StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarship
University College London (UCL) offers the IMPACT Scholarship for its online Master of Public Health (MPH). It is a small, targeted award: two bursaries for the 2027/28 intake, each worth up to £20,500, applied first to the MPH tuition fees (pro rata for part-time or modular-flexible study). What makes it different from most scholarships is the selection basis: it is for students with lived experience of inequality — the official page names income, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, carer responsibilities, adverse childhood experiences, social exclusion and disability as examples, and stresses the list is not exhaustive. Academic merit matters through the MPH admissions criteria, but the scholarship itself is judged on your story and your purpose.
The timeline is generous: applications open 1 March 2027 and close on 30 June 2027 at 11:59pm BST, with results in early August 2027. Two independent assessors score each application, and the two highest-ranked applicants are awarded. If you find a 30 June 2026 deadline on an aggregator page, ignore it — that was the 2026/27 cycle, and the official UCL page has moved on to 2027/28.
Eligibility
- Have lived experience of inequality — for example income, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, carer responsibilities, adverse childhood experiences, social exclusion or disability (the official list is non-exhaustive).
- Meet the admissions criteria for the UCL online Master of Public Health (MPH).
- Have submitted an admissions application for the MPH starting in 2027/28.
- Home and overseas fee status are both eligible.
- Full-time, part-time and modular-flexible study are all eligible.
Benefits
- Up to £20,500 per recipient, applied first to tuition fees of the UCL online Public Health MPH.
- Two bursaries available for 2027/28.
- Pro rata support for part-time or modular-flexible study.
- A fully online MPH — study from anywhere.
Documents to prepare
- Your MPH admissions application for 2027/28 (submitted first).
- The IMPACT Scholarship online application (from 1 March 2027).
- A personal statement covering: (a) how your lived experience of inequality shaped your drive to study Public Health; (b) why you need the scholarship and how it will help you personally; (c) how you will use the MPH and the scholarship to make a difference to population health.
- Note: the official page lists no document checklist beyond the online application with a personal statement. Aggregator lists (degree certificate, medical certificate, CV and so on) are generic template filler, not from UCL.
How to apply
- Apply for admission to the UCL online Public Health MPH for 2027/28.
- From 1 March 2027, complete the IMPACT Scholarship online application on the official UCL page.
- Write your personal statement covering the three points above — lived experience, need, and the difference you will make.
- Submit before 30 June 2027, 11:59pm BST.
- Two independent assessors score each application; the two highest-ranked applicants are awarded, with results in early August 2027.
FAQs
Applications open 1 March 2027 and close 30 June 2027 (Wednesday), 11:59pm BST. Results are notified in early August 2027. The 30 June 2026 date on aggregator pages was the 2026/27 cycle.
Up to £20,500 per recipient, applied first to tuition fees of the UCL online Public Health MPH (pro rata for part-time or modular-flexible study). Two bursaries are available for 2027/28.
Students with lived experience of inequality (income, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, carer responsibilities, adverse childhood experiences, social exclusion, disability — a non-exhaustive list) who meet the MPH admissions criteria and have applied for the MPH starting in 2027/28. Home and overseas fee status are both eligible.
Yes — it is specifically for the UCL online Master of Public Health (MPH), full-time, part-time or modular-flexible.
Three things: how your lived experience of inequality shaped your drive to study Public Health; why you need the scholarship and how it will help you personally; and how you will use the MPH and the scholarship to make a difference to population health.
Two independent assessors score each application, and the two highest-ranked applicants are awarded.
The official page lists no document checklist beyond the online application with a personal statement. Aggregator document lists (degree certificate, medical certificate, CV and so on) are generic template filler, not from UCL.
Verified 27 Oct 2026: ucl.ac.uk/population-health-sciences/epidemiology-health-care/study/scholarships-and-funding/impact-scholarship (official UCL page, opened and read; updated to the 2027/28 cycle) — deadline 30 June 2027 (Wednesday), 11:59pm BST; applications open 1 March 2027; results notified early August 2027; up to £20,500 per recipient applied first to tuition fees of the UCL online Public Health MPH (full-time; pro rata part-time/modular-flexible); two bursaries for 2027/28; lived experience of inequality (income, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, carer responsibilities, adverse childhood experiences, social exclusion, disability — non-exhaustive); must meet MPH admissions criteria and have submitted an MPH application for 2027/28; home and overseas fee status both eligible; two independent assessors score each application, two highest-ranked awarded; personal statement covering (a) how lived experience shaped the drive to study Public Health, (b) why the scholarship is needed and how it will help personally, (c) how the MPH and scholarship will be used to make a difference to population health. CONFLICTS: Bright Scholarship and aggregators say deadline 30 June 2026 — that was the 2026/27 cycle; the official page governs. The official page lists no document checklist beyond the online application with a personal statement — Bright's document list (degree certificate, medical certificate, CV etc.) is generic template filler, not from UCL, and is not used.
