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Bristol Think Big Scholarships

Bristol's flagship international scholarship scheme runs across both undergraduate and postgraduate cohorts. Awards range from £6,500 partial discounts up to £26,000 full-tuition equivalents, and they are open to applicants from all backgrounds and disciplines. Selection is based heavily on a 500-word personal statement explaining what 'thinking big' means to the candidate — so the application is as much about voice and vision as it is about grades. Sri Lankan applicants are eligible at undergraduate, taught Master's, and PhD level.

2026/27 entry: undergraduate round closed April 2026, postgraduate round closed May 2026 — 2027/28 opens November 2026

University of Bristol

University-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

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Value

£6,500 / £13,000 / £26,000 Tiers

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Duration

First Year (Renewable for UG)

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Awards

100+ Combined per Year

info How this award actually works

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Who awards it

University of Bristol — not Lanka Scholar. We are not the awarding body and cannot grant, reserve or guarantee this award.

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How you are considered

Through your admission application. Awards like this are usually assessed automatically from the application you already submit — there is typically no separate scholarship form to fill in.

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What it covers

£6,500–£26,000 Tuition Discount. This is a reduction in tuition, not a full ride. You still fund the remainder, plus living costs and the balance your visa requires you to show.

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Where we come in

We make the admission application strong enough to be competitive — course choice, documents, references and deadlines. The funder makes the decision.

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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Offer Holder at Bristol

You must hold a conditional or unconditional offer for an eligible Bristol undergraduate or postgraduate programme. A handful of MBAs, professional doctorates, and partnership programmes are excluded.

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Overseas Fee Status

Open to overseas fee-paying international students. Sri Lankan citizens applying from Sri Lanka qualify; UK and Irish home-fee students do not.

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English Proficiency

Meet Bristol's standard English language requirements for your chosen programme — usually IELTS 6.5–7.5 depending on the discipline.

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Strong Personal Statement

A 500-word personal statement is the heart of the application — explain how Bristol fits your aspirations and what 'thinking big' means in the context of your goals.

account_tree Application Process

Apply for your programme first

Submit your Bristol undergraduate (via UCAS) or postgraduate (via Bristol's portal) application by the standard programme deadline.

Complete the Think Big form

Once you hold an offer, complete the separate Think Big scholarship form on Bristol's website — upload a 500-word personal statement and confirm your offer reference.

Selection panel review

Bristol's scholarship panel reviews applications on academic merit, personal statement quality, and fit. Outcomes are issued 6-8 weeks after the deadline.

Accept and confirm

Successful awardees receive a tuition discount applied directly to their fee invoice. You must firm your place at Bristol within the published deadline to retain the award.

Why University of Bristol?

A Russell Group university ranked in the world's top 60, with particularly strong engineering, aerospace, life sciences, and humanities departments. Bristol's South Asian alumni network is active and the city itself is a more affordable alternative to London for Sri Lankan students.

#54

QS World Ranking 2026

Russell

Group Member

100+

Scholarships per Year

Looking for a scholarship because of the cost?

Then start here instead. Scholarships are competitive, usually partial, and decided by someone else — they are the least reliable way to make studying abroad affordable. Your destination and course choice move the number far more, and both are entirely within your control.

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