GREAT Scholarship FAQ 2027: British Council and UK Study Questions

No. GREAT Scholarships are partial funding only: £10,000 towards tuition fees. That covers roughly 25–30% of a typical master's at a Russell Group university. You still need £20,000–50,000+ of your own for the remaining tuition, living costs, visa and health surcharge. Full GREAT Scholarship details.

For one year: £15,000–42,000 tuition + £12,000–18,000 living costs + £1,334 visa fee and health surcharge, so roughly £28,000–61,000. Even with a GREAT Scholarship (£10,000 off), you're looking at about £18,000–51,000 out of pocket. Use our calculator.

The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is a mandatory fee to use the NHS. It jumped from £470 to £776 a year for students in February 2024 (a 66% increase). You pay for your entire visa duration upfront. Full NHS surcharge guide.

No. The British Council is an information hub, not an application portal. For GREAT Scholarships, apply through the university website. For Chevening, apply at chevening.org. For Commonwealth, apply through the CSC. Full application guide.

It varies wildly: 6.0 overall for some programmes, up to 8.0 for others. Russell Group master's typically require 6.5–7.0. Always check your specific programme. The British Council co-owns IELTS — a conflict of interest worth knowing about. Full IELTS guide.

Yes. They are completely separate programmes with different application processes: Chevening goes through chevening.org, GREAT through university websites. You can and should apply to both (and Commonwealth too, if eligible). Diversifying your applications is the smart strategy. Note that the 2027/28 Chevening round closed on 6 October 2026 for most countries.

Chevening closed on 6 October 2026 for most countries; the Commonwealth CSC deadline is 20 October 2026 (16:00 BST); Women in STEM has not announced a 2027/28 round yet (the 2026/27 round opened in January 2026); GREAT deadlines are set by each university, mostly in the first half of 2027. See the full timeline.

Your remaining tuition plus up to nine months of living costs: £1,529 a month in London (£13,761 in total) or £1,171 a month elsewhere (£10,539). The money must be in your account for 28 consecutive days. Full visa guide.

A CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) is a digital reference number from your university. You need it to apply for your Student visa. Most universities require a £2,000–2,500 deposit before issuing one. After-selection process.

It depends. With a fully funded scholarship (Chevening, Commonwealth): absolutely. A top-10 university in your field: probably. Self-funding £40,000+ at a mid-ranking university hoping to stay in the UK: think twice. The Graduate Route drops to 18 months from 2027, and most graduates return home. Germany (free tuition) or France (low tuition) are worth considering first. Read the honest analysis.

Yes: up to 20 hours a week during term, full-time during official holidays. At the £12.71 National Living Wage that's about £1,100 a month before tax — which in London barely covers rent. Don't count on part-time work to fund your studies. Full part-time work guide.

The Graduate Route gives you two years to work if you apply by 31 December 2026, and 18 months if you apply from 1 January 2027. Converting to a long-term visa needs a Skilled Worker sponsor and usually a salary of at least £41,700. Most international graduates don't manage it. Read the full analysis.