Individual Scottish universities may also have resources available to support their own postgraduates. Further funding is available from some learned societies and public research bodies.
Masters funding from the Scottish Funding Council
Public funding for universities in Scotland is delivered by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC).
The SFC doesn’t award money to students directly, but it does support Scottish universities to provide funded places on their taught postgraduate programmes.
In most cases SFC funding will cover the cost of your tuition fees (and may therefore be awarded in the form of a fee-waiver).
Eligibility criteria for SFC funding is based on nationality and residency, with an emphasis on supporting students living in Scotland.
If you’ve been domiciled in Scotland for at least three years before the start of your programme (i.e. you’ve been living in Scotland for purposes other than study), you will usually be eligible for SFC funding.
You may also be eligible if you’re from an EU country (with the exception of England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and you’ve been living in the EU for at least three years before the start of your course.
The best way to find SFC funding for Masters degrees is to investigate programmes at individual Scottish universities.
You can do this quickly and conveniently by searching for Masters degrees in Scotland. Where a course has the option of SFC funding it will often be mentioned in the description; if not, you can contact the university using the details provided.
Other sources of postgraduate funding in Scotland
Several other research organisations and scholarly societies offer funding to support academic work in Scotland.
Most will focus their resources on larger research projects or public engagement activities, but these can sometimes include support for students on Masters programmes.
Some of the most prominent funders are:
- The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is one of Scotland’s oldest learned societies, having been founded in 1783. Much of the RSE’s funding supports work by university academics and post-doctoral researchers, but postgraduate grants and studentships may sometimes be available.
If you’re studying an MSc in Social Work at an eligible university, you might be able to receive a bursary from the Scottish Social Services Council. This includes tuition fees and a maintenance grant.