One Offer. Two Scholarships. Ulster University Has More in Store for International Students

International students exploring study options in Northern Ireland have another reason to look at Ulster University. The public university has introduced two scholarship opportunities for eligible applicants joining in 2026. While both scholarships reward academic achievement, they are designed for different groups of students. Knowing how they work can help you identify the one that best matches your study plans. 

The first is the Global Excellence Scholarship, Ulster University’s main scholarship for international students. Eligible postgraduate applicants receive a one-time £5,000 tuition fee scholarship, while undergraduate students can receive £5,000 in their first year, followed by £3,000 each year for the remainder of their degree, excluding any placement year. 

The scholarship is available to students enrolling in eligible full-time programmes at the university’s Belfast, Coleraine, and Derry~Londonderry campuses. There is no separate scholarship application. Every eligible international applicant is assessed automatically when their university application is reviewed, with successful applicants receiving scholarship confirmation alongside their admission offer. 

The scholarship is not available for part-time courses, eLearning programmes, or programmes delivered at Ulster University’s London, Birmingham, or Manchester campuses. Students should also note that university scholarships cannot be combined, meaning only one scholarship can be awarded per application. 

The second opportunity is the GREAT Scholarship 2026, a separate award delivered in partnership with the British Council. Unlike the Global Excellence Scholarship, this award is available only to eligible postgraduate applicants from Bangladesh, China, and Kenya enrolling in selected one-year master’s programmes. Successful applicants receive £10,000 towards their tuition fees, making it one of the university’s highest-value scholarships for international students. 

Scholarships often influence which universities students include on their shortlist, but understanding the eligibility requirements is just as important as knowing the award value. Ulster University’s two scholarships are designed for different applicants and different study pathways, making it worth reviewing the eligibility criteria before applying. 

Since the Global Excellence Scholarship is assessed automatically during the admission process, eligible students can be considered without submitting a separate scholarship application, making the process simpler from application to offer.

Source: 

https://www.ulster.ac.uk/global/apply/scholarships/the-global-excellence-scholarship

https://www.ulster.ac.uk/global/apply/scholarships/great-scholarship