Eligibility criteria
You must meet all of the below eligibility criteria:
- be holding an offer for one of the following MSc courses:
- be an international-fee status student
- be a self-funded student (if you have a loan you are eligible, but externally sponsored students are not eligible)
- be a new student who has not studied at the University of Brighton before
- be starting your course in September 2026 or January 2027
- pay 50% of your tuition fees (before the award has been applied) by the applicable tuition fee payment deadline.
You will not be eligible if:
- you are receiving funding from an external sponsor such as government, charity or private organisation
- you are a graduate of the University of Brighton – please see our alumni postgraduate scholarship.
Terms and conditions
The following terms and conditions apply to the postgraduate Future STEM Scholars' Awards:
- The awards are granted based on applicant potential and assessment is made automatically during the admissions process. You do not need to apply for this award.
- The Future STEM Scholars' Award cannot be combined with:
- alumni postgraduate scholarships
- Dean's Global Talent Awards
- Postgraduate USA Scholars' Awards
- Agent Channel Awards
- Overseas Partner Awards
- external university scholarships
- any scholarships/discounts granted by other University of Brighton departments.
- The £2,500 Future STEM Scholars' Award can be combined with:
- These awards are granted as a £2,500 reduction on tuition fees in the first year of study.
- These awards can only be applied as a reduction to your tuition fees. It cannot be used for accommodation, living costs, travel or any other non-tuition fee purposes.
- Individual final eligibility assessments are made after registration and payment deadlines. The university will not confirm eligibility to any student before the official assessment.
- Awards will not be reflected in fee accounts, invoices or payment plans prior to the payment deadline.
- Where a student has an instalment payment plan in place, the Finance team will update the payment schedule after the award has been applied, and will issue a revised schedule showing any reduction to the final instalment.
- The university reserves the right to request additional documentation to verify domicile, fee status, funding source and application channel (agent or direct). Failure to provide evidence may result in withdrawal of the award.
- Scholarships and awards cannot be deferred to a later intake or academic year.
- Awards may be withdrawn if:
- The student withdraws or suspends studies
- The student is withdrawn by the university (eg for non-payment or non-attendance)
- The student is reassessed as home fee status
- The student becomes eligible for the alumni scholarship.
- Tuition fee refunds follow the university's standard refund policy.
- The university reserves the right to amend, suspend or withdraw scholarships and awards schemes at its discretion.
Need support?
Please refer to our frequently asked questions (FAQs) in the first instance. If you cannot find the answer, you can contact our International Office by email on: InternationalOffice@brighton.ac.uk.
Contact our International Office
If you have any issues with taking your next steps, please email our International Office on InternationalOffice@brighton.ac.uk with your 8-digit student number and the details of your situation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the Future STEM Scholars' Awards for other means? eg housing
No, these awards can only be applied as a reduction to your tuition fees.
Can these awards be combined with other scholarships or awards?
The postgraduate Future STEM Scholars' Awards can be combined with the Vice-Chancellor scholarships and the postgraduate early-bird confirmation discount.
They cannot be combined with our alumni postgraduate scholarships, Dean's Global Talent Awards, USA Scholars' Awards, Agent Channel Awards, Overseas Partner Awards, any scholarships external to the university, or any scholarships/discounts granted by other University of Brighton departments.
I have deferred my registration, can I use my award for next year?
You will not be able to defer these awards to a different intake or academic year.
I've already completed a degree at the University of Brighton, am I eligible for these awards?
Future STEM Scholars' Awards are for new students to the university only, but as an alumni you may be eligible for our alumni postgraduate scholarships.
When will I see the award deducted from my tuition fee?
The award will be applied after 31 October, provided you have paid 50% of your tuition fee by the 31 October deadline. Your payment will be 50% of the total fee amount before the award has been deducted.
For example, if your tuition fee is £17,748 and you are entitled to the Vice-Chancellor scholarship and the postgraduate Future STEM Scholars' Award of £2,500, the total fee reduction would be £4,500. You will need to have paid £8,874 by the 31 October deadline, inclusive of your deposit (if required).
If you are joining us in January, the scholarship will be applied after 28 February, provided you have paid 50% of your tuition fee by the 28 February deadline. Your payment will be 50% of the total fee amount before the scholarship has been deducted (as detailed above).
You will not see your scholarships or awards reflected in your fee anywhere before 31 October. If you have a payment plan in place to pay your tuition fee by credit/debit card, the Finance department will update your plan with the new figures after 31 October and email a new schedule to you, where you will be able to see that your final payment instalment has been reduced.