Master's Scholarship (for current students) terms and conditions

2023/24 terms and conditions

The Master’s Scholarship is a financial scholarship of £3,000, which will contribute to the tuition fee of full-time postgraduate taught level study in 2023/24. It is available to students who are graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2023, or graduated in 2022.

The following terms and conditions apply to the scholarship:

1. Eligible students

1.1 The financial scholarship is a £3,000 contribution to tuition fees and is open to University of Portsmouth students who:

• complete an undergraduate degree in 2023, or who graduated in 2022
• achieve a first class or upper second class honours degree
• are UK students for fee purposes.  EU, international and Channel Island students are not eligible to receive the Scholarship

• meet the above conditions and are made and accept an offer from the University to study a full-time or part-time eligible Master’s course, starting in starting in September 2023 or January 2024

Please note, students must meet the conditions of their course offer in addition to the scholarship conditions, to be considered for the award.

Collaborative students progressing from an undergraduate degree studied through a partner institution are not eligible for the scholarship. Students from other universities will not be eligible.

1.2 There is a limited number of scholarships, so student eligibility does not guarantee that students will receive an award.

2. Eligible courses

2.1 Full-time and part-time Master’s courses; these are LLM, MA, MSc, MPA and MRes courses only.

The following courses are not eligible: Distance Learning, GradCert, Integrated Master’s, Master’s top-ups, MSc Physiotherapy, MArch, MBA, MD, MPhil, PhD, PgCert, PgDip, PGCE and Prof Doc.

2.2 Students must be registering onto 180 credits for the duration of the course.

2.3 Students undertaking a full-time eligible Master’s course which is studied over two years will receive a £3,000 scholarship in the first year only.

2.4 The list of eligible courses is subject to approval, modifications, closure and suspensions.

3. Priority groups

3.1 There is a limited number of scholarships, therefore, priority will be given to applicants domiciled in the United Kingdom for fee purposes, who achieve the highest academic award classification, followed by the level of their household income.

In addition, graduates from specific UG courses will be given additional priority.

4. Academic and income criteria

4.1 Successful applicants will achieve a first class or upper second class honours degree, with priority given to those obtaining a first, subject to demand for the scheme. Applicants must also meet specific course entry criteria where these apply.

4.2 The household income is assessed using Student Finance England (SFE) criteria for students who graduated in 2022. For students graduating in 2022 we will use the 2021/22 household income SFE criteria. Any applicants without an SLC income assessment will be included in the ‘Over £42,620 or not assessed by SFE’ category.

5. Application process

5.1 There is no need for UoP Masters applicants to apply for the scholarship, applicants will automatically be considered and notified if they meet the student and course eligibility criteria.

5.2 Applicants will not be notified if they do not meet the student and course eligibility criteria.

6. Timescales

Courses starting in September 2023

6.1 To guarantee consideration for the scholarship, applicants will need to be holding an offer on an eligible course which they have accepted by Friday 30 June 2023. Scholarships will be allocated and students notified by mid-late July 2023, once the final degree classifications are known for the majority of students.

Courses starting in January 2024

6.2 To guarantee consideration for the scholarship, applicants will need to be holding an offer on an eligible course which they have accepted by Friday 24 November 2023. Scholarships will be allocated and students notified by Friday 8 December 2023. 

7. Operational terms and conditions

7.1 Scholarships will be made to successful eligible students on eligible courses, subject to the availability of limited awards.

7.2 Scholarships are subject to applicants receiving an offer and accepting a place at the University on an eligible Master’s level course commencing in September 2023 or January 2024. 

7.3 Scholarships cannot be transferred between intakes. If an applicant wishes to defer their place, they will need to reapply for a scholarship if there is a scheme available for their chosen intake.

7.4 The £3,000 scholarship will contribute towards the course tuition fee. Part-time students will receive £1,500 in year one and £1,500 in year two. Those on three-year courses will receive £1,000 per year.

7.5 Successful applicants will be required to ‘fully register’ onto their course to remain eligible for the scholarship. This entails completing the online registration form and providing original evidence of their personal identity within the first week of the start date of the course, and paying the residual balance of any fees. Any extension to become ‘fully registered’ onto the course will need to be requested through the late registration process. If this does not happen students will become ineligible to receive the scholarship.

7.6 Students who suspend their studies will become ineligible for the scholarship in future years of study, no extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration. This means students will have to pay their own fees when they resume studies in 2024/25 or later.

7.7 Students who transfer to an ineligible full-time course, or to a part-time postgraduate taught course, will become ineligible for the scholarship. The tuition fee due for the remaining fee liability periods will be payable by the students.

7.8 Students who withdraw, transfer or suspend from their studies will have their tuition fee calculated in accordance with the Tuition Fee Policy fee liability periods. The new tuition fee, and any refund due, will be made in accordance with the Tuition Fee Policy, whereby the proportion is made to the original split between self-payer and sponsor (University of Portsmouth or external funder).

7.9 Applicants who receive the Master’s Scholarship will not be eligible to receive other postgraduate fee discounts or University run scholarships, for example the Alumni Discount or Faculty Scholarships.

7.10 Students receiving part funded external scholarships will be eligible to receive up to £3,000 of the University of Portsmouth Master’s Scholarship, but will not be entitled to receive the Alumni Discount.

7.11 Applicants who receive the University of Portsmouth Master’s Scholarship will still be entitled to apply for the government postgraduate loans scheme, subject to their eligibility.

7.12 The University’s decision on the allocation of the scholarship in accordance with these terms and conditions is final. There is no appeals process. 

Go back to the Master's Scholarship page.