GREAT Scholarships: The Complete Guide

If you are planning a UK master's in cybersecurity and watching the cost, GREAT Scholarships are one of the first funds to check. They are partial awards rather than full funding, which is exactly why it helps to understand what they are, how they really work, and when to apply.

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What GREAT Scholarships are

GREAT Scholarships are a partnership between the UK government's GREAT Britain campaign, the British Council and participating UK universities. In the 2026–27 round, more than 140 scholarships were offered across over 60 universities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The standard award is at least £10,000 towards tuition fees for a one-year taught postgraduate course.

Who can apply

  • You must be a national of one of the eligible countries. The 2026–27 round covered around 18, including Bangladesh, Ghana, India, Kenya, Nigeria and Pakistan. The list changes between years, so check the British Council page for your country.
  • You must have an undergraduate degree that qualifies you for a UK master's.
  • You must apply for, and usually hold or be pursuing an offer for, an eligible one-year taught course at a participating university.

How it really works: university by university

There is no single central application. Each country page on the Study UK site lists the universities offering awards to your nationality, which courses are eligible, how many awards exist and the deadline. You then:

  1. Apply for admission to the course through the university.
  2. Complete that university's separate scholarship form, which often has short written answers of around 250 words.
  3. Wait for the university, not the British Council, to inform you of the result.

There is no application fee, so be careful with anyone offering to “guarantee” an award in exchange for money.

What it covers and what it does not

The award is a reduction in your tuition fee. It does not pay for living costs, flights, your visa fee or the Immigration Health Surcharge. You still need to meet the Student visa financial requirement for the remaining tuition plus living costs, so use our financial requirement calculator to see what you would still need to show.

Timing: this is where people miss out

For 2026–27, many university deadlines fell between spring and early summer 2026, with awards decided around June. Applications for September 2027 entry normally open in the first half of the year ahead of that intake. Start preparing your degree documents, English test and personal statement well before that, because you need an admission application in place first.

The cybersecurity angle

Most UK cybersecurity master's degrees are one-year taught programmes, so they fit the format. But participating universities and eligible courses vary every year, so never assume a university or a specific cyber course is included. Check the course list on your country's page, and look at our cybersecurity master's guide to build a shortlist first.

How to give yourself the best chance

  • Answer the actual question and be specific about why this course and what you will do with it afterwards.
  • Some universities expect scholars to act as ambassadors for the programme, so show you will stay engaged.
  • Apply to every eligible university that suits you, since each decides independently.
  • Combine it with other funding. Our scholarships hub covers the larger awards worth pursuing alongside it.
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