Road and red-brick university buildings on the University of Manchester campus.

United Kingdom September 2026 intake: Global Futures applications typically open early 2026 with a fixed deadline in spring/summer 2026 — confirm on manchester.ac.uk

Manchester Global Futures Scholarship

The University of Manchester is a major Russell Group research university and one of the UK's largest, ranked in the global top 35. Its Global Futures postgraduate scholarship is a merit-based partial tuition reduction — commonly around £5,000 off international fees — for talented non-UK students entering eligible taught Master's programmes. It reduces but does not cover full tuition, so treat it as a fee discount that improves affordability. Awards are competitive across many countries. For Sri Lankan applicants, Manchester is a popular, well-respected destination with strong engineering, computing, business, and science faculties: a first-class or strong upper-second (2:1) Bachelor's from a recognised Sri Lankan university is the competitive base, and English-medium degrees ease the language requirement. Confirm the current value, eligible programmes (some schools run separate named awards), and the deadline on the University of Manchester scholarships pages, as terms change each cycle.

University of Manchester

University-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

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Value

~£5,000 fee reduction

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Duration

1-year taught Master's

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Basis

Merit — eligible programmes only

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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International (Non-UK) Fee Status

The scholarship targets non-UK students liable for overseas tuition. Sri Lankan citizens are eligible. Home (UK) students apply via different schemes.

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Strong Bachelor's Degree

Typically a UK 2:1 (upper-second) minimum, with first-class preferred for competitive awards. A first-class honours from a recognised Sri Lankan university is competitive; selection compares applicants within the eligible cohort.

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Admission to an Eligible Master's

You must hold or be securing an offer for an eligible Manchester taught Master's programme. Not all programmes participate, and some schools run their own awards — check eligibility for your course.

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English Proficiency

Typically IELTS 6.5–7.0 (with minimum component scores) depending on programme. Sri Lankan applicants from English-medium degree programmes may qualify via an MOI letter — confirm acceptance with Manchester admissions.

account_tree Application Process

Apply for admission to Manchester

Submit your Master's application via the University of Manchester portal with transcripts, degree certificate, references, personal statement, and English evidence. You usually need an application/offer before applying for the scholarship.

Apply for the Global Futures scholarship

Complete the dedicated scholarship application by the published deadline. Check whether your school assesses automatically or requires a separate form.

Merit-based selection

Manchester assesses eligible applicants on academic merit and awards a limited number of partial fee reductions per cycle.

Accept and apply for the UK Student visa

Accept your place and scholarship, obtain your CAS, then apply for the UK Student visa, showing tuition, scholarship, and maintenance funds. Start as soon as your CAS is issued.

Why University of Manchester?

Manchester is a global top-35 Russell Group university with a vast research base, strong industry links, and a large, diverse student city. It is especially popular with Sri Lankan students in engineering, computer science, business, and the sciences, and offers a strong graduate-employment record.