University of Leeds UK Scholarships for International Students
University of Leeds offers several scholarship and fee-reduction schemes aiming to attract high-achieving and deserving international students. These include:
- International Undergraduate Regional Scholarship — fee reduction for first year.
- International Excellence Scholarship (Undergraduate) — competitive award for excellence in academic record & other merits.
- International Excellence Scholarships (Masters / Taught Postgraduate) — for international students applying for taught master’s degrees, translating to tuition fee reductions of varying amounts.
- Sanctuary Scholarship — for forced migrants to the UK; covers full cost of tuition fees + a stipend toward studying costs.
These scholarships are designed to reduce the financial burden for international students, reward excellence, support diversity, or respond to humanitarian need (in the case of the Sanctuary Scholarship).
What They Cover
Here are the types of support you can expect, depending on which scholarship:
| Scholarship | What is covered / Reduction |
|---|---|
| International Undergraduate Regional Scholarship | Automatically a £5,000 fee reduction on first-year tuition for eligible regions. (University of Leeds) |
| International Undergraduate Excellence Scholarships | A tuition fee discount (e.g., 25% off first year) for high-achieving undergraduates. (environment.leeds.ac.uk) |
| Masters International Excellence Scholarships | Fee reductions (10%, 25%, or 50%) for eligible master’s courses. (essl.leeds.ac.uk) |
| International Masters Excellence Scholarship (Medicine & Health) | 25% or 50% fee reduction, for specific MSc programmes. (Medicine and Health) |
| Sanctuary Scholarship | Full tuition fees + £10,000/year toward study costs. Also possible pre-sessional English support if needed. (University of Leeds) |
Note: Most scholarships cover tuition fee reductions, not full living expenses (except Sanctuary covers some extra toward study costs). Be ready to budget for accommodation, living, visa, travel, books, etc.
Eligibility Criteria
While details vary by scholarship, common criteria include:
- Be classified as an international student for tuition-fee purposes.
- Offer / conditional or unconditional, to start the eligible course (undergraduate or taught master’s depending which scholarship) in the relevant year (e.g. Sept 2026 for undergrads).
- Be self-funding or partially funded (i.e. not fully funded already) in many cases.
- Excellent academic track record (grades equivalent to UK 2:1 for postgraduate, very strong high school results for undergraduate).
- Demonstrated personal/professional skills or extracurricular activities (leadership, work, community, etc.).
- For some specific scholarships (e.g. Sanctuary), particular residency or migration status, inability to access mainstream funding, etc.
Also, note that some courses are excluded: e.g. medicine/dental undergrad courses excluded from certain undergraduate scholarships.
How to Apply
Here are steps to increase your chance of success:
- Choose your course and check eligibility
First, decide which undergraduate or master’s course you want. Make sure it is among eligible courses for the scholarship and check whether you as an international student meet the fee status. - Apply for admission
Usually you need at least a conditional or unconditional admission offer for the course before you can apply for many scholarships. - Find the scholarship application form and deadlines
Leeds often requires a separate scholarship application form (for masters “International Excellence”, for example). For undergraduate “International Excellence”, you apply after you have an offer. - Gather required documents
- Academic transcripts / certificates
- Proof of predicted or achieved grade level
- Description of extracurricular work or professional experience
- For Sanctuary: proof of refugee / forced migrant status and that you can’t access other funding.
- Write a strong personal statement / scholarship essay
Explain:- Why you chose Leeds and the course
- How academic excellence shows through your record
- Your future ambitions and how the scholarship will help
- Any relevant personal/professional experiences
- Submit by deadline and follow up
Complete everything well in advance. Make sure if any interview is needed you are prepared (e.g. Sanctuary Scholarship may involve an interview). - Accept the scholarship offer
If awarded, you usually need to accept within a certain timeframe indicated in the scholarship letter.
Important Deadlines 2026
Here are sample deadlines from recent years (2025/26 entry) to guide planning; these often repeat or shift slightly, so always check Leeds’s website when applying.
| Scholarship | Deadline (most recent) / Decision timeline |
|---|---|
| International Undergraduate Regional Scholarship / Excellence (UG for 2026) | Application deadline for Excellence Scholarship (UG) for 2026: Tuesday 31 March at 5pm BST. Outcome by Friday 15 May. |
| International Excellence Scholarship (Masters / Taught PG) | Most courses: 16 May 5pm UK time. Outcome by 13 June. For applicants in Mainland China sometimes earlier (28 February). |
| Sanctuary Scholarship | For 2025/26, applications closed Monday 7 April 2025 at noon. |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Here are pitfalls many applicants fall into — and how to avoid them:
- Missing or weak evidence of academic excellence
- If your transcript or grades aren’t clearly showing you meet the requirement, it hurts. Include predicted grades or explanations if you’re awaiting final results.
- Also, ensure your certificates are correctly translated and recognized.
- Late or incomplete submission
- Some deadlines are strict with no extensions. Late submission or missing documents can disqualify you.
- Do not leave applying for scholarship until after classes start; visa / CAS stuff may require early confirmation.
- Generic personal statements
- Saying you “want to study in UK because it’s good” is not enough. Customise: why Leeds, why that course, what you plan to do afterward.
- Not checking course eligibility or exclusion
- Some courses are excluded (like some medical, dental, etc.). You might apply but find out your course is not eligible.
- Assuming all costs are covered
- Many scholarships reduce tuition; few cover living expenses. If scholarship doesn’t cover cost of living, budget extra. Sanctuary is one of the few that gives stipend.
- Neglecting the residency / fee status or funding source
- If you are not properly classified as international, or if you are already receiving another full scholarship, you might be ineligible.
- For Sanctuary: if your immigration status doesn’t allow you to study full-time or not eligible for funding, the scholarship may be withdrawn.
Relatable Examples
Here are some hypothetical (but realistic) scenarios to help you envision:
- Student A (Nigeria, undergraduate applicant for 2026):
Holds excellent high school grades, has a conditional offer for BSc in Computer Science. Because Nigeria is an eligible region, Student A automatically qualifies for the £5,000 Regional Scholarship, and also applies for the International Excellence Scholarship, submitting a strong statement about leadership and extracurricular work. If awarded, first-year tuition is reduced via the regional award, and excellence scholarship gives further discount. - Student B (India, applying for MSc in Molecular Medicine):
She has a first class (or equivalent) bachelor’s degree, lab experience, and has done outreach work. She applies for the Masters International Excellence Scholarship in Leeds, after having already applied for her course. She meets deadline mid-May, demonstrates excellent grades and extracurricular work, and gets a 50% fee reduction for her MSc. However, she still needs to fund her living costs separately. - Student C (Forced migrant, Sanctuary Scholarship):
He has refugee status, applied to Leeds for an undergraduate degree, can’t get mainstream funding in the UK. Submits application for Sanctuary Scholarship by the deadline, supplies documents for status, gets interviewed, and is awarded full tuition + £10,000/year stipend. Also, if needed, attends a pre-sessional language course to meet English requirements. Later, he uses the stipend to cover books, living, and travel.
Final Thoughts
- The University of Leeds offers good scholarship opportunities for international students, balancing academic merit, regional eligibility, and humanitarian need.
- To maximise your chances: prepare early, make sure your grades are solid (or predicted to be), have strong evidence of extracurricular / leadership / professional experience, and tailor each application to the scholarship’s values.
- Also, always check the latest information directly from Leeds’s website, since deadlines, eligibility, and amounts may shift from year to year.
- Even with a scholarship, budget realistically: many costs (visa, travel, living, books) remain your responsibility unless the scholarship explicitly covers them (Sanctuary is rare in covering more than tuition + stipend).
