Alternative Trusts & Scholarships

The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding is a web resource that UWS subscribe to, making it free for our students and prospective students to use. It includes a funding database of over 600 charities and trusts, and access to comprehensive guidance on how to produce a high-quality application. 

• Accessing this guide from a campus PC? You can automatically log in without creating an account.
• Already have a UWS email account? You can create an account in less than 30 seconds.
• Are you a prospective student? We understand you won’t be able to access our campus PCs nor will you have a UWS email address. Simply email the Funding and Advice Team at ago@uws.ac.uk, and we will send you a PIN to access this resource.

SAAS maintain a list of trust funds and scholarships called the Register of Education Endowments. The list provides websites, contact details, and eligibility criteria, which you can explore for each Fund and Funder.

You can view the complete Register of Education Endowments on the SAAS website.

You can use The Scholarship Hub to search for UK scholarships, grants or bursaries, as well as find information on how to apply for these opportunities. You should check the website regularly as opportunities can open up throughout the year.

Prospects is a graduate careers advice company. The Prospects website offers graduate career and postgraduate study options, including information on postgraduate study funding.

You can use Uni Grants to search for funds by organisation, subject area or level of study.

Foundation Scotland work alongside businesses and donors to support local people in communities across Scotland. They offer a variety of funds to individuals who want to shape their future by enhancing their employment prospects through education and training.

You can use Foundation Scotland to look for funding that is relevant to you. 

You can use their funding list to search for funds available on a Scotland-wide basis or by geographical location. Each fund will provide details on the eligibility criteria, grant size, and how and when to make your application. 
 
We would advise you to take note of any key dates mentioned in the funding list, as some funds may provide more than one opportunity to apply each year.

If you hold a UK passport and are actively considering a career as a commissioned officer in one of the three branches of HM Armed Forces, you may wish to apply for a scholarship or sponsorship under their undergraduate officer schemes.

You may be eligible for a higher grant if your degree is in a specialist or technical discipline such as physics, engineering, maths, or nursing.

For further information and to apply visit:

• British Army
• Royal Air Force
• Royal Navy

The Ballantrae Education and Training Fund provides bursaries of up to £2250 to help people access education and training opportunities that could enhance their prospects of gaining or retaining employment. Full-time or part-time students studying courses that lead to a formal or recognised qualification will be favoured. Awards can cover costs that are directly related to attending your course, e.g. towards laptops, travel or accommodation costs, course fees, tools or equipment. It also provides support towards driving test costs and advanced driving courses for rural driving.

To be eligible to apply, you must:

• Live in the Ballantrae Community Council area 
• Be age 18 or over, however priority will be given to people between the age of 18 and 25 years. 
• Be applying with the purpose of improving your employment prospects

Further information on eligibility can be obtained via email to: grants@foundationscotland.org.uk 

When to apply: There are no deadlines for submitting applications. You can apply as soon as you have decided to do the course and been accepted onto it.

How to apply: Further information and details on how to apply online can be found by visiting The Ballantrae Education and Training Fund at Foundation Scotland.

The Barr Education and Training Fund provides grants of up to £3000 to help people access education and training opportunities that could enhance their prospects of gaining or retaining employment. Full-time or part-time students studying courses that lead to a formal or recognised qualification will be favoured. Awards can cover costs that are directly related to attending your course, e.g. towards laptops, travel or accommodation costs, course fees, tools or equipment. Driving lessons can be funded from age 17. 

To be eligible to apply, you must:

• Live in the Barr Community Council area 
• Be age 16 or over

Further information on eligibility can be obtained via email to: grants@foundationscotland.org.uk 

When to apply: There are no deadlines for submitting applications. You can apply as soon as you have decided to do the course and been accepted onto it.

How to apply: Further information and details on how to apply online can be found by visiting The Barr Education and Training Fund at Foundation Scotland.

This grant is suitable for students with kidney problems who are receiving dialysis or have recently had a transplant.
Further information and details on how to apply can be found on the Kidney Care UK website.

The Carnegie Education Fund administers several different schemes for different types of students. These include: 

• Undergraduate schemes such as the Undergraduate Tuition Fee Grants Scheme 
• Vacation Scholarships 
• Masters Grants 

For further details on eligibility and how to apply visit the Carnegie Education Fund website.  

The Foundation offers help to students through scholarships, awards, prizes and bursaries. It offers awards and grants to students and assists the Crichton Campus partners, including Dumfries & Galloway College, University of Glasgow, University of West of Scotland, Open University, Crichton Carbon Centre and Scotland's Rural College.

For more detailed information please visit the Crichton Foundation website.

Set up in memory of Scotland's first First Minister, Donald Dewar. The Dewar Arts Awards provide funding to support young artistic talent living and/or working in Scotland.

To be considered for a Dewar Arts Award, applicants must:

• be under the age of 30
• live or work in Scotland
• demonstrate outstanding talent in any artform
• be without the financial means to achieve their full potential

The Trustees look for candidates who have strong ambition and a real passion for their chosen artform.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate a clear view of their future development (or that of a particular project), and how receiving a Dewar Arts Award would help them to achieve their goals.

Further information is available at the Dewar Awards website.

The Trust provides help with several educational expenses including travel costs, educational excursions, equipment costs, postgraduate courses, and adult education.

The fund is suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students in part-time or full-time study. Applicants must reside in Dumfriesshire and be wholly or substantially educated there.

Further information and application forms can be found on the Dumfriesshire Education Trust website. You can also contact det@dumgal.gov.uk for more details.

Offer financial support to children of serving and veteran members of the armed forces, who are enrolled in college or university and studying to undergraduate degree level. The University and College Fund can contribute towards the costs of:

• Living expenses (up to Undergraduate degree only)
• Books
• Special Equipment
• Essential course materials

Applications to the fund should be made directly from the young person themselves.

Further information and applications are available from Children & Young People - Forces Children Scotland.

The Gilchrist Educational Trust provides grants to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students attending British universities who find themselves facing unexpected financial difficulties. Grants are available to cover course costs and other associated expenses whilst studying and are usually intended to help final year learners complete their course.

Further information on eligibility can be found on the Gilchrist Educational Trust website.

Application forms can be requested via email at gilchrist.et@gmail.com or you can write to 4 St Michaels Gate, Shrewsbury, SY1 2HL.

This Trust aims to help students with their study costs, and some specific course-related travel. 

Eligibility

Applicants must have:

• Lived in Glasgow for the last five years 
• Moved to Glasgow for reasons other than study
• Not yet started their course 

You don’t need to be studying in Glasgow to be eligible – those living in Glasgow and planning to commute to UWS campuses elsewhere may apply. 

For more information on the defined “Glasgow” boundary used by the Trust, and whether you and your course meet their other eligibility criteria, review the Trust’s website:

Who Can Apply

Application Deadline

Application deadlines are usually one or two months before course start dates, so it’s important to apply in good time.

The Glasgow Educational and Marshall Trust Committee meets four times a year: in March, June, September and December.  You should make an application (after you check your eligibility) at times specified in the Trust's FAQs When Should I Apply section:

When Should I Apply? 

Applications should be made independently via the Trust’s website. 

The Hadyard Hill Education & Training Fund (Dailly) provides grants of up to £3000 to help people access education and training opportunities that could enhance their prospects of gaining or retaining employment. Awards can cover costs that are directly related to attending your course, e.g. towards laptops, travel or accommodation costs, course fees, tools or equipment. Driving lessons can be funded from age 17. 

To be eligible to apply, you must:

• Live in the Dailly Community Council area 
• Be 16+ (OR 17 if applying for help with driving lessons and theory test) 
• Be applying with the purpose of improving your employment prospects 

Further information on eligibility can be obtained via email to: grants@foundationscotland.org.uk 

When to apply: There are no deadlines for submitting applications. You can apply as soon as you have decided to do the course and been accepted onto it.

How to apply: Further information and details on how to apply online can be found by visiting Hadyard Hill Education & Training Fund (Dailly) at Foundation Scotland.

The Hadyard Hill Education & Training Fund (Pinwherry & Pinmore) provides grants of up to £3000 to improve the opportunities and livelihoods of people in Pinwherry and Pinmore which will enhance their skills to gain or retain employment.  Full-time and part-time students studying courses that lead to a formal or recognised qualification will be favoured. Awards can cover costs that are directly related to attending your course, e.g. towards laptops, travel or accommodation costs, course fees, tools or equipment. Driving lessons can be funded from age 17.

To be eligible to apply, you must:

• Live in the Pinwherry and Pinmore Community Council area
• Be age 16 or over
  Further information on eligibility can be obtained via email: grants@foundationscotland.org.uk

When to apply: There are no deadlines for submitting applications. You can apply as soon as you have decided to do the course and been accepted onto it.

How to apply: Further information and details on how to apply online can be found by visiting The Hadyard Hill Education & Training Fund (Pinwherry & Pinmore) at Foundation Scotland. 

The Holywood Trust is a charitable organisation which aims to help young people in Dumfries and Galloway fulfil their potential in cultural, educational and social aspects of their lives.

Further information and details on how to apply can be found at the Holywood Trust website.

The ICAS Foundation provides bursary funding to eligible students studying accountancy or a finance related degree. The ICAS Foundation is a body that has been established by ICAS (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland) to make a significant difference to academically talented young people from disadvantaged communities by helping them take their first steps into a professional career in accountancy or finance.

Young people from disadvantaged communities are under-represented at universities across Scotland, especially for those on courses that lead to a life-long profession. ICAS, as one of the leading professional accountancy bodies in the world, believes that it can do more to open up access to the accountancy profession and has helped establish the Foundation to help do just that.

Applicants must:   

• Have a household income of £34,000 or less per year (before tax).  
• Be eligible for UK government student support.  
• Not hold a previous degree (exceptions apply).

Further information is available on the ICAS Foundation website.

Grants are available to young people aged 21 years and under who have a physical or learning disability, and/or who are socially disadvantaged. The Trust provides help with education and training expenses including books, travel, and the cost of trips. Both full-time and part-time students can apply.  

Although priority is given to individuals and groups in the Lothian region grants can also be awarded elsewhere in Scotland.  

For further details on eligibility and how to apply visit the John Watson’s Trust website. 

Postgraduate Solutions Ltd offers a fixed number of postgraduate study bursaries each academic year. They welcome applications from full-time and part-time students, from all academic disciplines, from anywhere in the world.  

For more information on the funding currently available and how to apply visit the Postgrad Solutions website.

The Foundation’s aim is to enhance access to education and ensure that individuals have the opportunity to achieve their academic goals, regardless of their background or financial circumstances.  

Grants from the Foundation are designed to supplement students’ financial support, helping to cover additional costs related to study.  

Applications are welcomed from full-time and part-time students who are under 35 years of age at the start of their course.  

For further details on eligibility and how to apply visit the Sidney Perry Foundation website.

The Stirlingshire Education Trust offers a range of grants to students who have lived in Stirlingshire for a minimum of five consecutive years – either currently or in the past - or who were born there.  

Awards may be made towards fees, books, travel, equipment, kit etc. 

For further details on eligibility and how to apply visit the Stirlingshire Educational Trust website.

The Shwab and Westheimer Trust offers a range of scholarships to young asylum seekers and refugees. Funding is available for both undergraduate and postgraduate study. Each scholarship has its own eligibility criteria and award value, so you need to check which one is relevant to you before you apply.  

For further details on the current scholarships available, eligibility criteria, and how to apply, visit the Schwab and Westheimer Trust website.  

The Westheimer Scholarship

The Ralph N Emanuel Scholarship 

The Scholarship supported by the Marks Family Charitable Trust

THE ADI AND ISCA WITTENBERG SCHOLARSHIP

THE BRITTAN SCHOLARSHIP

Each scholarship has different award values and its own eligibility criteria, it is therefore important that you check out the individual scholarships to see which one is relevant to your needs and to ensure eligibility prior to applying.  

Further information on what is available can be found at the following websites:

Schwab and Westheimer

The St Andrew’s Scholarship for Study in the US offers a life-changing opportunity for Scottish students studying Law, Finance, Journalism, Education, and the Arts, to study in the United States for one year. Scholarship funding can be used towards tuition, maintenance, and travel costs.  

Preference will be given to students with no previous experience of the United States and for whom a period of study there would provide a life-changing experience.  

For further details on eligibility and how to apply visit the Saint Andrew’s Society of the State of New York website.

Winning Students 100 is Scotland’s national student scholarship programme, supporting 100 of the most talented student athletes currently studying in Scotland.  

Scholarships are awarded on a twelve-month basis and can be spent on support services including student accommodation, competition fees, and sports equipment.  

For further details on eligibility and how to apply visit the Winning Students 100 website.