Durham Inspiring Excellence Scholarship 2026 in UK

The Durham Inspiring Excellence Scholarship is a £10,000 tuition fee reduction offered to outstanding international students applying for specific one-year taught Master’s programmes beginning in September 2026 at Durham University. The scholarship is awarded as a tuition fee reduction and is non-cash, non-transferable.

Only seven specific Master’s programmes are eligible: MSc Advanced Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) – G5T709, MSc Advanced Computer Science—G5T609, MSc Law and Finance – M1KK09, MSc Public Policy – L2KB09, MSc Biotechnology – C2K109, MSc Islamic Finance – N3KD09, and MSc International Business – N2PD09.

International students applying for September 2026 entry to one of the seven eligible Master’s programmes can apply. Applicants must be self-funded (not receiving other scholarships or sponsorships), meet or exceed the academic entry requirements, and have received a conditional or unconditional offer from Durham University by the deadline.

The first round deadline is midnight (GMT), 16 January 2026. There is an additional round on 20 March 2026 and a second round on 29 May 2026. If you miss the first round, you’ll automatically be considered for the second round without needing to reapply.

There are 85 Inspiring Excellence £10,000 Scholarships available for the 2026/27 academic year. Selection is competitive and based on academic excellence, potential to make a global impact, and strength of scholarship application.

All countries are eligible. Applicants must be classified as an international/overseas student for fee purposes. The scholarship is open to students from any country who meet the other eligibility requirements.

Selection is based on academic excellence, potential to make a global impact, and strength of scholarship application. The university’s scholarship committee reviews applications competitively. Applicants must first receive a conditional or unconditional offer from Durham University for one of the eligible programmes.

The Durham Inspiring Excellence Scholarship lasts for one academic year, covering the full duration of the eligible Master’s programme. The £10,000 tuition fee reduction applies specifically to the 2026/27 academic year for students beginning their studies in September 2026.

The scholarship provides a £10,000 tuition fee reduction for the 2026/27 academic year. The award is non-cash and non-transferable, meaning it can only be applied toward tuition fees at Durham University and cannot be converted to cash or transferred to another institution.

First, apply for one of the eligible Master’s programmes through Durham’s online postgraduate portal. Second, receive a conditional or unconditional offer from Durham University by the relevant round deadline. Third, submit the Inspiring Excellence 10K Scholarship Application Form by the relevant round deadline.