Funding
Bristol graduates
University of Bristol alumni who go on to study for a postgraduate degree – either taught or research – at Bristol can benefit from a 25 percent reduction in tuition fees.
Taught awards for academic year 2024/25
Home: Postgraduate Loan
A postgraduate loan is available to Home fee payers to help you pay for your Master’s (MA/MPhil) course.
For more information about postgraduate loans, visit Student Finance England's (SFE’s) dedicated student finance zone on the Student Room. If you are an EU national, you should check your eligibility for a postgraduate loan before applying.
Home: Bristol Master’s Scholarship
The University of Bristol is offering a number of scholarships to talented UK postgraduate students from underrepresented backgrounds.
More information regarding this opportunity for the 2024/25 academic year will be found here.
International: Chevening Scholarships
Chevening is the UK government’s international awards scheme aimed at developing global leaders.
Deadline: Please check link for country specific deadlines.
International: Think Big Postgraduate Scholarship
Information for the 2024/25 academic year to follow.
Further updates will be found here.
Home and International: MA Translation Scholarship
We are keen to enable talented linguists to study for a career in the language industry at a time when it is at its most dynamic. The MA Translation scholarship provides a partial fee waiver worth GBP 5,000 each for two incoming new MAT students. All applicants to the MA Translation are eligible to apply to the scholarship. The scholarship can only be awarded to applicants who meet the programme eligibility criteria with a confirmed place on the programme by the date the outcome of scholarship applications is announced. Full eligibility criteria and a link to the application form can be found here.
Deadline: Applications close on Saturday 1 June 2024 at 12 midday (UK time).
Research awards for academic year 2025/26
Bristol Postgraduate Research and Teaching Scholarships
The University of Bristol and the Faculty of Arts are pleased to be able to offer a number of PhD Scholarships to candidates commencing their PhD research in September 2025 that demonstrate exceptional research and teaching potential.
We will also be offering a number of Research Scholarships with Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) to candidates demonstrating and articulating a clear teaching philosophy/vision.
Additionally, we will have scholarships available for UK-domiciled, Home fee status applicants of Black and mixed-Black heritage, as well as cotutelle scholarships with Macquarie University, Australia and Université Toulouse – Jean Jaurès, France.
These scholarships are renewable for up to four years (full-time) or eight years (part-time), subject to satisfactory progress in the Scholar's research project and/or teaching.
Further details (including eligibility and funding awarded) can be found on our Bristol Postgraduate Research Scholarships web page.
Deadline: The deadline for scholarship applications is Monday 20 January 2025 at 5pm GMT. Applicants must have both their PhD application and Faculty of Arts Scholarship Application Form submitted by this deadline in order to be considered for this funding. We are not able to accept nor consider any late applications.
China Scholarship Council - University of Bristol Joint Scholarships Programme
The University of Bristol has a collaborative agreement with the China Scholarship Council to further the development of research collaborations between the UK and Chinese Universities and Research Institutions.
Successful candidates will receive tuition fees to cover the full period of the PhD, a stipend, a round-trip international airfare, visa and passport fees and high levels of research and professional skills training, coordinated by the Bristol Doctoral College.
Our China Scholarship Council-University of Bristol PhD Scholarship web page includes further eligibility details and information on how to apply.
Deadline: 12 noon GMT on Monday 2 December 2024
AHRC South, West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership
The SWW DTP will be awarding a number of doctoral studentships in the Arts and Humanities for entry in September 2025. SWW DTP studentships are for three years as standard (or part-time equivalent).
In response to the new UKRI eligibility criteria, University of Bristol is pleased to announce that it will be offering International fee discounts for successful UKRI applicants. The fees will be discounted to the home fees level. This approach ensures that students regardless of nationality or financial means will be able to apply for our UKRI studentships (including those administered by the SWW DTP). Successful applicants will receive a fully-funded studentship and will not be charged the international fee difference.
Applications for September 2025 will open in November 2024. Please apply for the studentship via the SWW DTP website. These scholarships are for students commencing their studies in September 2025, as well as those that have already commenced doctoral study. Please check the SWW DTP Eligibility Guidelines before applying.
Deadline: Information for the 2025/26 academic year to follow.
Opportunity Bristol (research Masters only)
Opportunity Bristol provides financial support to UK students from Black backgrounds to undertake a research-related Masters degree (e.g. MPhil, MRes, etc.).
Opportunity Bristol offers up to six scholarships to Black students. It provides funding for research-focused Masters programmes and will help successful awardees to gain the research skills and experience needed to apply for funded doctoral research opportunities in the future.
For more information on eligibility criteria and how to apply, please see the Opportunity Bristol web page.
Deadline: Information for the 2025/26 academic year to follow.
Opportunity Bristol Application Support Workshops are being offered to provide applicants with further information and practical advice on completing an Opportunity Bristol application. They will take place on:
- Information for the 2025/26 academic year to follow.
Interested applicants can sign up here: Book an application support workshop
Zutshi-Smith Scholarship
The Zutshi-Smith scholarship usually runs once every two years. It will not be running in 2025/26, but it is expected to run in the 2026/27 academic year.
The Zutshi-Smith Scholarship covers the cost for an Indian student to do a PhD course and is available for up to four years of study in all disciplines. It covers:
- all University of Bristol tuition fees
- a yearly living stipend in line with UKRI funding levels (£18,622 in 2023/24)
- one return flight to/from India
- an allowance for research costs.
Eligibility: You can apply for this scholarship if:
- you have received an offer from the University of Bristol to study for a PhD course
- you are ordinarily resident in India, and preference will be given to applicants of Kashmiri origin
- applications are welcome from students in all disciplines currently represented at the University of Bristol
- applicants may also be current students.
How to apply: State on your programme application form that you want to be considered for funding, including this scholarship. Your programme lead will then complete a nomination form (Office document, 79kB) and send it to your PGR director to put you forward.
Deadline: CLOSED FOR 2025/26
The Zutshi-Smith scholarship usually runs once every two years. It will not be running in 2025/26, but it is expected to run in the 2026/27 academic year.