Edinburgh University Scholarships

Edinburgh University offers a range of Online Learning Scholarships for both domestic and international students pursuing degree programs through online education. These scholarships are designed to support individuals who may face financial barriers in covering tuition costs, making high-quality education more accessible to all.

Host Country	United Kingdom
Host Institute	University of Edinburgh
Level	Different
Eligible Nationality	All
Fellowship Type	Funded
Duration	Depend upon scholarship type
Closing Date	Various

About the Edinburgh University

Located in Edinburgh, Scotland, Edinburgh University is a prestigious public research institution founded in 1582, making it the sixth-oldest university in the English-speaking world. As a member of the esteemed Russell Group, the university is renowned for its strong emphasis on research and consistently ranks among the top 20 universities in Europe.

Edinburgh University Scholarships for Online Learners in the UK

The University of Edinburgh provides a variety of scholarships specifically for its online learning programs. Below is a brief overview of some of the distance learning scholarships available at the university:

Edinburgh Global Scholarships for Online Master’s Programs

Edinburgh University is offering twenty Master’s scholarships for eligible part-time distance learning programs. Each scholarship will cover the full tuition fees for the entire duration of the program.

Edinburgh University Eligibility Criteria

The scholarships are available to students starting any of the University’s part-time online master’s programs in the 2026–2027 academic year.

Applicants must have already received an offer of admission from the University of Edinburgh and must have either accepted it or be ready to do so.
As part of the application, candidates are required to submit a personal statement that includes:
- (a) the key features of the program that drew them to the University of Edinburgh;
- (b) how completing the program will contribute to their career and personal growth; and
- (c) how they plan to use the knowledge and skills gained to make a positive impact on their community, region, or country.

The scholarships will be awarded based on academic merit and the quality of the personal statement. Priority will be given to applicants who have not previously had the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree.

How to Apply

You can access the online scholarship application form through the University’s web-based portal, MyEd, at https://www.myed.ed.ac.uk.

To log in to MyEd, you will generally need your University username and password.

Commonwealth Scholarships for Online Distance Learning

The Commonwealth Distance Learning Programme is one of three Master’s-level initiatives offered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission. It provides talented and driven individuals with the chance to acquire the knowledge and skills essential for sustainable development—opportunities that may not be readily available in their home countries.

These scholarships are open to applicants from eligible low- and middle-income Commonwealth nations, enabling them to undertake part-time, taught Master’s programs with UK universities while remaining in their home countries. Each scholarship covers the full tuition fees and supports up to three years of part-time study.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for a Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:

Be a citizen of an eligible Commonwealth country, have refugee status in such a country, or be a British Protected Person.
Be permanently and continuously residing in an eligible Commonwealth country.
Hold a first degree equivalent to at least an upper second-class (2:1) standard. In certain cases, a lower qualification may be accepted if supported by significant relevant experience.
Provide at least one reference.
Have received an offer to begin their chosen course of study in 2026.

Application Procedure

The application process involves two main steps:

PART ONE

Obtain an offer for your chosen program of study. Applications can be submitted through the University of Edinburgh’s Degree Finder.

To secure an offer:

Show that you meet the program’s entry requirements by submitting all necessary supporting documents.
Make sure your application is strong and competitive compared to other applicants.
A conditional offer from the University is acceptable when applying for a Commonwealth Scholarship.

PART TWO

Submit your application for the Commonwealth Distance Learning Master’s Scholarship. After receiving an offer from the University of Edinburgh, you can complete your scholarship application via the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) website.

Important Dates and Deadlines

Applications for the Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships will open in early February and close by mid-March. Prospective applicants are encouraged to prepare their documents ahead of time and submit their applications well before the deadline.

For more information, visit the official Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships page.

Edinburgh Futures Institute Scholarship Program

Four scholarships are available to cover the full tuition fees for selected taught Master’s programs offered by or affiliated with the Edinburgh Futures Institute for the 2026–2027 academic year. These include the George Lindsay Cooper Scholarship, the Madeleine Bentley Scholarship, the Bilan–Cooper Scholarship, and the Luksic Scholarship for Sustainability & Data.

Advantages

These scholarships are designed to support applicants who may face barriers to pursuing postgraduate education. Each award covers the full UK tuition fee and is applicable to both full-time and part-time study, whether online or on campus. Tuition fees will be paid directly on behalf of the recipients.

Who Can Apply

These scholarships are open to UK residents who have been admitted to one of the eligible Master’s programs offered by or affiliated with the Edinburgh Futures Institute:

MSc Circular Economy
MSc Creative Industries
MSc Data and Artificial Intelligence Ethics
MSc Data, Inequality and Society
MSc Education Futures
MSc Finance, Technology, and Policy
MSc Future Governance
MSc Narrative Futures: Art, Data, Society
MSc Planetary Health
MSc Service Management and Design
MSc Sustainable Lands and Cities

Application procedure

To access the scholarship application system, candidates must first apply for admission to the University of Edinburgh. Once the application is submitted, they can access the online scholarship application form for the Edinburgh Futures Institute Scholarships through MyEd, the University’s online information portal.

Edinburgh Surgery Online Global Scholarship Program

Provided the recipient maintains satisfactory academic progress, the scholarship will cover the full tuition fees. Additionally, the program may consider contributing toward costs related to internet access, printing, and project expenses.

Application Timeline

The deadline to submit an application for the scholarship is May 2026. Applicants should note that this deadline is unlikely to be extended, so it is strongly recommended to complete and submit applications well before the cutoff to avoid any last-minute issues.

As previously mentioned, all applicants will be informed of the results of their applications by the end of August 2025. However, the exact date of notification may vary depending on the time required to thoroughly review and evaluate all submissions. Please be patient during this period as the selection process is carefully conducted.

How to Apply

The Edinburgh Surgery Online Global Scholarship provides financial support to students aiming to pursue the University of Edinburgh’s online postgraduate programs in surgical sciences.

Online Scholarship for Internal Medicine Program

The University of Edinburgh’s MSc Internal Medicine program is offering five scholarships, each worth £4,204.00, covering 66% of the tuition fees. These one-year awards will be automatically applied as a deduction from tuition costs and are available to support both new and continuing students for the 2025–2026 academic year.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must either be current or continuing students, or have received an offer for admission to one of the following part-time, online learning programs: