LSE Graduate Support Scheme
The LSE Graduate Support Scheme (GSS) is the school's flagship need-based award for postgraduate taught students. Awards range from £6,000 to £20,000 depending on assessed need and are open across almost every Master's programme at LSE — including the famously competitive MSc Economics, MSc Finance, and MSc Management. Sri Lankan applicants who hold offers but cannot fully self-fund should treat the GSS as their primary scholarship path.
London School of Economics
University-funded
emoji_events Award Overview
Value
£6,000 – £20,000
Duration
First Year of MSc
Awards
Around 300 per Year
fact_check Eligibility Criteria
Offer for an LSE Master's
You must hold a conditional or unconditional offer for a full-time MSc, MA, MPA, MPP, LLM, or MRes programme at LSE. Diploma students and PhD candidates are not eligible (PhD students apply for LSE PhD studentships separately).
Demonstrated Financial Need
The GSS is means-tested. You'll declare household income, dependants, existing savings, and any other funding sources. Sri Lankan applicants typically file documentation showing parental income converted to GBP.
Strong Academic Record
While need-based, awards are still allocated by merit within the eligible pool. Most successful applicants have a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree from a recognised university.
Open to All Nationalities
Unlike many UK scholarships, the GSS is open to home-fee, EU, and overseas students alike. Sri Lankan citizens applying as overseas fee-payers are fully eligible — and the typical award value reflects overseas tuition.
account_tree Application Process
Apply for the Master's first
Submit your LSE postgraduate application via the LSE online portal. You can apply for the GSS before you have a final offer, but funding cannot be confirmed until your offer is in place.
Complete the financial assistance section
Within your LSE application, tick the box requesting financial assistance and complete the additional financial details — household income, dependants, source-of-funding statement, and any existing scholarships.
Submit by the funding deadline
The GSS deadline is mid-to-late April for October entry. Applications submitted before the deadline are reviewed once the offer is confirmed; late applicants are not considered for funding even if they hold an offer.
Outcome by June
Award decisions are typically communicated in May–June. Successful applicants receive a funding letter; the award is applied as a tuition discount in instalments across the year.
Why LSE?
LSE is one of the world's top schools for the social sciences — consistently top 5 globally for economics, sociology, politics, and accounting. Its central London location, intense one-year Master's programmes, and dense Sri Lankan alumni network (especially in policy, finance, and development sectors) make it a perennial favourite for South Asian graduates.
#50
QS World Ranking 2026
#2
Social Sciences (QS)
~300
GSS Awards per Year
Similar Scholarships
Other curated opportunities for Sri Lankan students.
AA School International Postgraduate Fellowship
Architectural Association School of Architecture
Cambridge International Scholarship
University of Cambridge
Clarendon Fund Scholarship
University of Oxford