Study in Scotland 2027 Undergraduate Scholarship
The University of St Andrews International Undergraduate Scholarship is a need-based tuition fee reduction for students with an overseas fee status who start an undergraduate degree in 2027. Applications opened on 17 August 2026 and close on 27 January 2027, which is 77 days after our check on November 11, 2026.
If you are researching how to study in Scotland on a limited budget, one fact shapes everything else: this award is judged on financial need, and the official page says its value will only be confirmed by December 2026. This guide covers who can apply, what to prepare, and which steps need care.
Quick facts Study in Scotland
| Provider | University of St Andrews (Scotland, UK) |
| Award | Tuition fee reduction for each year of the undergraduate degree |
| Basis of award | Financial need (hardship, means tested) |
| Who it is for | Students with an overseas fee status starting an undergraduate degree in 2027 |
| Application opens | Monday 17 August 2026 |
| Application closes | Wednesday 27 January 2027 |
| Outcome | Week commencing Wednesday 17 March 2027 (the page also says by mid-March 2027) |
| Value of award | To be confirmed by December 2026 |
| Study mode | Full time, or part time (daytime) |
Who can apply
The official page sets out several conditions. In plain terms, you need to:
- have an overseas fee status;
- be starting an undergraduate degree at St Andrews in 2027, as a first-year entrant (direct entry into year two counts, but transfers from another institution do not);
- study a course in one of the listed Schools (for example Computer Science, Medicine, Psychology and Neuroscience, or the Business School), excluding the BA International Honours joint courses with William & Mary, for which the page points to other funding;
- meet at least one of the need-related criteria below.
The need-related criteria are: a case for financial need; having previously received needs-based funding; coming from a neighbourhood classed as socio-economically disadvantaged; having a physical, unseen or learning disability; or being part of a minority group. The page says the whole application is reviewed together and no single piece of information is judged in isolation.
The page asks for an overseas fee status but does not list which countries qualify, so we cannot say how any single nationality is treated. Fee status is decided by the university. The university’s guidance notes (an older 2022 version) say the fee status shown in the funding form cannot be edited by the applicant and direct fee-status questions to the fees team at fees@st-andrews.ac.uk. If you are applying from Pakistan, confirm your fee status with the university instead of assuming it.
What the award gives you
The award is paid as a tuition fee reduction, once a year, for the full length of your undergraduate programme. The page does not describe it as a living-cost grant, and it does not state an amount: the value is due to be confirmed by December 2026. When we checked on November 11, 2026, no figure was shown, so any article that quotes an exact amount for 2027 entry is going beyond the official page.
Your course application and your funding application are separate. The university states that applying for funding does not affect the decision on your course.
If need-based funding does not fit your situation, you may want to compare other UK options. Our guide to the University of Cambridge in the UK is a starting point; check each university’s own page for current rules.
Key dates
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications open | Monday 17 August 2026 |
| Applications close | Wednesday 27 January 2027 |
| Value of award confirmed | By December 2026 |
| Outcome | Week commencing Wednesday 17 March 2027 |
| Entry | 2027 |
The 2027 page gives a closing date but no closing time. The university’s page for the previous cycle said applications close at 23:59 GMT on the deadline date. Treat that as a guide and confirm the 2027 time with the scholarships team before you leave things to the last day.
How to apply
- Apply for your course first. The scholarship form is not open to you until you have submitted a course application to start in 2027. You do not need an offer.
- Wait for your login. Allow at least two working days after applying for the course for the university to issue your My application login details.
- Find the scholarship. In My application, open the Scholarships and Funding section and the scholarship catalogue. Apply through the University of St Andrews International Undergraduate Scholarships application form.
- Enter your household income. The form asks for gross annual household income in GBP, with an exchange rate if your income is in another currency.
- Read the terms, then submit. The page asks you to read the university’s scholarship terms and conditions and to give complete and accurate information.
- Check the result. The outcome appears under View my applications in the Scholarships and Funding section of My application, by mid-March 2027.
The older 2022 guidance notes add some practical points that are worth checking against the live portal: build your funding financial profile before you start, apply for funding as soon as you have applied for your course, apply even if St Andrews is not your first choice, and note that only completed applications submitted by the deadline are accepted.
For most applicants, the income step is the real work. The form wants a gross annual household figure in GBP, and the guidance notes say the numbers should be ones you can back up with documents if asked. There is also a timing trap: because the scholarship form only opens about two working days after your course application, a late course application shortens your scholarship window too. Start the course application early and gather family income details before the form opens.
Common mistakes to avoid
Questions answered
No. The official page says you do not need to wait for an offer, but you must first submit a course application and wait about two working days for the scholarship form.
The value is to be confirmed by December 2026. The page showed no amount when we checked on November 11, 2026, so check it again after December.
No. The university states that the course and funding applications are not linked and that applying for funding does not affect the course decision.
On Wednesday 27 January 2027. The page does not show a time for 2027, so confirm it with the scholarships team.
Official sources
- University of St Andrews: International Undergraduate Scholarship page: dates, eligibility, award details, how to apply
- University of St Andrews International Undergraduate Scholarships application page: the shared application form (when we checked, this page still showed 2026-entry dates, so we used the 2027 page above for all dates)
- Scholarships and Funding guidance notes (PDF, version dated 2022): general portal steps; details may have changed
Contact, as published by the university: the undergraduate entry scholarships team at ugscholarships@st-andrews.ac.uk or by phone on +44 (0)1334 46 2114.
Information in this guide was checked against the official pages above on November 11, 2026.
Scholarship requirements, deadlines, and funding details can change. Always verify current information directly with the official provider before applying.
ScholarshipOrbit is an independent guidance resource and is not affiliated with the University of St Andrews or any organization mentioned above.
