UK scholarships and fellowships for Singaporeans

Chevening Scholarships are for postgraduate studies in the UK, taught courses at almost any university and on almost any course. Upon completion of their programme, Chevening scholars become part of the Chevening Alumni, an extensive network of professionals from a wide variety of fields.

Among other eligibility requirements, applicants must be able to return to their country of citizenship for a minimum of two years after their award has ended, have at least two years’ work experience, have an undergraduate degree that will enable them to gain entry into a postgraduate programme at a UK University and be able to explain how they are a leader in line of work or area of specialist interest or expertise.

Commonwealth scholarships and fellowships

The Royal Commonwealth Society of Singapore was re-established in 2016 to promote the Commonwealth and to provide new Scholarships and Fellowships for eligible Singaporeans. These are:

The Singapore Commonwealth Scholarship in Innovation is available to students to undertake a postgraduate programme at a UK University. The programme should include an aspect of research or development in an innovation related area.

The Singapore Commonwealth Fellowship in Innovation supports applicants with a clear research plan to collaborate with a British institution. Applicants must have an agreement from a university, company, or other body in the UK that they can undertake a Fellowship collaboration with them.

Separately the Commonwealth Rutherford Fellowships are a global scheme of up to 50 Fellowships, available for researchers to spend one or two years at an eligible UK university conducting post doctoral research.

Commonwealth Rutherford Fellowships

Commonwealth Rutherford Fellowships are for highly skilled researchers from other Commonwealth countries to spend one or two years at an eligible UK university or higher education institution conducting postdoctoral research.

These fellowships are funded by the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) through the Rutherford Fund, with the aim of attracting global talent and supporting the UK’s research base. Up to 50 fellowships are available.

Purpose: To support world-class research and innovation, and to contribute to the UK’s research base by attracting high-calibre international candidates and encouraging links and collaboration

Intended beneficiaries: Highly skilled and highly motivated PhD graduates whose proposed research topic is innovative, timely, and likely to lead to wider impact beyond the academic community and build research collaboration between the UK and other Commonwealth countries

Scholarships awarded by UK universities to Singaporeans

University of Cambridge: Various Undergraduate and Graduate scholarships are on offer, including:

• The NUS Cambridge Scholarship. This scholarship is available for PhD students who are citizens and permanent residents of Singapore. Applicants should simultaneously apply to the University of Cambridge and the National University of Singapore. Successful applicants are expected to work at NUS after completion of their PhD.
• The Amy Li Cambridge Scholarship. This scholarship is available to students studying for a BA in Physics, Engineering, Mathematics, or Chemical Engineering. It is worth £16,000 a year. No separate application is required.

Individual Cambridge colleges may also offer scholarships to their students. To check for scholarships offered directly by the college you wish to apply to, please refer to their website. An example of this is the Lee Kuan Yew Fitzwilliam Scholarship Fund provided by Fitzwilliam College, which provides opportunities to support graduate research by talented young academics from Singapore or working in fields with some connection to Singapore. These include:

• the Hong Leong – Lee Kuan Yew Masters Scholarship, which guarantees a full funding package for the successful student for a one-year course
• the Kuok Family – Lee Kuan Yew PhD Scholarship, which guarantees a full funding package for the successful student, for three years, subject to annual review

University of Oxford: Various Undergraduate and Graduate scholarships are on offer to eligible applicants.

London School of Economics and Political Science: Various Undergraduate and Graduate scholarships are on offer to eligible applicants, including the Graduate Support Scheme, which is open to eligible applicants for a majority of diploma and taught master’s study. The value of an award ranges from £5,000 to £15,000, depending on financial need.

Royal Holloway, University of London: Various Undergraduate and Postgraduate scholarships are on offer to eligible applicants, including:

The International Excellence Scholarships, which provides a tuition fee waiver of £10,000 over three years for international students studying any subject with expected grades of AAA at A Level or equivalent.

The Royal Holloway Engineering Excellence Scholarship, which is open to new students studying for a degree within Electronic Engineering with expected grades of AAA at A Levels or equivalent. This scheme provides a tuition fee waiver worth £3,500 in the first year of the programme.

University of Warwick: Various undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships are on offer to eligible applicants. These include the Global Excellence Undergraduate Scholarship and the Albukhary Undergraduate Scholarship. The Friends of the University of Warwick in Singapore Scholarship is a full scholarship offered to financially disadvantaged Singaporean citizens and Permanent Residents who have received an undergraduate offer from the university. Partial postgraduate scholarships are also offered by various academic departments such as the Warwick Business School and WMG.

University College London: Various Undergraduate and Graduate scholarships are on offer to eligible applicants including The Denys Holland Scholarship, which is awarded to students in financial hardship who are able to demonstrate that they would not be able to study at UCL without the scholarship. It is worth £9,000 per year for 3 years. Scholars can use all or part of the award to cover their fees, and any remainder will be paid as a stipend.

Imperial College London: Various Undergraduate and Postgraduate scholarships are on offer to eligible applicants, including the World Scientific Scholarship, which is awarded on the basis of academic merit and financial need. This scholarship is open to ASEAN students who have been offered a place at Imperial College London. It is worth £5,000 a year for up to 4 years and subject to satisfactory academic progress.

St Andrew’s University: Various Undergraduate and Postgraduate scholarships are on offer to eligible applicants.

University of Edinburgh: Various Undergraduate and Postgraduate scholarships are on offer to eligible applicants.

Queen Mary University, London: Various Undergraduate and Postgraduate scholarships are on offer to eligible applicants. Many of QMUL’s scholarships are awarded automatically when entry requirements are met, which means that there is no need to apply separately. These include the International Science and Engineering Excellence Awards (worth £3,000 for the first year and given automatically to all overseas undergraduate students who meet the entry requirements), the QMUL Anniversary Scholarship and the First Year Scholarship (awarded to first year LLB students and worth £1,000 a year, with second and final year scholarships also available).

King’s College, London: Various Undergraduate and Postgraduate scholarships are on offer to eligible applicants, including the Singapore Scholarship Fund, worth up to £20,000 for eligible Singaporean nationals to undertake an undergraduate or postgraduate taught programme in Law, Natural & Mathematical Sciences, Arts & Humanities, or Social Science & Public Policy.

University of Leicester: Various Undergraduate and Postgraduate scholarships are on offer to eligible applicants, including the Aviva Scholarship Programme, which offers a 20% tuition fee discount to selected, academically outstanding students from Singapore for most full-time undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes.

University of Sussex: Various Undergraduate scholarships and Masters courses are on offer to eligible applicants, including the Sussex Excellence Scholarship (a cash award of £3,000 in the first year of a three or four year undergraduate degree programme for those who achieve AAA in A Levels, or 36 points and above in IB) and the Chancellor’s International Scholarship (50% off international student fee for one year for any student enrolled in a full time Postgraduate taught degree for certain courses).

City, University of London: Various Undergraduate and Postgraduate scholarships are on offer to eligible applicants, including:

• The Aviva Scholarship, which covers 20% of overseas tuition fees for selected courses in the School of Health Sciences, School of Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering and School of Arts and Social Sciences. Students from Singapore who are Aviva customers, or who parents are Aviva customers, are eligible to apply.
• The Cass Business School International Scholarships, a scholarship offering £2000 towards Year 1 tuition fees only. Students with outstanding grades who have accepted an offer from Cass Business School as their firm choice are encouraged to apply.
• The Global Leaders Scholarships, a scholarship worth £1,000 for the first year of study. Applicants are evaluated based on their grades and personal statements.
• The President’s International Scholarship, for students who achieve AAA grades or above in A Levels or score of 35 and above (grade requirements for different courses may vary). Students who are awarded the scholarship will receive £2,000 pounds a year for a maximum of three years and is subject to satisfactory academic performance.

University of Durham: Various Undergraduate and Postgraduate scholarships are on offer to eligible applicants, including the BP Scholarship for up to 10 Durham students studying selected courses in science, engineering, management or economics and is worth £3,000 a year. Recipients will also be fast tracked to an interview for an internship or graduate role. Eligible students in the first term of their first year at Durham are sent details on how to apply and scholarships are awarded based on academic merit and potential.

Other schemes which may support study in the UK

Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR): Various scholarships are on offer to eligible applicants, including the National Science Scholarship (PhD), a fully-funded scholarship enables Singaporean students with a passion for biomedical sciences, physical sciences and engineering, to study at top research universities around the world.

Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship: This scholarship was set-up by the Tanjong Pagar Citizens’ Consultative Committee with funding from the public. Restricted to Singaporean citizens, Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship recipients can pursue postgraduate studies overseas or locally to develop their potential as leaders in their respective fields. There are no restrictions on the course of study.