Nottingham Developing Solutions Scholarships

 

The University of Nottingham offers the Developing Solutions Scholarship Programme for international students from Africa, India, and selected Commonwealth countries. This scholarship provides a 50% or 100% tuition fee reduction for innovative and passionate students who can propose development solutions for their home countries. These scholarships aim to help cover tuition costs, with the university also offering other bursaries and discounts.

 

The Developing Solutions Masters Scholarship is the University of Nottingham’s flagship funding program. Founded in 2001, it is specifically designed for international students from Africa, India, and selected Commonwealth countries who are committed to creating development solutions in their home nations.

Unlike many general scholarships, this award is highly competitive and focuses on your vision for change—specifically how your studies will address economic, social, or environmental challenges in your country.

## Scholarship Benefits

The scholarship is a tuition fee waiver and does not cover living expenses or airfare.

• Value: Either 50% or 100% of full-time master’s tuition fees.

• Duration: One year. (If you are on a two-year course, the award only applies to the first year).

• Networking: Recipients join a global community of “changemakers” and gain access to specialized university events.

### Eligibility Criteria

To apply for the 2026 intake, you must meet the following requirements:

1. Residency: You must be domiciled in any African nation, India, or one of the selected Commonwealth countries (e.g., Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, etc.).

2. Fee Status: You must be classed as an “overseas” student for fee purposes.

3. Offer Status: You must hold an offer to start a full-time master’s (including MRes) at Nottingham for September 2026.

4. Eligible Faculties: Your course must be within one of the following:

   • Faculty of Engineering

   • Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

   • Faculty of Science

   • Faculty of Social Sciences (includes Business, Law, Politics, etc.)

Note: You are ineligible if you have already studied outside of your home country or if you are a current student/graduate of the University of Nottingham.

### The Application Process

You cannot apply for the scholarship until you have applied for a master’s course and received an offer.

Step	Action
1. Apply for Admission	Submit an application for your chosen master’s degree. You will likely need to pay a £50 application fee.
2. Receive Offer	Wait for your offer (Conditional or Unconditional) to be issued.
3. Scholarship Portal	Log into the NottinghamHub student portal.
4. Submit Scholarship Form	Complete the specific “Developing Solutions” application under the scholarships section.

Application Deadline: Wednesday, 15 April 2026 (23:59 UK time).

### How to Write a Winning Application

The selection committee prioritizes your impact proposal over just your grades. You will be asked questions about the challenges facing your home country.

• Be Specific: Don’t just say you want to “help the economy.” Identify a specific problem (e.g., “lack of cold-chain storage for small-scale farmers”) and explain how your course (e.g., MSc in Food Production) provides the solution.

• Word Limits: Nottingham is very strict. If you exceed the word count for any question, your application may be automatically disqualified.

• Tangible Plans: Detail what you will do after graduation. Mention specific organizations you want to work with or policies you want to influence.

 

University of Nottingham
Masters (MS) Degree