Scholar 2023 – 2024,” highlighting that external, nationality-tied schemes can also support study at Portsmouth.

Often yes—if English isn’t your first language, Portsmouth commonly requires proof of English (e.g., IELTS). The University’s published guidance notes minimum IELTS scores by level (for example, many undergraduate degrees typically require IELTS 6.0 overall, with component minimums, and some courses require higher). In the recipient story, Anum Shahid said she “attempted English language tests with good scores” as part of preparing her Portsmouth and scholarship applications. Some applicants can be exempt depending on prior qualifications (for example, certain degrees from majority English-speaking contexts), but you should always check the specific course requirements.

Yes, but it depends on the level and the course. For undergraduate entry, Portsmouth publishes typical offer ranges (e.g., A-level and UCAS tariff ranges) and notes that some courses may also require interviews, portfolios, checks, or tests. For postgraduate entry, requirements vary by course and by country-equivalency; Portsmouth’s country guidance (for example, for Pakistan) indicates different typical minimums depending on whether a course needs a 2:1 or a 2:2 equivalent. In the scholarship recipient story, Anum Shahid shared that she graduated “with first division, securing a 3.0 CGPA,” showing that successful applicants often present a solid academic record plus a strong overall application.

It varies by scholarship type. Some Portsmouth scholarships are merit-based and require you to meet offer deadlines and submit extra scholarship materials; others are nationality-targeted, and some have strict academic + English thresholds. External routes (like Commonwealth schemes) may prioritize development impact and overall competitiveness as well as meeting university entry criteria. In her story, Anum Shahid emphasized both academics and application quality: she mentioned “securing a 3.0 CGPA,” and said she focused on “writing and refining my personal statement… and securing references.”

Document requirements depend on your level (undergraduate vs postgraduate) and your route, but international applicants are commonly asked for certified/translated academic certificates and transcripts, proof of English level (such as an IELTS certificate), and academic reference letters (often one for undergraduate routes and two for many postgraduate routes). Some applicants may also be asked to take part in credibility interviews depending on country-specific processes. In the recipient story, Anum Shahid described hands-on preparation: “I got my educational documents attested by local authorities,” and said she worked on “refining my personal statement… and securing references.”

• Academic records: degree certificates + transcripts/grades (certified and translated if needed).
• English proof: IELTS/approved equivalent where required.
• References: typically at least one (and often more for postgraduate).
• Personal statement / application essays (and scholarship essays if applicable).
• Any course-specific items: portfolio, interview, health/criminal-record checks for certain programmes.

For postgraduate taught courses, Portsmouth states it does not charge an application fee. For undergraduate courses, you often apply through UCAS (or sometimes directly), and UCAS charges its own application fee for the cycle.