City St George’s Scholarship for International Students UK
City St George’s (formerly separate, now merged in many respects) offer several scholarship / bursary schemes that international students can apply for or are automatically considered for. Some of the relevant ones:
- GREAT Scholarships at City, University of London — for international students (India, Nigeria, Vietnam etc.), for full-time postgraduate taught master’s programmes. Worth around £10,000 off tuition.
- President’s International Scholarship at City St George’s — for undergraduate international students (first year at least), self-funded, offering 50% tuition fee discount for the first year.
- City Star Scholarship — merit-based for postgraduate students in select technical / science / engineering / computer science disciplines. Offers different percentage fee waivers depending on class of undergraduate degree (1st, 2:1, etc.).
- Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering Scholarships (International Applicants) — for postgraduate international students in specified MSc / technical programmes; £2,000 fee waiver for full-time, £1,000 for part-time etc.
Criteria: Who is Eligible
General criteria across these scholarships include several of the following:
- Be considered an international student / overseas fee payer for tuition.
- Have or will have a relevant offer to study the course in question (conditional or unconditional), often must accept the offer.
- For some scholarships, your undergraduate degree result needs to be above a certain threshold (often “above minimum entry requirement” or with a good Honors classification: First class, Upper Second, etc.).
- Be in the first year (undergraduate) for certain undergrad scholarships. Cannot be progressing from year 2 or 3 or doing foundation year in many cases.
- Must apply by deadlines; sometimes you are automatically considered; in other cases you have to submit additional application / personal statement etc.
- Be self-funded in many cases (i.e. your fees are paid by yourself / family / private sources) for certain awards, especially undergraduate “President’s International Scholarship”.
What the Scholarships Cover
Here’s what the different schemes offer:
| Scholarship | What it Offers / Value |
|---|---|
| GREAT Scholarships (City) | Approximately £10,000 off tuition for eligible full-time postgraduate master’s students from certain countries (e.g. India, Nigeria, Vietnam). |
| President’s International Scholarship | 50% tuition fee reduction for the first year of an undergraduate course, for international students at City St George’s (Clerkenwell campus). |
| City Star Scholarship | Fee discounts (percentage varies by classification of undergraduate degree: e.g. 1st, 2:1, etc.) for postgraduate students in Science, Engineering, CS. Covers a portion of tuition fees. |
| Maths / CS / Engineering International Scholarships | Small-to-moderate fee waivers (e.g. £2,000 for full-time MSc, £1,000 for part-time) in specific courses. |
How to Apply
Here are the common steps / processes:
- Find the eligible course
Check whether the course you want (UG or PG) is among those eligible for the scholarship. For some scholarships specific departments are involved, or specific countries. - Gain / accept an offer
Ensure you have an offer (even if conditional) and accept it where required. For some scholarships, only unconditional offer holders are considered at the final assessment. - Submit scholarship application
If needed. For some schemes, scholarships are automatic (based on your application / grades); for others, there is a separate application (e.g. President’s International has a statement, evidencing contribution etc.). - Meet deadlines
Deadlines differ by scholarship, course, and intake - Provide required documents
Academic transcripts, proof of degree/degree classification, proof of previous qualifications, possibly a personal statement or evidence of community / extra-curricular engagement. - Be ready to meet scholarship terms
Some require being the firm choice of the universitet, being full-time, sometimes attending events as scholar or acting as ambassador etc.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Some pitfalls that applicants often fall into:
- Missing deadlines — applying for courses after the scholarship deadline, or missing the scholarship application window.
- Not having or accepting the offer early enough — if your offer isn’t accepted, or you don’t list the university as your “firm” choice (for undergraduates via UCAS), you might be ineligible.
- Qualification / Degree classification mismatch — claiming eligibility but your undergraduate result is not above the minimum required, or degree result not yet confirmed.
- Thinking scholarship covers everything — many of these are tuition fee reductions only, maybe for one year, not full living expenses etc.
- Incomplete or weak personal statement for those scholarships needing application statements, especially ones asking for community engagement or ambassador roles.
- Assuming all courses are eligible — some scholarships only apply to particular programmes (e.g. science & engineering, or certain departments) — if yours is outside, you might not qualify.
- Not ensuring correct status (campus, fee status, etc.) — for example, the President’s International Scholarship is only for students at a specific campus (Clerkenwell) and for overseas fee status. If you’re based in a different campus, you might be excluded.
Relatable Examples
Here are some example scenarios to help you see how someone might successfully get one of these scholarships (or miss out) depending on how they handle things.
- Example 1: Masters student from Nigeria interested in GREAT scholarship at City
A student from Nigeria applies to a master’s at City in a programme like Media and Communications. They have excellent undergraduate grades, secure an offer, accept it. - Example 2: Undergraduate international student applying to City St George’s for first year
“Aisha” from outside UK applies for undergrad at City St George’s, is paying overseas fees. She is predicted to exceed the conditions of her offer. She lists the university as her firm choice via UCAS, applies for President’s International Scholarship before deadline, writes a strong statement about her leadership/community engagement, and meets the eligibility criteria. She is awarded 50% off her tuition in Year 1. - Example 3: Applying for City Star Scholarship in Science & Tech
A student with a First Class in their undergraduate degree in engineering or CS applies for an MSc in Engineering at City. Because the City Star Scholarship is automatic for eligible programmes and classifications, she qualifies and gets a fee waiver of perhaps 35% of fees. She doesn’t need to fill a separate form beyond the course application; instead her application and academic records do the job.
Final Thoughts
City, University of London (and City St George’s) offers several genuine opportunities for international students to reduce the cost of studying there. These scholarships can make a real difference, especially for expensive overseas fees, but they tend to come with conditions (eligibility criteria, deadlines, documentary proof, etc.) that must be met carefully.
If you’re considering applying:
- Plan ahead. Identify the scholarship(s) applicable to your desired course before applying, review eligibility, check deadlines.
- Build a strong application. Grades matter, but so do the other parts: a good personal statement, any leadership or community involvement, knowing what you’re going to do and why that degree.
- Confirm your status and offer. Make sure you’re approved as an overseas/international fee payer if that’s required, get the offer, accept it, and in undergrad cases ensure you choose the university as firm choice if needed.
- Budget realistically. Even with scholarships, you may need to cover living expenses, travel, visa, etc. Scholarships often reduce tuition or first-year costs, but not everything.
- Keep an eye on updates. Universities may revise scholarship offerings; new ones may open; dates change. Use university scholarship search tools, sign up for alerts or updates.
