If you are thinking about studying in London but worried about the cost, the University of East London might surprise you. UEL, as the university is commonly known, offers one of the most generous and varied scholarship programs of any modern university in the United Kingdom. Whether you are a UK home student, an international student, an athlete, a care leaver, an asylum seeker, or a recent UEL graduate looking to continue to postgraduate level, there is likely a scholarship or bursary available that can reduce your tuition costs or provide financial support during your studies.
In this guide, you will find a full breakdown of every major scholarship and bursary offered by the University of East London for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 academic years. We cover who each award is for, how much it is worth, how to apply, and what the important deadlines are. By the time you finish reading, you will have a clear picture of what is available and how to go after it.
About the University of East London Scholarship
Before diving into the scholarships, it helps to know a little about the university you would be joining. The University of East London has a history that stretches back to 1898, when it was established as the West Ham Technical Institute to serve the local community. It became the Polytechnic of East London and gained full university status in 1992, becoming one of the UK’s new universities at that time.
Today, UEL is a public university located in the London Borough of Newham. It operates across three campuses. The Stratford Campus is close to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, built for the 2012 London Olympics. The Docklands Campus, which opened in 1999, is a modern waterfront campus at the Royal Albert Dock and was London’s first new university campus in over 50 years. The University Square Stratford campus, opened in 2013, is a shared building with Birkbeck, University of London, and houses programs in business, law, and the performing arts.
UEL is home to over 40,000 students from more than 160 countries, making it one of the most internationally diverse universities in the UK. The university has earned recognition for its teaching quality and has been named the University of the Year for Teaching Quality by the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide in 2025. According to the Guardian University Guide 2026, UEL has risen 80 places in just three years, breaking into the top 40 and achieving its highest ranking ever. It has also been identified as the fastest-rising university in England for graduate employability, according to the Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025.
The university’s academic strengths include Architecture, Civil Engineering, Cultural and Media Studies, Psychology, Sports Science, Health Sciences, Business, and Law. Its schools include the School of Arts and Creative Industries, the School of Health, Sport and Bioscience, the Royal Docks School of Business and Law, the School of Education and Communities, and the School of Childhood and Social Care. International tuition fees range from approximately £12,500 to £15,000 per year depending on the course, so the scholarships on offer can make a genuinely significant difference to what you end up paying.
Overview of UEL Scholarship Categories
The University of East London organizes its financial support into several distinct categories. There are undergraduate scholarships and bursaries for home students, international scholarships for overseas students, postgraduate scholarships and bursaries, sports scholarships, and a range of more specific awards for students with particular circumstances. Understanding which category applies to you is the first step toward finding the right funding.
Scholarships at UEL are typically awarded on the basis of academic merit, sporting ability, or commitment to the university’s values. Bursaries, on the other hand, are generally based on financial need or personal circumstances. Some awards are assessed automatically when you receive your offer of admission, meaning you do not need to submit a separate application. Others require you to fill out an application form with supporting evidence. The university makes clear on each individual award page which process applies.
One important rule to be aware of is that at UEL, you can apply for multiple scholarships and bursaries, but you will only be entitled to keep one scholarship or one bursary at a time, whichever represents the highest amount of reduction on your tuition fees. This means it is worth knowing the value of all the awards you might qualify for so you can identify which one gives you the most benefit.
Undergraduate Scholarships at UEL
Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship
The Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship is the most prestigious and highest-value scholarship available to undergraduate students at UEL. It is a merit-based award that offers a cash payment or tuition fee waiver worth up to £9,790 per year for a maximum of three years, making the total value of the award up to approximately £29,370 over the full degree. Students can choose whether they want the award as a cash payment or as a deduction from their tuition fees, which gives some welcome flexibility depending on your financial situation.
To be eligible for the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship, you must be starting an undergraduate degree for the first time at UEL in September 2026 or January 2027. You must be fee-assessed as a home or EU student paying full-time tuition fees of £9,790 per year. You must be starting at foundation year or year one of your undergraduate program. You must be studying at one of UEL’s campuses or on a distance learning program with the standard tuition fee. And you must have firmly accepted your offer within three weeks of the offer date.
The scholarship reflects UEL’s broader Vision 2028 commitment to student success, and applicants are assessed not just on grades but on their commitment to the values that the university stands for. The award is competitive, with a limited number of places available each academic year. Applications received between November 2025 and April 2026 form the first round, with decisions communicated within three weeks of the closing date. A second round runs from April to August 2026.
Dean’s Scholarship
The Dean’s Scholarship is awarded at the school level, meaning that each academic Dean selects students from within their particular school who demonstrate both academic excellence and a strong connection to UEL’s values. It is worth up to £4,500 per year for a maximum of three years, with a total value of up to approximately £14,685 over the full degree.
Like the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship, the Dean’s Scholarship can be received as a cash award or as a tuition fee waiver. The eligibility criteria mirror those of the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship in terms of enrollment status, fee category, and year of entry. The key difference is that this award is selected by the Dean of each school rather than at a university-wide level, which means the assessment involves a more focused look at your academic profile within your specific area of study.
Both the Vice-Chancellor’s and the Dean’s Scholarships are part of what UEL calls its UEL Scholarship Scheme, an umbrella term for these merit-based undergraduate awards that together represent the university’s most significant financial investment in student achievement at the undergraduate level. Students who win the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship cannot also hold the Dean’s Scholarship, since the university’s one-scholarship rule applies.
Sports Scholarship
UEL has a strong sporting culture and describes itself as the most ambitious and most improved university in the UK for sport. Its sports scholars have included Olympians and senior international competitors who represent the university at national and international university competitions. The Sports Scholarship reflects that culture by offering substantial financial and practical support to talented athletes.
The Sports Scholarship at UEL provides up to £6,000 per year to student-athletes who are admitted to the university and who demonstrate outstanding sporting ability. But the financial award is just one part of the package. Sports scholars also benefit from unlimited medical services, strength and conditioning sessions, one-to-one support for lifestyle management, nutrition guidance, and psychology support. This wraparound support structure is designed to help athletes manage the dual demands of high-level sport and academic study at the same time.
The Sports Scholarship is available to both undergraduate and postgraduate students, and it is open to UK and international students. To be considered, you need to be admitted to an eligible course at UEL and have a strong competitive sporting background. The university’s High Performance programme manages the sports scholarship process, so students interested in this award should reach out through the sports scholarship section of the UEL website for specific details on the application process.
Helena Kennedy Foundation Bursary
The Helena Kennedy Foundation Bursary is a need-based award worth £2,250, designed to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are progressing to university. The Helena Kennedy Foundation is an independent organization that works to help people from underprivileged circumstances access higher education, and UEL’s partnership with the foundation makes this bursary available to eligible students.
Unlike the merit scholarships above, this bursary does not require academic excellence as its primary criterion. Instead, it is focused on supporting students who face real financial barriers to participating in higher education. Applications for this bursary are made directly through the Helena Kennedy Foundation website rather than through UEL’s internal system.
UTC Scholarships and Partner Scholarship Scheme
UEL has partnership arrangements with specific local institutions that result in scholarship support for students progressing from those institutions to UEL. The UTC Scholarship Scheme supports students who completed their studies at LDE University Technical College and are progressing to UEL. Students receive up to £2,500 through Standard, Gold, or Platinum award levels, and no separate application is needed as eligibility is assessed automatically.
The Partner Scholarship Scheme supports students from local partner schools and colleges who are transitioning to UEL and who can contribute positively to the university community. These awards are designed to strengthen UEL’s connection to its local East London community and to support students from schools in the immediate area around the university’s campuses.
Other Undergraduate Bursaries
UEL offers several other undergraduate bursaries for specific circumstances. There is a bursary for care-experienced and estranged students, which provides financial support to students who have previously been in the care system or who are estranged from their families. There is also a Young Independent Student Bursary worth up to £1,500 for eligible students.
The Hardship Bursary provides up to £3,000 for students who are already enrolled and facing unexpected financial difficulties. Applications for this bursary are made through the UEL student intranet rather than through the external admissions portal, making it specifically for current students who encounter financial crises during their studies.
There is also an Early Payment Discount of 5% available to any UK or international student who pays their full tuition fees upfront at the start of the academic year. This is not technically a scholarship, but it is a meaningful financial saving for students who have the resources to pay their full fees at the beginning of the year.
International Scholarships at UEL
If you are an international student, meaning you are classified as an overseas fee-paying student by UEL’s admissions team, the university offers a separate international scholarship program that works somewhat differently from the home student scholarships described above.
The UEL International Scholarship is automatically assessed when you apply for a course and receive an offer. You do not need to submit a separate application. Instead, after you receive your offer of admission, UEL reviews your course application and determines whether you qualify for an international scholarship. If you do qualify, the scholarship amount is clearly stated in your offer letter, which means you will know exactly what financial support you are receiving before you commit to studying at UEL.
International scholarships at UEL range from £500 to £5,000 off your first-year tuition fees, and the exact amount depends on your specific course. These are offered as reductions on your first-year tuition, so you receive the discount upfront in the first year of your program. To be considered, your course application must be complete, including your personal statement and all supporting documents. A partial or incomplete application will not be assessed for scholarship eligibility.
It is important to understand what the international scholarship does not cover. Scholarships are not available for short courses, exchange or study abroad programs, franchised programs, Pre-Masters, International Foundation programs, or pre-sessional English courses. If you are on a collaborative or partner-institution program, you are also not eligible. International students who are classified as home students by UEL’s admissions team, for example those with settled or pre-settled EU status, would fall under the home student scholarship process rather than the international scholarship process.
UEL also accepts a range of external scholarships from international funders, including Chevening Scholarships and Commonwealth Scholarships, both of which offer significantly higher funding levels than UEL’s own internal international scholarships. If you are applying from a Commonwealth country or are a UK government Chevening candidate, you are eligible to study at UEL using those awards. For any queries about whether a specific external scholarship is accepted by UEL, you can contact the university directly at their international admissions email address.
To start your international scholarship journey, visit the UEL official international scholarships page and apply for your course to trigger the automatic eligibility assessment.
Postgraduate Scholarships at UEL
UEL Postgraduate Scholarship (50% Discount)
One of the most significant awards available to postgraduate students at UEL is the Postgraduate Scholarship, which provides a 50% discount on tuition fees for eligible postgraduate taught programs. This is a substantial financial saving for any student entering a master’s degree program, and it makes UEL one of the more affordable options for postgraduate study in London when this scholarship is taken into account.
To be eligible, you must be starting a postgraduate taught certificate, diploma, or master’s program at UEL and commencing your studies in September 2025. You must also receive a student ID number before applying, meaning you need to have already applied for a course and received an offer. The scholarship is available to international students as well as home students, subject to the course eligibility criteria, but students enrolled with collaborative partner institutions, those studying online programs, those on a Postgraduate Certificate of Education, a Professional Diploma in architecture, a professional doctorate, an MPhil, or an integrated master’s program are not eligible.
The scholarship is competitive and is selected through a formal application process. Students who are receiving other forms of funding, such as employer sponsorships or government grants, may also be ineligible. Always review the specific terms listed on the individual scholarship page before applying to make sure your situation fits the eligibility requirements.
Postgraduate Scholarship for Asylum Seekers (Article 26 Scholarship)
UEL operates one of the more distinctive and compassionate scholarship programs of any UK university through its Postgraduate Scholarship for Asylum Seekers, sometimes referred to as the Article 26 Scholarship. This award provides 100% tuition fee coverage for students who are asylum seekers or the partners and dependants of asylum seekers who have been granted Discretionary Leave to Remain or some other form of temporary status as a result of an asylum claim.
The scholarship is non-repayable, meaning it does not need to be paid back, and it continues until the student is granted an immigration status that makes them eligible for funding from Student Finance England. UEL developed this program in partnership with the Helena Kennedy Foundation, reflecting the university’s view that people seeking asylum are among the most vulnerable members of society and that higher education can play a meaningful role in supporting their stability and integration.
To be eligible, you must hold a conditional or unconditional offer for a taught postgraduate course at UEL for 2026/27 entry and be able to provide documentation from UK Visas and Immigration confirming your immigration status. The scholarship is merit-based, and the selection panel considers your personal and family circumstances, the barriers you have faced in continuing your education in the UK, and the potential impact of the scholarship on your academic and professional development.
This scholarship cannot be held in conjunction with any other UEL scholarship, and students who change their visa or immigration status during the course of their studies are expected to notify the university’s International Compliance team immediately.
Alumni Discount for Postgraduate Study
If you are a UEL graduate considering returning to the university for a postgraduate program, you may be eligible for an alumni discount of up to 25% on your postgraduate tuition fees. The exact percentage of the discount depends on your undergraduate degree result and your progression route. Students who progress directly from their undergraduate degree to a postgraduate program at UEL, with no gap year in between, receive the highest level of discount.
To be eligible, you must have previously been awarded an undergraduate degree, postgraduate degree, professional doctorate, or postgraduate research degree from UEL or one of its predecessor institutions, including the Polytechnic of East London. No separate application is needed for the alumni discount, as it is applied automatically once your previous UEL study is verified by the admissions team.
Postgraduate Hardship Bursary
For postgraduate students who encounter unexpected financial difficulties during their studies, UEL offers a Hardship Bursary of up to £3,000. This award is available to students from low-income households who are facing unforeseen financial circumstances that are threatening their ability to continue their studies. Enrolled postgraduate students can apply for this bursary through the UEL student intranet.
How to Apply for UEL Scholarships: A Step-by-Step Guide
The application process at UEL differs depending on which scholarship you are applying for. However, the general process follows a clear sequence regardless of the specific award. Here is a step-by-step overview of how to approach the scholarship application process at UEL.
Step one: Apply for your course first. This is the most important starting point. Before you can apply for any scholarship at UEL, you must first submit an application for the course you want to study. For undergraduate programs, this is done through UCAS. For postgraduate programs, this is done through the UEL Postgraduate Application Portal. For international students, the course application process also applies, and it is the course application that triggers automatic international scholarship assessment.
Step two: Receive your offer and get your student ID number. Once your course application has been reviewed and an offer has been made, you will receive a student ID number. This is required before you can formally apply for most of the scholarships that require a separate application, including the postgraduate scholarship.
Step three: Check which scholarships apply to your situation. Visit the UEL scholarships and bursaries main page and review all the awards available for your level of study and fee status. Some awards are assessed automatically, others require a separate application form, and a few require you to apply through external organizations such as the Helena Kennedy Foundation.
Step four: Confirm your eligibility before applying. Every scholarship page at UEL includes a clear eligibility section. Read this carefully. Do not waste your time or the selection team’s time by applying for an award you do not qualify for. If you are unsure about your eligibility, contact UEL’s Applicant Engagement team on the number listed on the scholarship page, or use the live chat function on the UEL website.
Step five: Submit your application with supporting evidence. For scholarships that require a separate form, complete it carefully and attach all the supporting documents specified. This may include academic transcripts, personal statements, evidence of financial circumstances, or documentation of your immigration status. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Step six: Track your application outcome. For most UEL scholarships, decisions are communicated by email within three to six weeks of the application deadline. Make sure the email address you registered with is active and check it regularly during the decision period. If you are successful, the scholarship amount will either appear as a reduction on your tuition fee invoice or be paid as a cash award, depending on the specific terms of the scholarship you receive.
To start the full process, you can visit the UEL undergraduate scholarships page or the UEL postgraduate scholarships page depending on your level of study, and follow the instructions provided there for each individual award.
UEL Scholarship Application Deadlines
Scholarship deadlines at UEL are tied to the academic year intake cycles. For the main undergraduate scholarships, applications are typically accepted in two rounds. The first round generally runs from November 2025 to April 2026, and the second round runs from April to August 2026. Decisions are communicated within three weeks of each round’s closing date. It is strongly advisable to apply in the first round wherever possible, since places are limited and applying early increases your chances of securing an award.
For postgraduate scholarships, the process is more closely tied to your course application and enrollment timeline. Students starting in September 2025 need to ensure their applications are submitted in time to be reviewed before enrollment. Check the specific deadline for each award you intend to apply for, as these can vary.
For international students, the scholarship is assessed automatically after a complete course application is submitted, so the key deadline is your course application deadline. There is no separate scholarship application deadline for international awards, but your course application must be complete, including your personal statement, before the assessment can be made.
Tips to Maximise Your Chances of Winning a UEL Scholarship
Competition for UEL’s major scholarships, particularly the Vice-Chancellor’s and Dean’s scholarships, can be significant. Here are some practical steps you can take to strengthen your position.
Apply for your course and firmly accept your offer quickly. Many of UEL’s undergraduate scholarships require you to have firmly accepted UEL as your first choice through UCAS within three weeks of receiving your offer. If you delay accepting your offer, you may miss the eligibility window for the scholarship. Once you have decided that UEL is your first choice, act on that decision promptly.
Submit a strong personal statement. Your personal statement is part of your course application and is one of the documents that feeds into your scholarship eligibility assessment. Write it carefully and make sure it reflects your academic motivation, your personal values, and your commitment to making the most of your time at UEL. The Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship in particular looks for students who reflect the university’s core values, so if those values resonate with you, make sure that comes through in what you write.
Make sure your course application is complete before expecting to be considered for international scholarships. If your course application is missing your personal statement or any other supporting document, UEL will not be able to assess you for the international scholarship. Check that everything has been submitted before moving on.
Consider the alumni discount if you are a UEL graduate. If you studied at UEL for your undergraduate degree and are now planning to return for a master’s, the alumni discount can offer up to 25% off your fees with no application required. This is one of the most straightforward financial savings available at the university.
Contact the Applicant Engagement team early. If you have any questions about eligibility, timing, or how to strengthen your application for a particular award, UEL has an Applicant Engagement team available by phone and through live chat on the website. Reaching out early, before you submit your application, can help you avoid common mistakes and make sure your application is as strong as it can be.
Why Choose the University of East London?
Beyond the scholarships, it is worth considering what UEL actually offers as a university and why students from around the world choose it. London is one of the world’s great cities for education, culture, and career opportunities, and UEL’s location in East London gives students access to the capital’s full network of employers, industries, and communities.
UEL is ranked first in London for student experience and fourth in England for overall student positivity, according to the National Student Survey 2025. The university has over 90 clubs and societies, two student hubs, cafes, restaurants, a lively student bar, and one of the best university gyms in London through its Sportsdock facility, which is valued at £21 million. The Docklands Campus is particularly popular with students for its waterfront setting, with London City Airport visible across the dock and the Docklands Light Railway station right next to the campus, making it easy to reach Canary Wharf and central London.
Students at UEL can reach the West End within 30 minutes from either campus, and the area around the campuses has undergone major regeneration and investment since the 2012 Olympics. Westfield Stratford, one of Europe’s largest urban shopping centres, is on the doorstep of the Stratford Campus.
Academically, UEL is recognized for career-focused education. The university works with employers to design and validate its courses, meaning the knowledge students gain is directly aligned with what industries need from graduates. UEL also offers a Careers Guarantee, reflecting its commitment to helping every student build the skills, confidence, and industry connections they need to succeed after graduation.
For international students specifically, the fact that over 160 nationalities are represented among the student body creates a genuinely global campus environment. The university has dedicated support for international students through its international compliance and admissions teams, and the Students’ Union provides services for students with special needs and those navigating life in a new country for the first time.
External Scholarships to Consider Alongside UEL Awards
If you are an international student and find that UEL’s own international scholarships do not fully cover your financial needs, there are several major external scholarship programs worth exploring that can be used to fund study at UEL.
The Chevening Scholarship is the UK government’s flagship international award, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. It is available to outstanding emerging leaders from eligible countries and covers full tuition fees, living expenses, travel costs, and other allowances. UEL accepts Chevening scholars, and many Chevening recipients choose to study at UEL each year.
The Commonwealth Scholarships Commission manages awards for students from Commonwealth countries who want to study in the UK. These scholarships cover tuition fees, living costs, and travel expenses, and they are available at both postgraduate and doctoral level. UEL is an eligible institution for Commonwealth scholars.
There are also country-specific government scholarships from places like the United States Fulbright Program, the Erasmus programs for European students, and various national government scholarship schemes in Asia and Africa that can be used to support study at UK universities including UEL. If you are applying from a country that has a national scholarship program for overseas study, it is worth investigating whether those awards can be used to fund a place at UEL.
Final Thoughts
The University of East London offers one of the broadest and most inclusive ranges of scholarship and financial support programs of any modern UK university. Whether you are a first-time undergraduate from the UK, an international student stepping into London for the first time, a talented athlete, an asylum seeker trying to rebuild your life through education, or a UEL graduate returning for a postgraduate degree, there is a structured financial award designed with your situation in mind.
The key is to know what is available, confirm that you meet the eligibility criteria before applying, and act early. Many of the most significant scholarships, especially the Vice-Chancellor’s and Dean’s awards, are competitive and limited in number. Students who understand the system, prepare their applications carefully, and submit on time have a meaningfully better chance of receiving support.
Studying in London does not have to be out of reach financially. UEL’s commitment to making education accessible is genuine, and its scholarship program is one of the clearest expressions of that commitment. Take the time to explore what is available to you.
To explore all current scholarships and bursaries at the University of East London and begin your application, visit the official UEL scholarships and bursaries page and find the award that is right for you.
