Diverse postgraduate students discussing a project around a table.

United Kingdom Open for September 2026 entry — assessed on a rolling basis until 1 July 2026

Exeter Global Excellence Scholarship

The Exeter Global Excellence Scholarship is a £5,000 to £10,000 tuition fee reduction for outstanding international postgraduate students joining a taught Master's at the University of Exeter. Around 300 awards are made each year across the Business School, Humanities, Social Sciences, Life & Environmental Sciences, and Engineering. There is no separate application form — Exeter automatically assesses every eligible offer-holder. Sri Lankan first-class graduates from Colombo, Peradeniya, Moratuwa, or NSBM are typically competitive, and Exeter's Russell Group standing makes this a credible mid-tier award for CVs back in Colombo.

University of Exeter

University-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

savings

Value

£5,000 – £10,000 (LKR 2M – 4M)

school

Duration

1-Year Master's

groups

Awards

~300 per Year

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

school

Offer for an Exeter Taught Master's

You must hold a conditional or unconditional offer for a full-time taught postgraduate programme starting September 2026 at the Streatham, St Luke's, or Penryn campus. Research degrees and online programmes are not eligible.

work

First-Class Undergraduate Degree

A first-class honours Bachelor's (or 4-year degree with a GPA equivalent to UK first-class). Sri Lankan applicants with a first-class from a recognised state or top private university generally qualify automatically.

public

International Fee Status

Open to overseas fee-paying students self-funding their tuition. Applicants already receiving full-tuition external funding (e.g. Chevening, Commonwealth) are not eligible — the award is designed to support self-funders.

translate

English Proficiency

Meet Exeter's standard English requirement for your programme — typically IELTS 6.5 overall with no element below 6.0 (7.0 for Law and some Humanities). Sri Lankan applicants with English-medium degrees may qualify for an MOI waiver.

account_tree Application Process

Apply to Exeter postgrad by 1 July

Submit your Master's application via the Exeter Postgraduate Applicant Portal (graduate.exeter.ac.uk). Applications are reviewed in 4-6 weeks. There is no separate scholarship form.

Automatic scholarship assessment

When you receive your offer, the admissions team automatically reviews your academic record for Global Excellence consideration. The scholarship value (£5,000 or £10,000) is communicated within the offer letter.

Accept the offer and pay deposit

To activate the scholarship you must firmly accept your offer and pay the standard £2,000 tuition deposit by the deadline stated in the offer (typically 6 weeks before programme start).

Deduction at enrolment

The scholarship is applied as a direct deduction from your tuition invoice at enrolment in September — no funds are transferred to your bank account. CAS letter and visa application proceed against the reduced fee.

Why Exeter?

The University of Exeter is a Russell Group research-intensive university with strong rankings in Business, Sport Science, Politics, and Environmental Science. Exeter's living costs are around 30% lower than London, which stretches the scholarship plus self-funded budget significantly further.