Durham University offers a wide range of scholarships to help international students, including those from India, manage the cost of studying in the UK. Funding is available across all levels—undergraduate, postgraduate taught, and doctoral programs—and most awards are competitive, based on academic merit, leadership potential, and personal statements.
For undergraduates, popular scholarships include the Durham International Scholarship (£5,000 / ₹5.25 lakh) and program-specific awards like the Durham Inspired: Computer Science Scholarship (£4,000 / ₹4.2 lakh). Postgraduate students can access the Inspiring Excellence Scholarships (£5,000 – £10,000 / ₹5.25 – 10.5 lakh), country-specific awards, and external funding opportunities. Doctoral candidates may benefit from studentships, full-fee coverage, and stipends across various disciplines.
External scholarships, such as Chevening (£30,000 / ₹33 lakh), GREAT Scholarships (£10,000 / ₹11 lakh), Commonwealth Scholarships, and the Tata Scholarship (£15,000 / ₹16.5 lakh), further increase opportunities for Indian students to fund their studies.
Read More: Cost of Living for Indian Students in UK
University Of Durham Undergraduate Scholarships
Durham University offers a range of undergraduate scholarships for both international and domestic students. These awards provide tuition fee discounts and additional support for academic or personal development. Indian students are eligible for the Durham International Scholarship, which directly reduces tuition costs.
| Scholarship | Value per Year | Eligibility | Programs Covered | Application Process |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham International Scholarship | £5,000 (₹5.25 lakh) | Students from India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Vietnam | Most undergraduate programs (except Business, Law, PGCE) | No separate application; awarded automatically with admission |
| Durham Inspired: Computer Science Scholarship | £4,000 (₹4.20 lakh) | All nationalities; preference to under-represented groups | BSc Computer Science (1 award per year) | Based on admission + departmental selection |
| Glaister Northern Scholarship | £4,000 (₹4.20 lakh) split as £2,500 (₹2.62 lakh) tuition + £1,500 (₹1.57 lakh) experience | UK students from North East & Cumbria, household income less than £42,875 | All undergraduate programs | Separate scholarship form due by March 2025 |
Explore More Scholarships in UK
University Of Durham Scholarships for International Students Postgraduate
International students have several scholarship options at Durham University for postgraduate taught programs in 2025/26. These include tuition fee discounts, merit-based awards, and country-specific opportunities. Below is a table summarizing the key schemes and then notes with eligibility and how to apply.
| Scholarship | Value / Tuition Discount | Eligible Countries | Eligible Programs | Application Process |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| International Scholarship | £5,000 (₹5,25,000) per year | India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Vietnam | Full-time taught postgraduate programs (excludes Business School, second year PG, research PG) | Automatically awarded to eligible offer holders |
| Inspiring Excellence Scholarships | £5,000 (₹5,25,000) or £10,000 (₹10,50,000) | All international students | One-year full-time taught postgraduate programs (excludes certain courses) | Separate scholarship application required |
| GREAT Scholarships | £10,000 (₹10,50,000) towards tuition | Ghana and Pakistan | Science & Technology related full-time taught PG programs (excludes MBA) | Apply for course by March 2025; submit scholarship form by May 2025 |
Also Read: Durham University Courses and Fees for Indian Students
Scholarships for Indian Students at Durham University
Below are some of the main scholarship opportunities available to Indian students applying to Durham University for postgraduate or taught programmes. These help reduce tuition fees through merit or regional eligibility and have specific deadlines or criteria.
| Scholarship | Value of Discount | Eligible Level | Key Conditions / Exclusions | Application Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham International Scholarship | £5,000 per year (₹5,25,000) | Undergraduate & Postgraduate Taught | Excludes Business School courses, certain PG second years, etc.; must be self-funded Indian applicant | Auto-considered when you accept offer |
| Inspiring Excellence Scholarship (£5K) | £5,000 (₹5,25,000) | Postgraduate Taught | One-year full-time MSc/MA/LLM etc.; must be self-funded, entry in Sept 2025; some programme exclusions | Submit Inspiring Excellence application form by deadline |
| Inspiring Excellence Scholarship (£10K) | £10,000 (₹10,50,000) | Postgraduate Taught (specific Masters programmes) | High academic merit required; similar exclusions to 5K version | Same as above |
| ISC Joint Scholarship | Up to £10,000 (₹10,50,000) total (for PG pathway + degree years) | Pre-Masters → Degree | For pathway students, self-funded; excludes Business School/Law for pathway legs; must have ISC offer | Apply to ISC pathway + meet progression requirements |
Durham University Scholarships for Doctoral Programs
Durham University offers several funding opportunities for doctoral (PhD / PGR) students including studentships, full fee coverage, stipends, and specific disciplinary funding schemes. Below is a summary table and key details.
| Scholarship | Value | Eligibility | Deadline / Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| China Scholarship Council (CSC) Scholarship | Full tuition + stipend £15,000 (₹15.7 lakh) + travel/visa | Citizens of China with Durham PhD offer | Apply by 15 Jan 2026(tentative) via Durham + CSC |
| Global Grand Challenges Studentship | Tuition + stipend £18,622/year (₹19.5 lakh) + £5,000 (₹5.2 lakh) research fund | PhD aligned with global challenge themes | Opens Spring 2025, entry Oct 2025 |
| Faculty of Science – Doctoral Landscape Awards (DLA) | Tuition (home rate) + stipend £18,622/year (₹19.5 lakh) + research support | Science faculty PhDs, selective support for international fee gap | Apply via PGR application form |
| Northern Bridge / NINE DTP / ESRC / AHRC | Tuition + living stipend £18,622/year (₹19.5 lakh) | PhDs in Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences | Departmental deadlines, proposal required |
External Scholarships to Study at University of Durham
International students, including Indian applicants, can explore a range of external scholarships to fund their studies at the University of Durham. These scholarships are offered by governments, foundations, and organizations outside the university and can cover tuition fees, living expenses, or both. Applying early is crucial, as deadlines and eligibility criteria vary for each scholarship.
| Scholarship Name | Value | Eligible Level | Key Conditions / Exclusions | Application Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevening Scholarships | £30,000 (₹3.3 Lakhs approx.) | Postgraduate | Must be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country; covers tuition, living costs, and return flights | Apply online via Chevening portal |
| Commonwealth Scholarships | Full tuition + stipend (₹- equivalent varies) | Postgraduate | Available for students from Commonwealth countries; priority to applicants with strong academic and leadership potential | Apply through national nominating agency |
| GREAT Scholarships | £10,000 (₹11 Lakhs approx.) | Postgraduate | Open to Indian students for selected courses; partial tuition fee scholarship | Apply via University of Durham or British Council |
| British Council IELTS Scholarship | Up to £5,000 (₹5.5 Lakhs approx.) | Undergraduate & Postgraduate | Must have strong academic profile and IELTS requirement fulfilled | Apply online through British Council |
| Tata Scholarship for Study in UK | Up to £15,000 (₹16.5 Lakhs approx.) | Undergraduate | Indian nationals with strong academic and extracurricular achievements | Apply via Tata Trusts portal |
View More Details : UK Scholarships for Indian Students in 2025
International students, including those from India, have multiple funding opportunities to study at the University of Durham. By exploring university and external scholarships, planning applications early, and meeting eligibility criteria, students can significantly reduce their tuition and living expenses, making Durham an accessible and rewarding destination for higher education.
FAQs
Ques: What scholarships are available for Indian students at the University of Durham?
Ans: Indian students can apply for Durham University scholarships, including Durham International Scholarships, Inspiring Excellence Scholarships, and external funding like Chevening, Commonwealth, and GREAT scholarships.
Ques: Can I apply for multiple scholarships at Durham University?
Ans: Yes, students can apply for multiple scholarships, but some may be mutually exclusive. Always check the eligibility and terms for each scholarship before applying.
Ques: Are Durham University scholarships merit-based or need-based?
Ans: Most Durham scholarships are merit-based, awarded based on academic performance, leadership, and potential. Some external scholarships may also consider financial need.
Ques: What is the application process for Durham University scholarships?
Ans: Durham scholarships are often auto-considered when you accept an offer. External scholarships require separate applications through their respective portals, usually before the academic intake.
Ques: How much funding can Indian students receive from external scholarships?
Ans: Funding varies by scholarship, ranging from partial tuition support (£5,000 / ₹5.5 Lakhs) to full tuition and living expenses (£30,000 / ₹33 Lakhs).
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
Reviews
5 Reviews Found
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.
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
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.
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.
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Likes
- Infrastructure, research, high profile professors
I chose this university due to high ranking in my course, beautiful town, good FT ranking for MBA, good QS ranking.
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| Program | Important Dates |
|---|---|
| MBA | Round 1 Application Deadline Intake (13th Nov 2025) Round 2 Application Deadline Intake (19th Feb 2026) Round 3 Application Deadline Intake (16th Apr 2026) Round 4 Application Deadline Intake (11th Jun 2026) |
| M.Sc Data Science | Application Deadline For 2025 Intake (31st Jul 2025) |
| L.L.M Laws | Application Deadline For 2025 Intake (31st Jul 2025) |
| M.Sc Business Analytics | Round 3 Application Deadline For 2025 Intake (9th Apr 2025) Round 4 Application Deadline For 2025 Intake (21st May 2025) Round 3 Application Decision by (11th Jun 2025) Round 4 Application Decision by (23rd Jul 2025) |
| M.Sc Management | Application Deadline For 2025 Intake (31st Jul 2025) |
| L.L.M European Trade and Commercial Law | Application Deadline For 2025 Intake (31st Jul 2025) |
| M.Sc Finance (Corporate and International Finance) | Application Deadline For 2025 Intake (31st Jul 2025) |
| B.S Finance | UCAS Application Deadline For 2026 Intake (29th Jan 2026) |
| B.A Archaeology | UCAS Application Deadline For 2026 Intake (29th Jan 2026) |
| M.A International Relations | Application Deadline For 2025 Intake (31st Jul 2025) |
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