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 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 register of educational endowments, which is just another way of saying they have a list of possible trust funds or scholarships that you may wish to investigate. Some of the schemes they have on their list include eligibility criteria, links to websites or email addresses of the organisation. Others may require you to write away for more information.

You can view the list 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 useful website offering lots of information about postgraduate study and job advice with specific information on postgraduate study funding.

You can use Scholarship Search to look for funds by organisation, subject area or level of study.

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

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

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 Trust administers several different schemes to different types of students. These include:

• Undergraduate schemes such as the Undergraduate Tuition Fee Grants Scheme and Vacation Scholarships
• Research Incentive Grants

Further information is available at The Carnegie Trust 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 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 here. You can also contact det@dumgal.gov.uk for more details.

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.

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.

ICAS offers bursaries of up to £2,500 per academic year for students studying accountancy or a finance related subject. Students with parental income below £34,000 are eligible to apply.

Further information is available on the ICAS Foundation website.

Grants are available to young people up to and including 21-year-olds, with either a physical or learning disability or who are socially disadvantaged. The Trust provides help with education and training expenses, including books, travel and cost of trips and is suitable for full-time and part-time undergraduates.
Although priority is given to individuals and groups in the Lothian region, grants can also be awarded elsewhere in Scotland.

Application forms and further information on eligibility can be obtained from the John Watson's Trust.

A Macmillan Grant is a one-off payment for adults, young people or children with cancer, to cover a wide range of practical needs. This can include things such as heating bills, extra clothing, or a much needed break. 

Undergraduate and postgraduate students in part-time or full-time study who have cancer or are still affected by the illness or treatment can apply.

Further information on eligibility and how to apply is available on the Macmillan website.

Postgrad Solutions Ltd is offering postgraduate study Bursaries to students starting a postgraduate course in the 2024-25 academic year. Each bursary is worth £2,000 and they are open to students from anywhere in the world.

For more information and how to apply, please visit the Postgrad Solutions website.

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 Foundation aims to primarily help students studying for their first degree with supplementary grants towards items such as books and equipment and instruments.

The fund is available to undergraduate and postgraduate students in part-time or full-time study who are under 35 at the start of their course. 

Students must be in the second year or above of a three or four-year degree course and be studying for their first degree to be eligible to apply.

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

The Stirlingshire Educational Trust provides grants to students who have resided in Stirlingshire for a minimum of 5 consecutive years, either currently or in the past, or have been born there. Awards may be made towards fees, books, travel, equipment, kit etc.

Further information and details on how to apply are available from the Trust's website.

The Cross Trust is a charitable body that provides grants to students under 30 years old who are of Scottish Birth or Parentage and can demonstrate high academic merit and financial need in order, " to extend the boundaries of their knowledge of human life." as were the words of the Trust's founder Sir Alexander Cross (1880-1963).

Further information on funding available and details on how to apply, can be found on the Cross Trust website.

The St Andrew’s Society of the State of New York Scholarship 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. Each scholarship offers up to £35,000 to use towards tuition, maintenance and travel costs.

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

Further information on eligibility and details of how to apply is available from the Society’s website.

This scholarship is designed to support talented student athletes as they develop their sporting abilities and continue their academic studies and foster success in international competitions.

The scholarships can be used for a range of support services which will assist you and your sporting development. The scholarships are funded by the Scottish Funding Council and managed by the University of Stirling.

Further information and details of how to apply can be found on the Winning Students Scholarships website.