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Scholarships and bursaries

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Students at Docklands Campus

Fund your studies

Our range of scholarships and bursaries can go a long way to supporting you financially whilst you study.

On This Page

Discover our range of scholarships and bursaries to support your studies

We're passionate about opening up education to all students, and our range of scholarships and bursaries can help you on your way to your future career. UEL is the number one careers-focussed university in the UK, and as part of our Vision 2028 and focus on our future graduates, future professionals and future life, we offer a range of scholarships to support you during your time at University.

Undergraduate scholarships and bursaries
Postgraduate scholarships and bursaries
International scholarships
Sports scholarships

WHY SHOULD I APPLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP OR BURSARY?

1. Our awards come with a financial reward, which may be a cash payment or a tuition fee waver. This funding is non-repayable.
2. Our awards can go a long way towards supporting you financially whilst you study, such as supporting your accommodation costs or giving you peace of mind.
3. Being awarded a scholarship or bursary can look great on your CV and showcase your success to future employers.
4. You'll become part of an exclusive network of scholars at the University, with opportunities to network with your peers and industry links.

Questions about our financial awards?

Get in touch:

studentfunding@uel.ac.uk

How to write a strong scholarship application

Meet our award winners

Alan McGuffog  - BSc (Hons) Counselling

Award: Vice Chancellor's Scholarship

 

Alan was well aware of the financial constraints which would require him to work heavily on top of his studies.

However, receiving a UEL scholarship made all the difference.

Read Alan's story

Before he came to UEL, Alan was working as a special educational needs practitioner in a primary school and doing a variety of tasks for a local mental health charity.

Having completed his level 3 counselling skills for working with children, and an adult peer support worker qualification, Alan felt that studying at UEL was the best option to keep improving his prospects and supercharge his career. 

"I chose to study at UEL because of its diverse community, the quality of its research, its innovative approach to teaching in blending theory and practice, the good transport links and its commitment to being careers-led."

The particular counselling course offered by UEL stood out to him for good reason: "it's one of the only degrees in the country that’s both an academic award and a BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) accredited qualification. Also, straight away practical skills are promoted and enhanced with an opportunity to gain at least 100 hours on placement in 2nd and 3rd years." Add to this the fact that the School of Psychology at UEL was ranked equal first in England for the impact of its research (REF, 2014), and it was the ideal course.

However, despite his commitment to further study, Alan was well aware of the financial constraints which would require him to work heavily on top of his studies, and he felt this split of attention would potentially be detrimental to his learning experience, and to completing the course he was so eager to commit fully to. However, receiving a UEL scholarship made all the difference.

"My scholarship has supported me immensely in my studies. I have been able to afford the extra financial costs my course requires such as personal therapy and BACP student membership. As I live outside of London, it has covered all my transportation needs. I have been able to buy multiple books, a PC monitor and ergonomic home set up too."

Alan has some wise advice for anyone finding themselves in a similar situation: "I would say don't disqualify yourself! I felt unsure as to whether I was 'well deserving', but the truth is that all you can do is focus on presenting your case as it is, so 'write yourself in'- it's UEL’s decision to make, not yours. I would recommend researching as much as possible, so look at the webpages, the materials and the documents, as it gives a greater sense and understanding of it all."

So what's next for Alan after he finishes his time with UEL?

"My goal is to become a fully accredited BACP counsellor with my own practice, but I would also like to work with children, youth and families in a holistic way in schools and the wider community."

Alan's story is one that perfectly illustrates our goal here at UEL; to produce educated, empathetic and highly skilled individuals, who want to build their skillset, build their career, and #bethechange.

 Alan-McGuffog-1080x1336

Holly Nicoll  - MSc Psychology

Award: Postgraduate Scholarship

 

Holly's work ethic and commitment paid off when she successfully secured a PGS scholarship with UEL, which she feels made a huge difference.

Read Holly's story

The global pandemic and ensuing lockdown have been difficult for everyone, but for some, like Holly, it served as a wakeup call; "it made me realise that there is a world out there and I wanted to make the most of it. I knew I wasn't finished studying, and now was the perfect time for me to embark on my next adventure."

Having studied for a Forensic Science BSc at UEL before graduating in 2016, Holly went into full time work with a utility company and then left to have a daughter in 2017, before taking a break from her career.

However, the arrival of the pandemic brought with it a new perspective, and for Holly a realisation that she wanted more.

"After always being interested in psychology, I woke up one day and said, ‘I am going to apply for my master’s in psychology,’ and before 9am I had applied."

Holly's work ethic and commitment paid off when she successfully secured a PGS scholarship with UEL, which she feels made a huge difference.

"I've been able to buy the latest psychology books, purchase myself a laptop and I have been able to pay for my daughter to attend nursery on extra days so that I can spend the time studying and doing extracurricular actives relating to my studies.

"It's never easy to balance a career, studies and childcare, but with support from UEL and a lot of commitment, Holly was able to gain the qualifications she needed.

 "My course is accredited by the BPS and has a concentrated schedule on a Wednesday afternoon, making it perfect to study alongside work and childcare commitments.

I've also just landed myself a psychology honorary position with the NHS which I’ll be doing alongside my studies. My scholarship has given me so much more confidence, knowing that I put myself forward for this competitive application process and I succeeded."

For Holly, there was never a question about where to study: "I choose UEL because of the great experience I had with my undergraduate degree. There are so many opportunities at the university, and I like how diverse it is. UEL made me who I am today."

The future looks bright for Holly as she looks forward to moving on to study for a clinical psychology doctorate, but she hasn’t forgotten the simple belief that got her to where she is now. As she says: "Believe in yourself and apply. Anything is possible and there’s no limit to your ambitions!"

 Holly Nicoll

Felicia Enigbokan - BA (Hons) Social Work

Award: Dean's Scholarship

 

Felicia is the perfect example of what we do here at UEL; working with dedicated and students to arm them with the skills and experience they need to go out into the world.

Read Felicia's story

Felicia is emblematic of the UEL ideal; hard working, high achieving students, who want to go out and make a positive difference the world. Driven to make a change in society, Felicia first needed to gain the right qualifications to enable her to kickstart her mission.

"I am passionate about helping the less privilege including adults and children to live happily and advocating social justice for them, and I believed studying Social Work at UEL would place me in a strategic position to achieve this dream once I got qualified."

Before she joined UEL Felicia was studying at London Southeast Colleges, where she completed Pre – Access Level 2 Health and Social Care, and Level 3 Access to Higher Education in Social Work courses. 

Her next step was to find the right place to continue her studies, and for Felicia, UEL was the obvious choice: “UEL is ranked 1st in London and 7th (Guardian league Table, 2019) in the UK, and known for its exceptional teaching style. I was also attracted to UEL due to the high rate of employability of their graduates, and I believe it is a great place to actualise my career."

As a recipient of the Dean’s scholarship, Felicia feels it gave her the financial support and stability she needed to achieve her goals.

"This scholarship has really supported me financially and helped me to focus on my studies, rather than worrying about finances. 

I intend to form a charity organisation before I finish my studies at UEL. This charity organisation will provide support to vulnerable adults and young people, and this scholarship will help me to acquire some coordination and provide accelerated pathways to achieving this dream."

Having seen the benefit scholarships can bring, Felicia is keen to see other students do the same: "I would urge students to apply for scholarships as soon as they are open. Scholarships can help students to concentrate on their studies without worrying too much about finances, and can also help them with any project they intend to engage with."

Now that she’s on track to achieving her goals, Felicia intends to continue on to postgraduate study, and is intent on using the skills she has acquired to help bring about change in society.

"I intend to proceed to my master’s degree, and to start my charity organisation providing support to the downtrodden, all before the completion of my course."

Felicia is the perfect example of what we do here at UEL; working with dedicated and students to arm them with the skills and experience they need to go out into the world, fulfil their potential, and make the changes that we need to see.

 Felicia Enigbokan

Kayleigh Robinson - Computer Games Design: Story Development

Award: Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship

 

Gaining a scholarship at UEL gave Kayleigh the extra support she needed to realise her ambitions.

Read Kayleigh's story

Sometimes, finding the right course and the right support can be the ticket to changing your career, your mindset and your entire life.

Before she came to UEL Kayleigh was a musician and already involved in many community projects and events, such as the C2C bicycle fundraiser ride for the Girl Guides, but she felt that she could do more, and be more.

 "I had a difficult childhood and came from a poor background, but that never stopped me from trying my best to escape my circumstances and grow into the person I am today. I chose to study at UEL to break out of my comfort zone and to be inspired by the big city of London.

I knew with the support at the University I could develop myself as a person and with it, my ideas. UEL offered excellent sport facilities, is based at the heart of the creative industries, and provided me with a safe space in which I could experiment and grow my dreams and ambitions."

Searching for an outlet for her creative calling that would provide variety and a host of new challenges, Kayleigh chose to study Game Design: "I can practice art, animation, coding, writing, design, and project implementation, and I was most excited about being able to create hands-on board games and card games, paper prototyping and the physical visualisation aspect of creating a project."

Gaining a scholarship at UEL gave Kayleigh the extra support she needed to realise her ambitions... but it's not just the financial support that made a difference.

As she recalls: "I applied for the scholarship at UEL because I felt that it would allow me to invest in the equipment I'd need, and also enable me to invest in myself as a person and attend creative workshops, without the impending financial stress and pressure of getting a job. I was able to fully use my time to immerse myself with people, ideas, events and workshops, and better my mental health to achieve my future goals.

It's incredibly daunting to apply for the scholarship, as I had a great doubt that any of my achievements would be worth such an award. To be enabled and rewarded for my positive attitude and enthusiasm towards all the little things in life was so refreshing and uplifting."

After completing her course, Kayleigh looks forward to moving onwards and upwards with a postgraduate degree, and becoming an author writing about motivational needs, a subject close to her heart: "How do we find it, where does it come from and how can we tap into it when we need it the most? Mental health has been such a rollercoaster ride and I have learnt that it is so for everybody; it only gets easier when you open yourself up to the world around you. I want to write, whether in games, books, films, or blogs, about how to find the best methods for you to get back on your path."

Sometimes it's not just the qualifications we pick up at university that help us on the road to new beginnings, but the self-belief we gain, and the understanding of who we really are.

What advice would Kayleigh give to someone thinking of applying?

"Don't belittle yourself, believe in your ideas and who you are. If you believe in them, others will too."

 Kayleigh Robinson

Find the right scholarship for you

Undergraduate scholarships and bursaries

View all the undergraduate scholarships and bursaries available to you and read the individual descriptions to see if you are eligible to apply.

Sports Scholarships

International fees and funding

Find out about fees and funding for international students coming to UEL

Postgraduate scholarships and bursaries

View all the postgraduate scholarships and bursaries available to you and read the individual descriptions to see if you are eligible to apply.

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