Three Scotland University Scholarships You Need to Know About

Scholarships are helping to pave the way to higher education and career success for Scottish students from all types of backgrounds.

Recently, the Faculty of Advocates, Scotland’s leading provider of objective legal advice, has credited the range of scholarships available for its recent intake of 28 new members. While some of these scholarships have been funded by members of the Faculty of Advocates, the wide range of scholarships available in Scotland has helped increase members of this vital organisation.

Here, we’ll cover some of the scholarships available to Scottish students and those looking to study at an institution in Scotland that you might not know about.

Upskilling Scotland Scholarship

The Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council created the Upskilling Scotland Scholarship as a way of uplifting the country’s economy. By improving the skills available to businesses and increasing individuals’ employability, the initiative can also increase productivity.

This scholarship can be used to undertake online master’s courses for free, funding degrees worth up to £1,340. With this funding source, you could study a range of courses including logistics and supply chain management, business analytics and consultancy, and digital leadership courses.

This scholarship is available to people over 18 who reside in or have the legal right to work in Scotland.

Digital Start Fund

Scotland is experiencing a digital skills gap. It follows a wider trend in the UK and is in part attributed to a lack of digital subjects and teachings at school. To tackle this, and to help people who are on low incomes or are unemployed, the Scottish Government and Skills Development Scotland have teamed up to offer the Digital Start Fund.

Over 350 people have utilised the fund so far, which offers grants of £1,000-£8,000 to use on upskilling in various areas of tech, including cybersecurity and software development. There are a range of courses offered by colleges and training providers across Scotland that learners can apply to. If you’re interested in entering the tech sector or expanding your skill set, this is the scholarship for you.

The Digital Start Fund is available to people who are on Universal Credit or other benefits based on income, or those who are on low income and face additional barriers to work, such as being disabled, a veteran, or homeless.

Carnegie PhD Scholarships

The Carnegie Trust is an independent foundation that offers grants for undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as academic researchers. Its postgraduate funding is available at 15 Scottish universities and consists of home-rate tuition fees, living costs, and research expenditures. 

You can use the postgraduate PhD fund to study both full-time (where it’s available for three years of study as standard) and part-time (a standard six years of study). In order to apply for this competitive scholarship, students must be on track to achieving a First Class Honours in their undergraduate degree at a Scottish university.

Students are entitled to a £14,700 stipend, which can contribute to living costs, as well as having their tuition fees covered and receiving a research allowance of up to £3,000. This is a great option for high-achieving students who intend to study at a PhD level and complete comprehensive research related to their chosen field, but competition is tough – around 13–15 scholarships are awarded yearly.

Scotland has a proud record of supporting local and non-local students in their higher education studies, with a range of scholarships, bursaries, and funding options available. Many of its 15 universities are signed up to these schemes, as well as offering their own. If you’re thinking of studying for your undergraduate, Master’s, or PhD in bonnie Scotland, why not explore these scholarship options?