Scholarships in the UK in 2026: Chevening, Gates Cambridge, Clarendon and University Awards — What Applicants from Russia, Kazakhstan and Central Asia Can Get

Full funding for international students in the UK comes mainly from three schemes, all for postgraduate study: the UK government's Chevening, Gates Cambridge and Oxford's Clarendon Fund. Kazakh citizens can apply for Chevening on standard terms; for the 2027/28 cycle Russian citizens can apply only if they live outside Russia. Applications for 2027/28 close on 6 October 2026 at 11:00 UTC; the next cycle, for 2028/29, usually opens in August. GREAT Scholarships and Commonwealth Scholarships are not open to Russian or Kazakh citizens. Undergraduates should look at university fee reductions: Glasgow, for example, cuts international fees by $9,270–13,250 (£7,000–10,000) a year for high grades, and Bristol's Think Big scheme offered $8,610 (£6,500) or $17,220 (£13,000) a year for 2026 entry.

Conditions were checked on official programme and university websites on 24 September 2026; dollars use the ECB cross rate of 29 September 2026, £1 ≈ $1.325. For a wider view see studying in the UK and scholarships abroad in 2026.

Who can apply for what

Chevening: eligibility and the 2027/28 timetable

Chevening is the UK government's scholarship, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and partners, for a one-year master's at any UK university; the programme describes it as fully funded.

You must be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country; have at least two years (2,800 hours) of work experience after your first degree — for this cycle your degree must have been completed by October 2024; hold a degree that qualifies you for a UK master's; apply to three different eligible UK courses and hold an unconditional offer from one by the deadline; and commit to returning to your country of award for at least two years. UK residents at the time of application and previous UK-government-funded scholars are not eligible. A second master's is allowed.

Russian citizens. Chevening's Russia page states that for 2027/28 it will only accept applications from Russians resident in a country other than Russia, citing security, financial and logistical risks for applicants living in Russia, and that the decision will be reviewed for 2028/29. For these scholars "home" means the country of residence. Chevening advises applicants to take independent advice on how participation may be perceived and not to advertise their application publicly.

Kazakh citizens apply through the Kazakhstan page on the same timetable.

If you cannot produce a strong application by 6 October 2026, aim for the 2028/29 cycle instead: the 2027/28 round opened on 4 August 2026, and the next one usually opens in late summer, with dates and the rules for Russian applicants published on Chevening's website. Use the extra year to add work experience and choose your three courses. Chevening is decided before most university offers arrive, so essays and references are prepared while you apply to courses in parallel.

Gates Cambridge and Clarendon: open to all nationalities

Gates Cambridge offers around 70 full-cost scholarships a year to citizens of any country outside the UK, about two-thirds for PhDs. It covers the University Composition Fee, a single-student maintenance allowance of $30,670 (£23,152) for 12 months at the 2026/27 rate (up to four years for PhDs), inbound visa costs and the Immigration Health Surcharge, plus $995–5,300 (£750–4,000) academic development funding; it does not cover bench fees or equipment. Eligible courses are PhD, MLitt and most one-year postgraduate courses; undergraduate degrees, MBA, EMBA, MFin, PGCE, MASt and some professional courses are excluded. You apply through the funding section of the Cambridge graduate application; departments nominate candidates, and a Gates-specific reference addressing the Trust's criteria is required.

Clarendon Fund at Oxford awards over 200 new fully funded scholarships a year for master's and DPhil study, with no restrictions on nationality, residence or subject. There is no separate form: you are considered automatically if you apply for your course by the December or January deadline. It covers fees and a living grant for the fee-liable period. See Oxbridge admissions.

Why not GREAT or Commonwealth

GREAT Scholarships for 2026/27 — over 140 awards of $13,250 (£10,000) towards one-year master's fees at 60-plus universities, jointly funded by the UK government's GREAT Britain Campaign and the British Council with universities — are open only to citizens of 18 countries: Bangladesh, China, Egypt, France, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Spain, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. Commonwealth Scholarships are for Commonwealth citizens; Russia and Kazakhstan are not members.

University awards: the main option for undergraduates

Automatic merit awards. Glasgow's World Changers Global Excellence Scholarship for 2027 undergraduate entry is $9,270 (£7,000) a year in arts and social sciences and $13,250 (£10,000) in science, engineering and medical, veterinary and life sciences. Applicants meeting the A-level/IB (or equivalent) thresholds are guaranteed an award, renewable with satisfactory progress; ask the university how your qualifications map to the thresholds.

Competitive awards. Bristol's Think Big scheme for 2026 entry offered $8,610 (£6,500) or $17,220 (£13,000) a year for up to four years of undergraduate study and $8,610 (£6,500), $17,220 (£13,000) or $34,440 (£26,000) for the first year of a master's, through a single application; the 2026 round closed on 10 April 2026 with outcomes in late May. Details for 2027 are still to be published.

Check whether an award is a fee discount or cash, how long it lasts, what grades renew it, whether you must apply, the deadline and any exclusions (Bristol excludes dentistry and medicine). Even $13,250 (£10,000) a year covers only part of Glasgow's $36,720–43,990 (£27,720–33,210) fees; see cost of studying in the UK.

PhD funding through universities and research groups

Beyond Gates Cambridge and Clarendon, most PhD funding comes from universities and research groups: funded studentships that cover fees and a living stipend, and departmental or college awards. They are advertised on programme pages and university scholarship search tools, each with its own nationality rules and deadlines. Start with a potential supervisor: a short email with a research outline often matters more than a generic application.

Bolashak for Kazakh citizens

Kazakhstan's international Bolashak scholarship was established by presidential decree in 1993 to train specialists for priority sectors. It is administered by the Center for International Programs, with applications through the egov.kz portal. Check the eligible universities, subjects and post-study obligations on the official site before choosing a UK university.

Scholarships and your Student visa

• An official financial sponsor (government, international scholarship agency or the university) is evidenced by a sponsor letter rather than a bank statement.
• If a sponsor has paid both your fees and living costs in the last 12 months, you need its written consent.
• A partial award does not remove the funds requirement: remaining fees plus living costs for up to nine months, held for 28 days — $2,030 (£1,529) (London) or $1,550 (£1,171) (elsewhere) a month if you apply by 29 November 2026, and $2,080 (£1,570) or $1,590 (£1,203) from 30 November 2026. See our UK Student visa guide.

Calendar for 2027/28 entry

How to build a strong application

• Start with the course, not the scholarship. Most awards require an offer or at least an application to a specific course; a strong essay cannot rescue a weak academic application.
• Answer the questions with evidence. Chevening essays, the Gates Cambridge funding section and university statements reward specifics: what you did, what changed as a result and how the course connects to your plans.
• Brief your referees early. Tell them what they need to confirm and by when.
• Keep a funding back-up plan. If the scholarship does not come through, can you still afford the course with a university discount, or a less expensive university?

Common mistakes

• Counting on GREAT or Commonwealth with a Russian or Kazakh passport.
• Applying for Chevening 2027/28 while living in Russia.
• Waiting for university offers before starting a Chevening application and missing the close of the round (6 October 2026 for 2027/28).
• Assuming a university award covers living costs.
• Not checking renewal conditions for later years.
• Missing an Oxford or Cambridge course deadline and with it Clarendon or Gates consideration.

FAQ

Sources

• Chevening: Russia, Kazakhstan, eligibility, work experience, timeline, scholarships overview — checked 24.09.2026
• Gates Cambridge: the scholarship, eligibility, how to apply — checked 24.09.2026
• University of Oxford: Clarendon Fund — checked 24.09.2026
• GREAT Scholarships — checked 24.09.2026
• University of Glasgow: World Changers Global Excellence Scholarship, international fees 2026/27 — checked 24.09.2026
• University of Bristol: international scholarships — checked 24.09.2026
• Bolashak: about the scholarship — checked 24.09.2026
• Appendix Finance, Student visa — checked 24.09.2026
• Exchange rate: ECB, 29.09.2026

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