StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarships
The University of St Andrews, Scotland’s oldest university, runs its most prestigious postgraduate funding through St Leonard’s College, its postgraduate college. For 2027 entry the scheme is deliberately designed as one door into many rooms: instead of applying separately to a dozen small funds, you submit a single scholarship application and the panel considers you for every award in the scheme you qualify for — including named awards such as the R&A Ransome Scholarship and the Valerie Graeme Smith Scholarship, with more added during the cycle.
That matters because the two routes are genuinely different in scale. The master’s route is a tiered fee-waiver scheme: most winners get a slice of their tuition, while the top Global Widening Participation tier is effectively a full ride plus a living allowance. The doctoral route is much smaller and much deeper — up to six fully funded PhD places a year, aimed at research the university classes as world-leading.
Eligibility
- Master’s route: hold Overseas fee status and an application (or offer) for an eligible full-time taught or research master’s starting in 2027 — one-year taught degrees, one-year research degrees, and some two-year research degrees with a taught first year. Only the first year of a two-year research master’s is funded.
- Doctoral route: be applying for a PhD at St Andrews; you must not already hold a doctorate or be enrolled in a doctoral programme elsewhere. There are no topic limits across the qualifying schools.
- Meet at least one of the scheme’s criteria — you do not need to meet all of them. The panel weighs academic excellence, wider achievement, leadership, financial need, disability, minority background and other contextual factors.
- For the doctoral route, research that advances one of the university’s world-leading strategic topics is what the World-Leading awards target.
- Course admission comes first: you apply for the degree, then for the scholarship, through the same My Application portal.
Benefits
- Global Widening Participation (master’s): full tuition fees plus £18,000 towards living costs, plus a reserved standard room (paid for by you, not free).
- Leadership (master’s): 75% of tuition fees plus up to £2,000 for approved career-development activities.
- Excellence (master’s): 25% or 50% of tuition fees.
- World-Leading Doctoral: up to 6 awards covering full tuition plus an annual stipend.
- One application covers many named awards inside the scheme — and any awards added after you apply.
Documents to prepare
- Your St Andrews course application (submitted first) and any offer you hold.
- Degree certificate and academic transcripts.
- A CV or résumé and a cover letter / personal statement setting out your achievements, leadership and any financial need.
- A research proposal where your school asks for one for course admission; where it does not, an appropriate personal statement may be used instead.
- A valid passport and any other supporting documents the scholarship form requests.
How to apply
- Apply for an eligible St Andrews postgraduate course for 2027 entry.
- Open the St Leonard’s scholarship application in the My Application portal (the master’s window opened 17 August 2026).
- Complete the single scholarship application — it automatically considers you for the other awards in the scheme.
- Submit by 20 January 2027 (doctoral) or 3 February 2027 (master’s, international students).
- Expect results in the week beginning 22 March 2027 for the master’s route (doctoral results are also expected in late March 2027).
FAQs
For the St Leonard’s scheme, yes. You submit one scholarship application through My Application and are automatically considered for the other awards in the scheme, including any added after you apply.
The Global Widening Participation award: full tuition fees plus £18,000 towards living costs. Note the reserved standard room that comes with it is not free — you pay for it from your allowance or other funds.
No. Only the first year of an eligible two-year research master’s is funded under the master’s route.
The doctoral route has its own deadline (20 January 2027) and is aimed at research advancing the university’s world-leading strategic topics. Apply for your PhD first, then follow the doctoral scholarship route on st-andrews.ac.uk.
Master’s results are expected in the week beginning 22 March 2027; doctoral results are also expected in late March 2027.
Verified 24 Oct 2026: st-andrews.ac.uk/study/scholarships/scholarships-catalogue/postgraduate-scholarships/st-leonards-masters-scholarship-international/ (official) — application period opens 17 Aug 2026, closes 3 Feb 2027, notification week commencing 22 Mar 2027, single application covering many awards, at least one criterion needed, ambassador sharing expectation; daadscholarship.com/ms-phd-scholarships-2027-at-university-of-st-andrews-process-for-international-students/ — master’s tiers 25%/50%/75%/full + £18,000, doctoral up to 6 fully funded awards, stipend reference £20,467 (2026/27), deadlines 3 Feb 2027 master’s / 20 Jan 2027 doctoral, late-March results; pontly.africa/blog/st-leonards-masters-scholarship-international-students-2027-university-of-st-andrews — tier names, September 2027 / January 2028 / August 2027 (MPP) intakes, 3 Feb 2027 deadline; thescholarshipbrief.substack.com/p/study-in-scotland-st-andrews-is-offering — full tuition + £18,000 top tier, 75% + £2,000 leadership tier, 25%/50% excellence tier, one-year funding, reserved room not free.
