Scholarships and Part-Time Work for Students in the United Kingdom
Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.
For international students, a UK bachelor's degree is mostly paid for out of pocket. Student loans are for home students, the government's own scholarships fund postgraduate study, and the money that does exist for undergraduates comes from the universities. This guide shows what to look for and how much you may earn while you study. Fees and fee status are explained in how much it costs to study in the UK.
Government money: almost none for international undergraduates
- Student loans and grants from Student Finance England, SAAS in Scotland and the agencies in Wales and Northern Ireland are for home students: broadly UK and Irish citizens and people with settled status who meet a three-year residence rule, with limited help for pre-settled status. Most EU citizens arriving now are international students and cannot borrow.
- Chevening funds one-year master's degrees, and Commonwealth Scholarships fund master's and PhD study. Neither covers a bachelor's degree.
- Fee waivers: there is no general state fee waiver for international students. The nearest thing is home fee status, which depends on your immigration status and residence, not on merit. Ask for a fee status assessment if you are unsure.
University scholarships
Most universities have some awards for international undergraduates. They are usually a fixed discount on the tuition fee, sometimes renewed each year if your marks stay good. Two examples for 2027 entry:
- University of Glasgow, World Changers Global Excellence Scholarship: a discount of £10,000 a year in the Colleges of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences and of Science and Engineering, and £7,000 a year in Arts and in Social Sciences. It is for new students with international or EU fee status, is renewable with satisfactory progress, and is assessed automatically from your offer and grades: there is no separate form.
- Imperial College London, Imperial Inspires Scholarships: £15,000 for each year of the course, 150 awards for 2027/28, for overseas fee payers in Engineering, Natural Sciences, Medicine and the Business School. Apply to Imperial through UCAS by 13 January 2027 (15 October 2026 for medicine). Eligible applicants are invited to apply and must do so by 5 February 2027.
Note the pattern: awards are tied to an offer, to a fee status and often to particular subjects, and the deadlines fall in the same winter as your UCAS application. Check the scholarships page of every university on your list before January. Your home country may also fund study abroad; see scholarships and financial aid.
Working on a Student visa
At a university, degree students on a Student visa may work up to 20 hours a week during term and full time in the holidays. You cannot be self-employed or work in some jobs, such as professional sportsperson or sports coach. Your exact conditions are set out when your visa is granted, and the rules are in our UK student visa guide.
Irish citizens and EU citizens with settled or pre-settled status have no such limits.
Two things to keep in mind:
- The money you must show for the visa, the first year's fee plus £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 a month elsewhere for up to nine months, has to be in your account before you apply. Part-time pay cannot replace it.
- The 20-hour limit covers all your jobs together, not each job separately.
National Insurance and tax
You need a National Insurance number to work, but you can start a job before it arrives if you can prove your right to work. If you have an eVisa, you may already have one: check your UKVI account. Income tax is charged only above the Personal Allowance of £12,570 a year, so many students working part time pay little or none. Scotland has its own income tax bands above that allowance.
The minimum wage
From April 2026 the legal minimum rates are:
| Age | Minimum hourly rate |
|---|---|
| 21 and over (National Living Wage) | £12.71 |
| 18 to 20 | £10.85 |
| Under 18 | £8 |
| Apprentices | £8 |
Most first-year students are 18 or 19, so the lower rate may apply to you until you turn 21.
Where to find work
- Your university's careers service lists part-time jobs and internships for its students.
- Ask the students' union and campus services about jobs on campus.
- Keep a record of your hours if you are on a Student visa, especially if you have more than one job.
Where to look next
- How much it costs to study in the UK
- Student visa for the UK
- Student housing in the UK
- Working while studying in Europe
- All programmes and cities in the UK
Official sources
- GOV.UK: National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates
- GOV.UK: Student visa, what you can and cannot do
- GOV.UK: apply for a National Insurance number
- University of Glasgow: World Changers Global Excellence Scholarship
- Imperial College London: Imperial Inspires Scholarships (undergraduate)
Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.