Durham University Scholarships: Funding Opportunities for Indian and International Students

Q: What is the maximum scholarship stack at Durham for an Indian PG applicant?

The Inspiring Excellence PG Scholarship 10,000 can stack with the Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship for India 5,000 for a combined 15,000 (19.35 Lakhs) tuition discount. For MBA applicants, the Durham MBA Scholarship 10,000 can stack with the Women in Business Scholarship of 10,000 for a combined 20,000 (25.80 Lakhs).

Q: How do I apply for the Durham Inspiring Excellence Scholarship?

The Inspiring Excellence Scholarship requires a separate application form on the Durham portal. UG applicants need a valid UCAS ID (do not need to hold an offer yet). PG applicants need a valid Durham Student ID (generated after submitting the PG application). The form includes a personal statement of approximately 500 words on your potential for positive impact.

Q: Are Durham scholarships automatic or do they need a separate application?

The Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship for India, Durham Business School Scholarship, and Durham Business School MSc Scholarship are auto-considered with your admission. The Inspiring Excellence Scholarship (UG and PG), Durham MBA Women in Business Scholarship, and Sports Scholarship require separate applications.

Q: Do Durham scholarships cover living costs?

Internal Durham scholarships are tuition discounts only, not stipends. Living costs in Durham (about 11,000 to 13,000/year or 14.19 to 16.77 Lakhs) must be funded separately through Indian education loans, family savings, or part-time work (up to 20 hours/week on the UK student visa). External scholarships like Chevening and Commonwealth do include monthly living stipends of 1,400+/month (1.81 Lakhs).

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Chetna Sharma

Study Abroad Content Writer | Updated on - May 28, 2026

Durham University offers 30+ scholarships for international students, with 6+ directly accessible to Indian applicants. The flagship is the Durham Inspiring Excellence Scholarship, offering tuition discounts of £5,000 or £10,000 (PG) and up to £30,000 (UG). The Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship for India adds £5,000 (₹6.45 Lakhs), and the Durham Business School Scholarship offers up to £10,000 (₹12.90 Lakhs) for MBA and Business School Master's.

Standard PG taught tuition (international): £25,000 to £40,000 (₹32.25 to ₹51.60 Lakhs).
PG tuition with Inspiring Excellence 10K: Standard tuition minus £10,000 (₹12.90 Lakhs).
UG tuition with Inspiring Excellence 30K: Standard tuition minus £30,000 (₹38.70 Lakhs) over 3 years.
Next major scholarship deadline: Inspiring Excellence 2nd round: PG 29 May 2026; UG 15 May 2026.

Currency Note: All INR conversions use the live rate of 1 GBP = ₹129 as of May 2026.

Table of Contents

Durham University Scholarships for UG Students
Durham University Scholarships for PG Students
Durham MBA Scholarships and Business School Funding
India-Specific and External Scholarships at Durham
Frequently Asked Questions

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Durham University Scholarships for UG Students

Durham offers tuition-discount scholarships for international undergraduate applicants ranging from £5,000 to £30,000 over 3 years. The flagship UG award is the Inspiring Excellence Scholarship, offering tuition discounts of £5,000, £10,000, £15,000, £20,000, £25,000, or £30,000, depending on profile and selection round.

Scholarship	Award Value	Eligibility	Application
Inspiring Excellence UG Scholarship	Up to £30,000 over 3 years (₹38.70 Lakhs)	International UG applicants with a strong academic profile (Class 12: 85%+)	Separate form; UG 1st round 30 Jan 2026 (Closed); 2nd round 15 May 2026
Inspiring Excellence UG (DUISC progression)	Up to £4,000/year (₹5.16 Lakhs)	Students progressing from Durham International Study Centre to UG	Internal at DUISC
Sports Scholarship	Up to £6,000 (₹7.74 Lakhs)	UG athletes in football, rugby, cricket, athletics, and rowing	Separate form with offer

The Inspiring Excellence UG Scholarship requires applicants to pass all modules and maintain at least 60% (£5,000 award) or 70% (£10,000 award) each year for the scholarship to renew. The £30,000 maximum reflects a £10,000/year × 3 years award at the highest tier.

Also read: CAS Issuance for Indian Students

Durham University Scholarships for PG Students

Durham's PG funding is delivered through the Inspiring Excellence Postgraduate Scholarship, the flagship competitive award, plus several merit-based and India-specific awards.

Scholarship	Award Value	Eligibility	Application
Inspiring Excellence PG (10K)	£10,000 (₹12.90 Lakhs)	1-year full-time taught MSc/MA/LLM/MDS (excludes MBA, MSW, MA Theology and Ministry)	Separate form; PG 1st round 16 Jan 2026 (Closed); 2nd round 29 May 2026
Inspiring Excellence PG (5K)	£5,000 (₹6.45 Lakhs)	PG taught applicants; second-tier award	Same form as 10K (auto-considered)
Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship for India	£5,000 (₹6.45 Lakhs)	Indian PG taught applicants with a merit profile	Auto-considered with the offer
Inspiring Excellence PG (DUISC progression)	Up to £3,000 (₹3.87 Lakhs)	Students progressing from Durham International Study Centre to PG	Internal at DUISC

Reddit Insight: Indian Master's applicants on r/IndianStudentsUK report securing the Inspiring Excellence Scholarship £10,000 award with a Bachelor's at 75 to 82% (first-class equivalent) and timely application by mid-January 2026 for the 1st round at Sept 2026 entry. Applicants who missed the 1st round still received second-round consideration without needing a fresh application.

Durham MBA Scholarships and Business School Funding

The Durham MBA at Durham University Business School (triple AACSB/EQUIS/AMBA accredited) has separate scholarship pathways. The Inspiring Excellence Scholarship does NOT apply to the MBA; MBA-specific funding is available via Business School awards.

Scholarship	Award Value	Eligibility	Application
Durham Business School MBA Scholarship	Up to £10,000 (₹12.90 Lakhs)	MBA applicants with a strong academic and professional profile	Auto-considered with an MBA offer
Durham MBA Women in Business Scholarship	Up to £10,000 (₹12.90 Lakhs)	Female MBA applicants with demonstrated leadership impact	Separate essay required
Durham Business School MSc Scholarship	£5,000 to £10,000 (₹6.45 to ₹12.90 Lakhs)	MSc Finance, MSc Management, MSc Marketing, and MSc Business Analytics applicants	Auto-considered with the offer

The Durham MBA Women in Business Scholarship requires a separate 500 to 800 word essay describing leadership impact in a workplace or community setting. The deadline is tentatively 30 April 2026 for the September 2026 entry. A GMAT 650+ score significantly improves chances for both MBA and MSc Business School awards.

Also read: Cost of living in the UK for Indian Students

India-Specific and External Scholarships at Durham

Indian applicants funded at Durham typically combine an internal Durham scholarship with an external Indian or UK government scholarship. The big four for UK-bound Indian PG students are Chevening, Commonwealth Shared Scholarship (Durham is a Commonwealth host), Inlaks, and JN Tata Endowment.

Scholarship	Award Value	Eligibility	Deadline
Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship for India	£5,000 (₹6.45 Lakhs)	Indian PG taught applicants with a merit profile	Auto-considered with the offer
Chevening Scholarship	Full tuition + £18,000+ stipend (₹35+ Lakhs total)	Indian PG taught applicants with 2 years of work experience; leadership focus	Tentative 7 October 2026
Commonwealth Shared Scholarship	Full tuition + stipend (₹35+ Lakhs)	Indian PG taught applicants with development-focused goals; Durham is a host	Tentative October 2026
Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarship	Up to USD 100,000 (₹84 Lakhs)	Indian applicants under 30 with strong academics, PG, and PhD	Tentative April 2027
JN Tata Endowment	₹10 Lakhs loan + ₹7.5 Lakhs gift	Indian applicants for any subject at any UK university	Tentative March 2027
Charles Wallace India Trust	£2,500 to £8,000 (₹3.23 to ₹10.32 Lakhs)	Indian applicants in arts, heritage, and humanities	Tentative October 2026

The Inspiring Excellence Scholarship cannot stack with external scholarships that cover full tuition (Chevening, Commonwealth). Indian applicants must choose: either Durham internal (Inspiring Excellence + Vice-Chancellor's India = up to £15,000) or Chevening / Commonwealth (full tuition + stipend). Chevening recipients must return to India for 2 years after the programme.

Also read: Scholarships to Study in the UK for Indian Students

Durham scholarships can reduce tuition costs significantly, but most awards remain partial funding rather than full support. For Indian students, the highest internal scholarship stack reaches £15,000 (₹19.35 Lakhs) for taught PG programs and up to £30,000 (₹38.70 Lakhs) across 3 years for UG applicants. Even after scholarships, students should budget for the remaining tuition of roughly £15,000–£30,000 (₹19.35–₹38.70 Lakhs) plus living costs of £11,000–£13,000/year (₹14.19–₹16.77 Lakhs).

Students applying for the Sept 2026 entry should prioritize early admission applications because Durham’s largest awards follow fixed rounds and competitive selection. Applicants targeting Business School programs, MBA funding, or India-specific awards benefit most from combining merit-based scholarships with external funding options to reduce total study costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ques. What is the maximum scholarship stack at Durham for an Indian PG applicant?

Ans. The Inspiring Excellence PG Scholarship £10,000 can stack with the Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship for India £5,000 for a combined £15,000 (₹19.35 Lakhs) tuition discount. For MBA applicants, the Durham MBA Scholarship £10,000 can stack with the Women in Business Scholarship of £10,000 for a combined £20,000 (₹25.80 Lakhs).

Ques. When should I apply for Durham scholarships?

Ans. For the Sept 2026 entry, the Inspiring Excellence 1st round deadlines were 30 Jan 2026 (UG, Closed) and 16 Jan 2026 (PG, Closed). The 2nd round runs to 15 May 2026 (UG) and 29 May 2026 (PG). Apply for Durham admission by November-December 2025 to allow time for both rounds.

Ques. How do I apply for the Durham Inspiring Excellence Scholarship?

Ans. The Inspiring Excellence Scholarship requires a separate application form on the Durham portal. UG applicants need a valid UCAS ID (do not need to hold an offer yet). PG applicants need a valid Durham Student ID (generated after submitting the PG application). The form includes a personal statement of approximately 500 words on your potential for positive impact.

Ques. Are Durham scholarships automatic or do they need a separate application?

Ans. The Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship for India, Durham Business School Scholarship, and Durham Business School MSc Scholarship are auto-considered with your admission. The Inspiring Excellence Scholarship (UG and PG), Durham MBA Women in Business Scholarship, and Sports Scholarship require separate applications.

Ques. Do Durham scholarships cover living costs?

Ans. Internal Durham scholarships are tuition discounts only, not stipends. Living costs in Durham (about £11,000 to £13,000/year or ₹14.19 to ₹16.77 Lakhs) must be funded separately through Indian education loans, family savings, or part-time work (up to 20 hours/week on the UK student visa). External scholarships like Chevening and Commonwealth do include monthly living stipends of £1,400+/month (₹1.81 Lakhs).

Durham University Scholarships: Students' Opinion

AI-Generated Summary based on 6 Reviews

The college offers a variety of scholarships based on merit, financial need, and specific qualifications. This year, the merit-based scholarship for finance required a CGPA of 9.5, providing a deduction of £5000, with scholarships ranging from £2000 to £7000. Students in the LLM program may receive a £5000 scholarship based on work experience.

International students deemed exemplary typically receive £5000, with potential scholarships reaching up to £18000 for MBA students, depending on tuition fees. The Hatfield Lioness Scholarship offers a full scholarship covering tuition, accommodation, and travel expenses for one female student annually at Hatfield College. Scholarships vary widely and depend on academic performance, work experience, and course of study.

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Scholarships offered

Aviva Scholarships

International Student Eligible: Yes
Amount: Variable Amount
Type: Merit-Based
Level of Study: Bachelor
Number of Scholarships: N/A

VueVille Future Technology Scholarship

International Student Eligible: Yes
Amount: $1,000
Type: Merit-Based
Level of Study: Bachelor
Number of Scholarships: 1

Saltire Scholarships

International Student Eligible: Yes
Amount: $8,000
Type: Merit-Based
Level of Study: Master
Number of Scholarships: 50

Bharat Petroleum Scholarship

International Student Eligible: Yes
Amount: Variable Amount
Type: Merit-Based
Level of Study: Master
Number of Scholarships: N/A

Commonwealth Rutherford Fellowship

International Student Eligible: Yes
Amount: $3,105
Type: Merit-Based
Level of Study: Doctorate
Number of Scholarships: 50

Forktip Women’s- Innovation Scholarship

International Student Eligible: Yes
Amount: Variable Amount
Type: College-Specific
Level of Study: Bachelor
Number of Scholarships: 10

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6 Reviews Found

Preksha Tyagi

Durham University( Enrolled 2022 )B.A Economics with Business PlacementOctober 9, 2025

9.3 /10

My Bachelor's at Durham Experience

Likes

College system (under university several colleges)
Catered and self catered options
Small university town - easy to make friends

Dislikes

Expensive groceries in city centre (UKs most expensive tesco express)
Public transport not as good
Rents are expensive (around £10,000+ per annum)

Scholarship

I received a £10,000 scholarship in my first year for academic excellence in my 12th boards. I did not apply for this scholarship; the university granted it by themselves.
£10,000
British Citizens are entitled to student loans, but Indian students can take loans from Indian banks for education abroad.
I am unsure how many students receive scholarships per year.

For each lecture we had 2 lectures, and we were divided into smaller seminar groups where we had a separate seminar leader each.
I found the teaching very appropriate and helpful; we got a lot of support from our tutors and seminar leaders.
Yes, we have a separate careers department that helps with part-time, internship and graduate job searches.
My dissertation advisor was my most helpful mentor, as she dedicated a lot of time toward helping me reach my full potential.

academic: 10/10

faculty: 10/10

infrastructure: 10/10

accomodation: 10/10

placement: 6/10

extracurricular: 10/10

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Rishabh Sheth

Durham University( Enrolled 2017 )Masters in Corporate LawMarch 5, 2025

9.0 /10

Durham University : POV

Likes

The timings for lectures are flexible. There are hardly 3-5 lectures in a week for 2-3 hrs / day. This gives you time to work part-time and prepare well for the lectures.
During my course, a lot of emphasis was on research. The essay topics were neutral and there was no right or wrong answer. The marking was dependent on your research, clarity of thoughts, style of argument etc., The feedback by lecturer was also transparent.
Durham is very cheap in terms of accommodation costs. When you compare with QMUL, you will easily save 8-10 lakhs in terms of accommodation expenses.

Dislikes

Nothing much really. However, now when you consider the cost, they become a huge factor. A lot of my friends were not able to land a job, which made them come back to India and with the salaries which were offered not much of the fees could be recovered. However, I did manage to crack at a law firm, where I could easily repay my education loan.
Lastly, the system is quite liberal so if you expect very difficult studies, examinations or passing then you will be under the wrong presumption.

Scholarship

No, I did not have any scholarship. I had taken an education loan of 16 lakhs from Bank of India with a moratorium of 16 months. ROI was 11%. My monthly Emi was 18,500 payable for a tenure of 15 years.

I was staying in a university accommodation. The total rent payable for the year was 8000 pounds. The university accommodation is generally expensive.
The challenges was cooking and since Durham being an english town you do not have access to basics like vegetables, wheat flour, dal etc.,
If you have roommates you can pick a bungalow and stay on sharing basis. This would be a cheaper alternative. My accommodation was 10-15 mins walk away.

academic: 10/10

faculty: 10/10

infrastructure: 10/10

accomodation: 10/10

placement: 4/10

extracurricular: 10/10

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Shambhavi Sharma

Durham University( Enrolled 2024 )M.A ArchaeologyFebruary 26, 2025

8.7 /10

LIFE UPDATE : Durham University

Likes

Research focused: we have papers/modules to learn about how to conduct international level research, what tools and tricks we need, types and reasons for research and so on
Resources: We have free access to almost all journals, academic portals and publications both offline and online. Our libation is also well equipped with all academic resources, 24/7 operational, books can be demanded for free as well if not available. Professors are available via email or in office hours for anything. Welfare and support staff is also available in each college and department. And of-course state of art infrastructure and technology, year abroad schemes etc.
Collegiate: Durham University comprises of multiple colleges and each student is assigned a college randomly on admission. That college becomes the home and first socialising place for most students. All students attend events there and represent it on a university level. This collegiate system is different from academic spaces where students from all colleges come together.

Dislikes

Reputation for being elitist: There is tendency for many students to be from affluent backgrounds to join Durham for its traditionalist and thus university has gained a reputation for being “snob” and “elite” which is not particularly true and depends from person to person.
Archaeology fieldwork: The Archaeology department thought ranked top 4 in the entire world rarely provides actual field work except, specifically for masters students and scholars are just taught research.
Complicated Information infrastructure: Though it gets easier over time, days are filled with confusion regarding LearnUltra blackboard, Microsoft account, Outlook mail and so on.

Scholarship

Yes. 5000 GBP for international students. So almost all “exemplary” International students received it. It depends on your tuition fee as well so students with more tuition fee got more scholarship, going up to 18000 GBP for MBA
And there are other scholarships as well ranging from 2000 GBP to full scholarships. An example is the Hatfield Lioness Scholarship which is a 100 percent scholarship which includes tuition and accommodation and even travel expenses for one female student per year in Hatfield College.

I got afforded accommodation from the University. All Masters students got accommodation offer.
Yearly Rent is 12375 so, that would make it monthly 1037 GB. Facilities include: Laundry (paid), Free Vacuum cleaner, brooms, Steam Press,vending machines, gym, cinema room, study room, common room, Lockboxes.
There were no photos available for my particular type of room.
There are no lifts, so taking luggage or any other things are difficult
Its 15-20 mins walk and 10 mins bus ride from all university campuses

+1 more

academic: 8/10

faculty: 8/10

infrastructure: 10/10

accomodation: 8/10

placement: 8/10

extracurricular: 10/10

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Harshit Vadalia

Durham University( Enrolled 2021 )M.Sc ManagementJanuary 23, 2025

8.0 /10

Durham University - My honest review

Likes

Durham comes under very few universities which comes under collegiate system, where all colleges are based upon different cultures and historic events. Basically these colleges are accommodations which students choose according to their preference. All colleges host formal dinners events, balls in their own traditions.
Matriculation event, one of the best event which takes place in the Durham cathedral, which is one of the oldest cathedral in UK. In this event, one of the student who is the representative for all other students is asked to sign against their batch year and all the students are officially announced as students of Durham University.
About the academic part of the university, there’s a reason Durham University ranks so high. University has many societies like finance society, marketing society, law society, etc, for students to take part im different events and also where companies come to tell about organisations, work culture and also we can connect with them on LinkedIn and network with a lot of people. DUFS(Durham University Finance Society) is considered as UK’s one of the biggest finance club. Where students also help us enhance our resume, they guide us through applications, interview processes while applying for a job or an internship. Also, we are taken for many industry visits, they arrange guest speakers for us who are founders, directors of big companies. Like we had an interaction with Houlihan Lokey’s managing director and then we were also taken at Nissan’s factory where we literally saw a car built from nothing to the whole car getting taking a test drive which was an amazing experience.

Dislikes

As a pure jain vegetarian person, it is difficult for me to see non vegetarian food getting cooked. And as I have taken an ensuite(room with only personal washroom) room, my kitchen is sharing with 4 other flatmates(3 Chinese, 1 Bangladeshi) so I am trying to blend in with them. So those who are pure vegetarian and if can afford to rent a studio room should go for that or else be prepared to cook vegetarian food besides other cooking non-vegetarian food.
Other problem that I face is that as the transport in UK is expensive like they charge £1.5 a day bus pass for the whole Durham which is quite expensive so we usually all prefer to walk only. The business school is like 25-30 mins walk from my college, so the main problem is not walking that is quite the nice as we’re doing something healthy regularly. The main problem is the uphill and downhill part. The whole city is uphill and downhill which makes it quite difficult to walk.
Another problem that I faced was that as my admission was in September intake, I came on 25th September, that time it was rainy. But later on during late Octobers and the whole winter, it starts to get dark at 4 p.m. and you see sunrise quite less, like once or twice in a week. Which sometimes gets a little depressing kind of. Many students even eat Vitamin-D pills due to lack of sunlight.

Scholarship

I didn’t receive any scholarship.
Some of my friends who are studying LLM (Masters in Law) receive £5000 scholarship due to work experience.
I’m not sure how many students receive scholarships but on an average students receive £5000-7000 scholarship amount. It all basically depends on your grades, work experience and the course which you are applying to.

I found my accommodation through university only, my accommodation is university accommodation not a private one so college had sent a full brochure of different colleges and we had to apply give our preference for top 3 colleges and out which they were supposed to allocate us 1 of their choice.
I pay £740 for my ensuite room which includes a bed with mattress and my own personal washroom and a sharing kitchen among 5 flatmates.
Only challenge that I faced was choosing college at the right location from my university and I found a right college as one of my university building is nearby but the central durham(marketplace) and another building is a little far with uphill and downhill but the people here are really nice and its a safe area as there are many good residential houses in this area making it secure and nuisance free.
My recommendation for future students would be to check distance from your college building and marketplace as those would be the places you wish to stay nearby to. Also choosing university accommodation would be a better option rather than a private as you might have to pay a little extra amount but you have some many students to connect with, all events to celebrate.
So Durham has all university buildings spread all over the city, so the old business school is around 10 mins by walk whereas new business school is around 25 mins of walk and I have lectures at both business schools. At Durham isn’t any specific place where major Indians stay, all the colleges and private residencies are have 10-15 minimum of Indians staying.

+3 more

academic: 10/10

faculty: 6/10

infrastructure: 10/10

accomodation: 8/10

placement: 6/10

extracurricular: 8/10

0 0

Bhavesh Raut

Durham University( Enrolled 2024 )M.Sc FinanceJanuary 18, 2025

5.7 /10

Durham University - A student's journey

Likes

The university has a great Environment, it’s very much peaceful and silent, the one required to study
The university has great Infrastructure, the classes and buildings are humongous
The People here are very much kind and polite

Dislikes

The Teaching system is not good as it is displayed by the university
The professors are good enough in knowledge but not in teaching
The curriculum is not set as per to increase knowledge level of the students but just to show it on a degree

Scholarship

There’s a scholarship based on merit, which this year for finance was 9.5 CGPA. It had a deduction of 5000 pounds. One of my batchmates received it; he had a CGPA of 9.8 something. I don’t know of any other such financial aid provided; I think there are scholarships for the disabled ones but I don’t know of any such. Scholarship amounts are varied and can be 2000 to 7000 .

I found my accommodation on the college website itself, as I booked for a university-owned and controlled accommodation, Ustinov College. All the basic facilities are provided; the rooms are good enough as per the student. It also has a common area with leisure activities and a bar. Yaa, Ustinov is a good accommodation; it’s centrally located from the academic buildings and the city centre; my monthly rent for an en-suite is here 9250.
A good no. Of Indians live here, 30-35.