How to Study in the UK for Free

The United Kingdom is one of the most popular destinations for international students. With its top-ranking universities, pioneering research, and historic culture, it comes as no surprise that 485,000+ international students have made the UK their academic home. There has been a rise in international students coming from India and Nigeria, especially to study in the UK, with one of the reasons being that they are able to study in the United Kingdom for free.

While the UK has gained the notoriety of being one of the more expensive countries for education, there is a way for you to get a world-class education without paying for anything as an international student. The UK does not have nationwide free tuition for international students, but fully funded and full-tuition awards can make your degree effectively free. Government programs like the Chevening Scholarship, prestigious awards such as the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, and university schemes like the UCL Global Undergraduate Scholarship and GREAT Scholarships routinely cover tuition, living costs, and sometimes travel.

Many international students have already proven this is possible: for example, Jéssica Pompeu from Brazil and Francelia Castañeda from Mexico both won fully funded Chevening awards to study at University College London (UCL), while Olivia Kamsi Muoka from Nigeria and Arnab Sarkar from India are completing PhDs at the University of Cambridge with fully funded Gates Cambridge Scholarships.

In this article, we will go over the generous process as well as specific universities where international students can get their bachelor’s, master’s, or Ph.D. degrees in the UK for free.

How to Study in the United Kingdom for Free with Scholarships: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Learn about UK Scholarships and Choose Your Targets

Start by understanding the main categories of scholarships that can fund a full degree in the UK. For one-year master’s programs, the flagship government award is the Chevening Scholarship, which covers full tuition, monthly living stipend, flights, and other allowances for future leaders in any field. Stories like those of Jéssica Pompeu and Francelia Castañeda show that Chevening supports very different backgrounds, from architecture and accessibility to fintech and venture capital, as long as you present a clear leadership and impact plan linked to your home country. For research-heavy master’s or PhD degrees at Cambridge or Oxford, elite awards such as the Gates Cambridge Scholarship and Rhodes Scholarship fund full costs for outstanding researchers and change-makers; Olivia Kamsi Muoka and Usama Javed Mirza both emphasize that Gates Cambridge covered their tuition, living expenses, visa, and travel, allowing them to focus entirely on research.

Do not ignore university-specific and partial awards; with the right combination, your total cost can still become zero. At the undergraduate level, the UCL Global Undergraduate Scholarship is one example: Louisa Wirawan from Indonesia received this fully funded award at UCL, which covers her tuition and living expenses up to around £16,800 per year. For master’s students, awards like the GREAT Scholarships provide £10,000 toward tuition fees; Peter from China used a GREAT Scholarship at Cardiff University to significantly reduce the cost of his Social Science Research Methods master’s. Once you know what exists, create a simple spreadsheet and sort scholarships by degree level (bachelor’s, master’s, PhD), by funder (government, university, external foundation), and by competitiveness, then mark which ones can realistically make your program free when combined.

Step 2: Build a Strong Academic Profile that UK Committees Expect

Most UK scholarships that make education free are reserved for top academic performers, so your grades and academic record need to stand out. Many successful scholars had first-class honors, high GPAs, or a clear record of academic excellence before applying. Arnab Sarkar, who completed a PhD in Astrophysics at Cambridge on a fully funded Gates Cambridge Scholarship, graduated from IISER Kolkata with a GPA of 9.4/10 and multiple research projects already on his CV. Olivia Kamsi Muoka similarly graduated at the top of her class in Medical Laboratory Science and had already conducted cancer-related research before applying, which made her a compelling candidate for a fully funded PhD in Medical Science at Cambridge.

At the undergraduate level, Louisa Wirawan combined excellent grades with a track record in advanced history classes and student leadership, which helped her secure the fully funded UCL Global Undergraduate Scholarship in Archaeology and Anthropology. For master’s applicants, Jéssica Pompeu and Francelia Castañeda both underline how their earlier degrees in architecture and finance, with strong GPAs and relevant experience, made it easier to convince UCL and Chevening selectors that they would thrive academically in the UK environment. If your grades are not yet where you want them to be, focus on improving your current semester performance, taking challenging subjects related to your intended UK program, and seeking research or project opportunities that can compensate by showing intellectual capacity.

Language and standardized tests also matter. Many UK universities accept IELTS, TOEFL, or other English tests as proof of proficiency, and some scholarships explicitly require minimum scores. Scholars such as Peter prepared intensively for IELTS and GRE before starting his program at Cardiff, and Olivia took IELTS, TOEFL, and GRE as part of her preparation for top UK programs, even though some institutions later waived these tests. Treat these exams as a serious investment: schedule them early so your scores are ready when applications open, and use official practice tests plus online resources to build familiarity and confidence.

Step 3: Demonstrate Leadership, Impact, and a Clear Vision for Your Home Country

What often differentiates fully funded scholars is not just their grades but the story of leadership and impact they can tell. Awards like Chevening and Gates Cambridge explicitly look for people who will return home (or stay engaged globally) to drive change. Jéssica Pompeu built her profile around accessibility and inclusion in Brazil, linking her career as an architect to tangible community needs in the Amazon region, which made her narrative compelling for Chevening and UK universities. Francelia Castañeda drew on over two decades in the financial sector and a clear plan to use fintech and venture capital to support sustainable projects in Mexico; she kept improving her leadership examples over multiple Chevening attempts until her application finally succeeded.

Similarly, Usama Javed Mirza and Olivia Kamsi Muoka anchored their Gates Cambridge applications in a strong sense of purpose: Usama focuses on decolonising science education and even co-founded initiatives to support marginalized students, while Olivia connects her cancer immunology research directly to the lack of accessible treatment options in Nigeria. These stories show what selectors want to see: concrete evidence that you already take action (through research projects, community work, or professional achievements), and that a UK degree will amplify, not create from scratch, your impact. Spend time now leading clubs, starting small projects, volunteering, or taking responsibility at work so you have rich, specific stories to translate into scholarship essays later.

Step 4: Select UK Universities Strategically and Align Your Applications

Once you know the main scholarships and have strengthened your profile, the next step is to choose UK universities and courses that fit both your academic interests and scholarship criteria. Many scholars started with careful online research. Jéssica used course search tools and university websites to compare programs and shortlist three UK options before finalizing her Chevening application, while Louisa read program pages and brochures in detail to show, in her UCL essay, exactly how Archaeology and Anthropology aligned with her passion for history and social sciences. This level of specificity in your course choice helps scholarship committees believe you are serious and informed.

For research programs, alignment with a supervisor is essential. Arnab spent time reading about potential Cambridge supervisors and even collaborated on a project with the professor who would later become his PhD advisor; this experience both strengthened his academic CV and made his Gates Cambridge application more convincing. Peter contacted a potential supervisor at Cardiff University to discuss his research interests before applying for his Social Science Research Methods program and the GREAT Scholarship. When selecting your UK options, always check whether the scholarship requires an unconditional offer, specific types of programs (for example, one-year taught master’s), or particular universities. Then, design a shortlist where every course clearly supports your longer-term leadership or research goals.

Tuition-free Options for Bachelor’s Studies in the UK

Here are some British universities that offer full scholarships to international students so that bachelor students can study in the United Kingdom for free. These institutions provide a free UK bachelor’s degree for international students if they get the following scholarships.

1. Warwick Undergraduate Global Excellence Scholarship

• Scholarship Link
• Scholarship Amount: Partial to full tuition fee coverage (up to full tuition) for international students
• Meet the Warwick Global Excellence Scholars: Discover scholarship journeys including recipient Souhardya De from India

The Warwick Undergraduate Global Excellence Scholarship at the University of Warwick is a competitive full-tuition award for high-achieving, self-funded international undergraduates. It offers partial to full tuition coverage, helping exceptional overseas-fee-paying students study any eligible subject at Warwick. Applicants must first secure admission to a Warwick bachelor’s program and then submit a separate scholarship application, which includes a 400-word response to the question “What makes you excellent?” Selection is based on academic excellence and the strength of this essay, with applications typically aligned to the university’s admissions deadline.

2 UCL Global Undergraduate Scholarship

• Scholarship Link
• Scholarship Amount: Full funding or full tuition
• Meet the UCL Global Undergraduate Scholars: Explore scholarship journeys including Aye Myat Mon from Myanmar and Louisa Wirawan from Indonesia.

The UCL Global Undergraduate Scholarship is a fully funded award at University College London for incoming international bachelor’s students from low-income backgrounds. This competitive scholarship offers either full tuition plus a living stipend and allowance or full tuition only, depending on the award type, for the full duration of the degree. Applicants must first submit an application for a full-time undergraduate program at UCL and then complete a separate scholarship application through UCL’s funding portal, following the eligibility criteria and deadlines outlined on the official scholarship page.

3. Reach Oxford Scholarship

• Scholarship Link
• Scholarship Amount: 100% of tuition fees, a living stipend, and one return airfare each year of the course
• Meet the University of Oxford Scholars: Explore scholarship journeys including Antonio Tabanera Manzanares from Spain and David McMillan from the United States

The Reach Oxford Scholarship at the University of Oxford is a fully funded undergraduate award for outstanding students from low-income and developing countries who cannot pursue a degree in their home country. This competitive scholarship covers full course fees, a grant for living expenses, and one return airfare per year, enabling recipients to complete a three- or four-year bachelor’s degree without financial barriers. Applicants must first secure an offer of admission to an eligible Oxford undergraduate program (excluding medicine) and then submit a separate scholarship application demonstrating excellent academic records, significant financial need, and a strong commitment to return home and contribute to their communities after graduation.

Here are some of the students who were able to study a bachelor’s degree in the United Kingdom for free!

• Aye Myat Mon from Myanmar earned the UCL Global Undergraduate Scholarship at University College London, covering full tuition, a living stipend, and additional support to study a Bachelor’s in Computer Science.
• Louisa Wirawan from Indonesia earned the UCL Global Undergraduate Scholarship at University College London, covering full tuition and living expenses (up to £16,800 per year) to study a Bachelor’s in Archaeology and Anthropology.
• Odinaka Akpamgbo from Nigeria earned the Mastercard Foundation Africa Oxford Initiative Scholarship at the University of Oxford, a fully funded award covering tuition, living expenses, research funding, travel, visa, laptop, and hardship support to pursue the Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) in Law.

Tuition-free Options for Master’s Studies in the UK

International students can study master’s degree for free in the UK if they receive scholarships. Some of the universities where international students can acquire a free master’s degree in the UK by applying for full-ride scholarships are:

1. Mastercard Foundation Scholarship

• Scholarship Link
• Scholarship Amount: Full tuition, accommodation, travel allowance, a living stipend, and study materials
• Meet the Mastercard Foundation Scholars: Explore scholarship journeys including Fidelity Ndali from Zimbabwe and Beatrice Somuah from Ghana

The Mastercard Foundation Scholarship is a fully funded initiative that supports academically strong but financially disadvantaged students from Africa to pursue Master’s degrees at partner universities around the world. The program typically covers full tuition, accommodation, travel costs, living expenses, and essential study materials, while also providing mentoring and leadership development opportunities. Applicants are expected to demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential, and a strong commitment to serving their communities, with particular focus on those from marginalized groups such as women, refugees, displaced persons, and persons with disabilities. Application procedures and deadlines vary by partner institution, so candidates must follow the specific guidelines of each university offering the scholarship.

2. Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships

• Scholarship Link
• Scholarship Amount: Full tuition fees, a monthly living allowance, travel costs, and additional allowances
• Meet the Commonwealth Scholars: Explore scholarship journeys including Falguni Lalwani from India and Usman Memon from Pakistan

The Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships, funded by the UK government and administered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, provide fully funded one-year master’s programs at universities across the United Kingdom. Designed for talented applicants from eligible low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK, the awards cover full tuition fees, living and travel expenses, and several additional allowances. Selection typically considers academic excellence, leadership potential, and the applicant’s capacity to contribute to sustainable development and positive change in their home country after graduation.

3. Chevening Scholarships

• Scholarship Link
• Scholarship Amount: Full tuition, monthly living stipend, round-trip airfare to the UK, visa fees, and additional travel and arrival allowances
• Meet the Chevening Scholars: Explore scholarship journeys including Celina Sanabria from Paraguay and Islam Ghazaly from Egypt

The Chevening Scholarships, funded by the UK government through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and partner organizations, offer fully funded opportunities for one-year taught master’s programs at leading UK universities. These prestigious awards typically cover full tuition, international travel, a monthly living allowance, and key visa and travel-related costs. Chevening looks for applicants with strong academic records, proven leadership potential, and a clear commitment to creating positive impact in their home countries. Eligible candidates from Chevening-participating countries apply through their national Chevening application portal, following the annual timelines and guidelines outlined on the official scholarship information pages.

Here are some of the students who were able to study a master’s degree in the United Kingdom for free!

• Falguni Lalwani from India earned the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship at London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), covering full tuition fees and living expenses to study an MSc in International Political Economy.
• Luis Ayil from Mexico earned the Chevening Scholarship at University of Strathclyde, covering full tuition, flights, and living costs to pursue an MSc in Advanced Mechanical Engineering with Aerospace.
• Anveshi Gupta from India earned the Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program at University of Sussex, covering full tuition, a monthly stipend, round-trip airfare, and health insurance to study a Master’s in Environment, Development, and Policy.
• Nyingilayefa Gift Ernest from Nigeria earned the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at University of Edinburgh, covering full tuition, accommodation, travel allowance, living stipend, and study materials to pursue a Master’s in Food Security.

Tuition-free Options for Ph.D. Studies in the UK

You can complete your doctorate studies for free in the UK with the following scholarships:

1. Coventry University PhD Scholarship

• Scholarship Link
• Scholarship Amount: Full tuition fees, living allowances, and partial to full research expenses (fully funded; total support can be worth around £120,000 over the duration of the PhD)
• Meet the Coventry University Scholars: Explore scholarship journeys including Umer Saeed from Pakistan

The Coventry University PhD Scholarship (Funded Studentship) is a fully funded award for international Master’s and PhD candidates at Coventry University. This competitive studentship covers full tuition fees, living allowances, and partial to full research expenses for selected research degrees. Applicants are typically expected to hold at least a 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field and demonstrate strong English proficiency, such as an IELTS score of 7.0. There is usually no separate scholarship application. Eligible students are automatically considered when they apply for admission to an appropriate research program at Coventry University, making it an excellent route for promising researchers to pursue advanced study in areas like artificial intelligence, healthcare, engineering, and other high-impact disciplines.

2. Chancellor’s International Scholarships (University of Warwick)

• Scholarship Link
• Scholarship Amount: Full overseas tuition fees and a UKRI-rate maintenance stipend for up to 3.5 years
• Meet the Chancellor’s International Scholars: Explore scholarship journeys including Thaís Dória from Brazil and Dr. Andrea Dsouza from India

The Chancellor’s International Scholarships at the University of Warwick are prestigious fully funded awards for outstanding international Ph.D. researchers. Open to candidates from any department, these scholarships cover full overseas tuition fees, a UKRI-rate living stipend for up to 3.5 years, and a £5,000 Research, Training, and Support Grant to support conferences, fieldwork, and other research costs. Selection is highly competitive and based on academic excellence, research potential, and the strength of the proposed project. Applicants must first apply for a Ph.D. place at Warwick, then complete a separate scholarship application following the specific guidance and deadlines listed on the official scholarship page.

3. Gates Cambridge Scholarship

• Scholarship Link
• Scholarship Amount: Full tuition and university fees, an annual living allowance of about £20,000 (up to four years for PhD), one round-trip economy airfare to and from Cambridge, coverage of the UK student visa and health surcharge, plus additional funding
• Meet the Gates Cambridge Scholars: Explore scholarship journeys including Arnab from India and Olivia from Nigeria

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship, funded by a landmark $210 million gift from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, supports exceptional postgraduate students from outside the UK to study at the University of Cambridge. These highly competitive awards fully fund Master’s and Ph.D. programs, covering the entire cost of study along with generous living and travel support. Around 80 scholars are selected each year, with most awards reserved for Ph.D. candidates. Selection emphasizes outstanding academic excellence, leadership potential, a clear commitment to improving the lives of others, and a strong alignment between your chosen Cambridge program and your long-term goals.

Here are some of the students who were able to study a PhD degree in the United Kingdom for free!

• Umer Saeed from Pakistan earned the Coventry University PhD Scholarship at Coventry University, covering full tuition, research costs, and a three-year stipend worth about £120,000 to pursue a PhD in Artificial Intelligence & Wireless Sensing.
• Charity A. Aienobe-Asekharen from Nigeria earned the Commonwealth PhD Scholarship at Brunel University of London, a fully funded award covering full tuition, living expenses, and research-related costs for three years to pursue a PhD in Public Health & Health Promotion Research.
• Usama Javed Mirza from Pakistan earned the Gates Cambridge Scholarship at University of Cambridge, which covers all university fees, an annual stipend, round-trip airfare, and visa and health surcharge costs, to pursue a PhD in Education focused on decolonising science education.
• Thais Doria from Brazil earned the Chancellor’s International Scholarship at University of Warwick, a fully funded scholarship covering full tuition and a generous stipend for living and research expenses to pursue a PhD in Politics and International Studies.

We hope that this article on how to study in the United Kingdom for free was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Open Programs for International Students and UK Study Guide for more articles and scholarship opportunities!