Do you want to continue your education after your undergraduate degree? Grad school is a great way to deepen your knowledge and learn essential skills. But grad school is a big commitment, and more schooling means more costs. At the University of Birmingham, we understand this is a big factor in where you’ll choose to go. So, we’ve made your scholarship and funding search simpler. We want you to have all the information you need to feel confident in your decision to study at Birmingham.
Start your journey at the University of Birmingham by exploring your scholarship opportunities:
Postgraduate scholarship and funding database
How you’ll pay for school is one of the biggest questions on your mind. You don’t want to spend your time searching through hundreds of scholarships and other opportunities that may be applicable to you. That’s why we’ve made it easy to search through our database to find the scholarship and funding opportunities that are best for you.
Simply answer five questions about what you plan on studying, your citizenship, and your previous education so you can find scholarships for you. See — easy peasy!
Here are some examples of some scholarships you may see in your search:
| Scholarship name | Award value | Scholarship description |
| Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund | £5,000 | The Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund (CCSF) provides approximately 15 annual awards to Canadian students pursuing academic and artistic postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom in subjects such as Arts and Law, Engineering and Physical Sciences, Life and Environmental Sciences, Medical and Dental Sciences, and Social Sciences.
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| MBA Scholarships | The value of the award is merit-based and depends on the quality of the application and the applicant. | Don’t let fees stand in the way of your studies. We have a number of scholarships for students on our MBA programmes, providing a financial contribution towards your tuition fees. Our scholarships are allocated on a case-by-case basis to outstanding applicants based on a candidate’s MBA application, CV, and personal statement. This award is open year-round.
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| PhD Scholarships in the School of Computer Science | Fully funded | Every PhD application, if accepted, will automatically be considered for these scholarships. The best way to win one of our scholarships is to make a strong PhD application that is relevant to the research done in the department, and to apply in good time. Prospective students should apply as soon as possible, so that they can be considered for departmental funding. This award is open year-round. |
| Funds for Women Graduates Foundation Grants | The Grants are intended to contribute towards living expenses for one year’s academic study or research. The amount of the Foundation Grant awarded will be decided by FfWG.
| FfWG offers foundation grants to help women graduates with their living expenses (not fees) while registered for study or research at an approved institution of higher education in Great Britain. The criteria are the proven needs of the applicant and their academic calibre. This award is open to women pursuing a PhD in Arts and Law, Engineering and Physical Sciences, Life and Environmental Sciences, Medical and Dental Sciences, Social Sciences, or Education.
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These are only a sample of the scholarships you’ll find when you use our scholarship and funding database. Make sure to answer the database questions to find the scholarships that are meant for you!
Connect with other international students
Now that you’ve explored your scholarship options, you probably have a few questions about funding, postgraduate life, and studying at Birmingham. You may want some advice, especially when it comes to scholarships. Ask all your funding questions to current students who have gone through the process themselves for the best advice.
At Birmingham, we offer the opportunity for you to chat with some current postgraduate students to get a better idea of what to expect. Listen to their personal experience and get answers to any questions you may have.
Not sure what to ask? Try asking these questions to get started:
- What was the process of getting scholarships like?
- Was anyone able to help you navigate scholarships?
- What are some unexpected costs from being an international student?
- How do you manage your budget?
- Are there any other resources you know about to help cut costs?
- As an international student, do you find there to be enough scholarship opportunities?
Budgeting advice
Once you have a better idea of what your postgraduate studies may cost and what kind of funding is available, you’ll need to start thinking of a budget for yourself. One of the most important things that you’ll need to learn as a student is how to manage your money. Knowing that your finances are under control means that you can relax, concentrate on your studies, and fully enjoy your time here at Birmingham.
We’ve created a budget planner (PDF) that helps you determine your finances with some ideas of potential costs and step-by-step instructions on how to use the guide. We want you to feel as prepared as possible for when you begin your journey at Birmingham. Explore our budget planner and breakdown of living costs, including housing, insurance, utilities, laundry, clothing, internet, and other variable costs.
Our top budgeting tips are:
- Establish the total income available to you from loans, scholarships, donations, savings, employment, side hustles, etc.
- Work out your living costs, starting with the basics (bills and rent) but also remember to be honest about your spending habits! Do you get a lot of takeout, is going out important to you, do you spend a lot on nice things? Ate these behaviours ones you can change, or do you need to budget for them?
- If there’s a deficit, can you meet this through part-time work without having a negative impact on your studies? Do you need to work more over the holidays and save up? Can you look for other means of support, such as scholarships?
- Make a realistic budget and track how well you actually stick to it so you can adjust as necessary.
- When calculating your budget, don't forget about one-off costs such as special occasions, birthday presents, family outings, and trips to the dentist!
There you have it! We’ve compiled everything you need to feel confident in your finances for when you come to Birmingham. Don’t let money hold you back from an education and adventure in the UK!
Find your scholarships at Birmingham today