Student News

The University of Glasgow is proud to offer Postgraduate Access Scholarships supported by Santander, helping students take the next step towards their postgraduate taught Master's degree.

This scholarship is designed to support students who may face financial challenges when beginning postgraduate study, giving you greater freedom to focus on your learning, develop your expertise, and make the most of your time at the University of Glasgow.

Applications are particularly welcomed from students who met one or more of the University’s widening participation criteria or equivalent, at undergraduate level.

Each scholarship is worth £2,000 and is available to students undertaking a one or two‑year taught Master’s programme. For students enrolled on two‑year programmes, the scholarship is payable in the first year of study only.

Deadline 12 July 2026

Find out more

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University of Glasgow Postgraduate Access Scholarships 2026/27

Overview

The University of Glasgow Postgraduate Access Scholarships are an initiative to support students to reach their full potential at the University of Glasgow.

The scholarship will provide £2,000 to full-time or part time students enrolled in a postgraduate taught Master’s degree at the University of Glasgow during the 2026/27 academic year. For part-time students, payment will be made in the first

year of study only.

The scholarship will support students with study and living costs, such as course

materials, accommodation or any other essential costs that enable continued access to education.

There will be 20 scholarships awarded to University of Glasgow postgraduate taught students.

Before you apply for the Grant, please take the time to read through the eligibility criteria and ensure that you meet all listed below.

Eligibility Criteria

1. Applicants must be aged 18 or older at the time of applying and a UK resident.
2. Applicants must qualify as a Home Fee Status student.
3. Applicants must not have previously undertaken postgraduate study.
4. Applicants must hold an unconditional or conditional offer for a full-time or part-time postgraduate taught Master’s degree for the 2026/27 academic year at the University of Glasgow. This scholarship is not available for PG Dip or PG Cert programmes.
5. You must know your University of Glasgow application number and/or student ID number and provide it via the application form.
6. Provide written evidence that your circumstances are such that you may find it difficult to take up a place at the University for financial or other reasons.
7. Create an account on Santander Open Academy to apply (if you’re not registered already).
8. You must have completed the application on the Santander Open Academy Platform by the closing date 12 July 2026.
9. Applicants must confirm they meet the above criteria (points 1-6) upon submitting their application.

Assessment and selection process

The university is responsible for verifying that students meet the eligibility criteria using personal data available in its databases.

The university’s decision on the allocation of the award, in accordance with these eligibility criteria, is final. There is no appeal process.

When assessing applications, the university will aim to identify students who will benefit the most from the scholarship. The university may set additional requirements and follow their usual internal procedures for implementing the scholarship including any prioritisation on awarding, as long as these don’t conflict with the general eligibility criteria outlined.

Scholarship Guidelines

1. Applications are open for all individuals who meet the criteria as listed in the ‘eligibility criteria’ section above.
2. Each applicant can only apply to the Grant once.
3. It is the applicants’ responsibility to ensure they read and understand the eligibility criteria and submit their application appropriately, on time and following the application instructions and requirements as indicated on the Santander Open Academy platform.
4. The successful applicants will receive a confirmation email (informing them that they been awarded) via the Santander Open Academy platform on 12/08/2026. If you’re chosen as a winner, you must accept the grant within 7 days (by 19/08/2026). You can do this by clicking on the link in the successful email sent by Santander Open Academy. You can also accept from the ‘My Learning’ section in your profile menu once logged into Santander Open Academy. Failure to do this within the time period will result in the grant being reassigned to another student from your university following the original process.
5. Once you have accepted the grant, you can expect to hear directly from the University of Glasgow by email within 14 days so they can confirm the grant payment process of your £2,000 scholarship. The university is responsible for making the grant payment and determining when the grant is paid to you as per their grant payment process and they will advise you of this if you’re selected as a scholarship recipient.
6. To ensure that all the scholarships available are all allocated, the university will select a few students to be on a waiting list. Students who are on the waiting list may be contacted at a later date to be informed that they have been offered the scholarship should an award become available. Being placed on the waiting list is not a guarantee of a grant.
7. If a student doesn’t pursue their studies at the University of Glasgow, they may be asked to return the scholarship funds, and the university must reassign the scholarship to the next eligible applicant.
8. By participating in the grant application process, you acknowledge that if you accept the grant, the University of Glasgow will contact you to inform you of your successful application and discuss further details regarding the grant.
9. Winners of the Grant may be invited by your university to inquire if you’d be willing to share your grant experience with Santander and the university for testimonial or promotional purposes. Participation is entirely voluntary, and this won’t affect your chances of winning the grant. This may include:
   1. Sharing blogs, vlogs, or annual reports about your scholarship journey
   2. Sharing a statement about your scholarship and photograph of yourself
   3. Participating in a film message or providing a case study to encourage further donations
10. Engaging with donors at a meeting or event
11. Peer support by participation in a scholarship recipient network
12. Sharing your scholarship news on your social media channels This is not an exhaustive list.

Please note, the university and/or Santander won’t publish a testimonial or a case

study without the relevant student’s permission.

Data protection

For information on how the University of Glasgow processes applicants’ personal data, please read the privacy notice.

First published: 25 May 2026