Funding and scholarships
There are a number of awards that may be of interest to applicants for taught postgraduate courses at the School of Politics and International Studies. You should be aware that the scholarship deadlines are often much earlier than you may think, so early enquiry is recommended.
POLIS scholarships 2013-14
UK/EU MA scholarship (fees only)
POLIS is offering one fees only award to UK/EU students taking a POLIS MA programme.
For an application form, click here. For further details before then, please contact the Postgraduate Office.
Taught Postgraduate Scholarships for USA students
The School of Politics and International Studies offers 3 scholarships of £4,000 each to students of high academic ability who are nationals of the USA. The scholarships are for students commencing their full-time taught Postgraduate Masters studies in the School in September 2013.
To be eligible for a scholarship:
- you must be a national or permanently domiciled in the USA.
- you must hold an offer of a place to study and begin your postgraduate taught Masters programme in September 2013
- you must be classified as international/overseas for tuition fee purposes.
Please note that POLIS funding is allocated on the basis of academic merit. For an application form, click here.
Further details of all of these awards may be obtained from the Postgraduate Office.
De Haas scholarship
Two scholarships of £5000 each are available for certain POLIS students who successfully complete the module: The Politics of the Israel-Palestine Conflict.
To be eligible for a scholarship:
- you must be a student for the academic year 2013/14 who is enrolled on either the MA Conflict, Development and Security, or the MA Security, Terrorism and Insurgency
- you must successfully complete the module: The Politics of the Israel-Palestine Conflict
- you must conduct an audit, during the academic year, of the lectures and seminars of the Level 3 undergraduate module: Israel: Politics and Society
The scholarship will be awarded on the basis of your application and any practitioner experience you may have of the region.
The closing date for applications is August 31st 2013.
For more details and an application form, please email the POLIS Postgraduate Office.
Vietnam scholarship (fees only)
POLIS also offers one fees only scholarship to students from Vietnam. For more information on this scholarship, please email the POLIS Postgraduate Office.
Small amounts may also be awarded as partial fee waivers to excellent candidates who have arranged funds from other sources but who still have a small shortfall. This part of the budget is managed on a case-by-case basis; in previous years we were able to help several outstanding students to enrol in the School.
Please note that POLIS funding is allocated on the basis of academic merit.
Further details of all of these awards may be obtained from the Postgraduate Office.
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Studentships
We are pleased to announce that the School has achieved ESRC recognition within the White Rose Doctoral Training Centre (a consortium partnership between the University of Leeds, and the Universities of York and Sheffield).
This consortium has been awarded 48 ESRC awards per annum, of which 14 are presently allocated to the University of Leeds. Within these arrangements, the School is entitled to bid for a studentship Network in the area of International Development. Any details of such studentships will be available in March.
University Awards
The University of Leeds has a number of scholarships and is able to provide several full and partial awards to home/EU and international students.
Application forms and further details can be downloaded from the scholarships website.
Alumni Postgraduate Bursary 2013
New for 2013, the Alumni Postgraduate Bursary is available to former University of Leeds students. Those who qualify are eligible for a 10 percent tuition fee bursary. The alumni bursary can be awarded in conjunction with other University of Leeds scholarships and awards as the 10 percent bursary is calculated based on the net fee remaining. If you are thinking of continuing your studies to postgraduate level, we would love for you to stay with us.
More information about the Alumni Bursary
OFID’s Scholarship Program
The OFID’s Scholarship Program sponsors outstanding young students from developing countries through graduate studies in a development-related discipline. The winner of the OFID Scholarship Award will receive a tuition support of up to US$50,000. The funds will be spread over a maximum of one year, toward the completion of a Master’s degree, or its equivalent, at an accredited educational institution, starting in the autumn of the academic year 2013.
To find out more, to check eligibility and for details of how to apply, click here.
Professional and Career Development Loans
Professional and Career Development Loans are bank loans that can be used to help pay for work related learning. You can borrow between £300 and £10,000 to help support the cost of up to two years of learning (or three years if it includes one year's relevant unpaid practical work). Unlike Student Loans, these loans are commercial. This means that you will have to pay the loan back at a fixed rate one month after your course finishes, regardless of your employment status.
If you require a loan to fund a course at the University of Leeds our learning provider registration number is: 05879.
University Scholarships
Visit Scholarships at Leeds for information on other available scholarships and awards for taught postgraduate students.
ESRC Awards
For full-time home or EU applicants, POLIS has ESRC competition recognition for research tracks for most of our MA programmes – known as ESRC 1+3 recognition. Visit ESRC Awards for more information.
External study bursaries
Cost of Living in Leeds
For UK students, the Leeds University Union has produced estimates of the average Cost of Living in Leeds.
If you are an international student, the University has estimated average cost of living figures in Planning your Finances.