by Last verified: 18 October 2026. We checked these University of Essex scholarships against the University of Essex’s official pages and 2027-28 terms.
University of Essex scholarships for 2027-28 include two automatic £5,000 (five thousand pounds) awards for Masters students: the Global Talent Masters Scholarship for international students, and the Masters EU Scholarship for students who have lived in the EU. This guide covers both, starting with the EU award.
The University of Essex’s EU scholarship for Masters students takes £5,000 (five thousand pounds) off the tuition of full-time taught Masters students who pay overseas fees but have lived in the EU. It’s confirmed for 2027-28 and is automatic: there’s no form to fill in. It applies to courses starting in October 2027 or January 2028.
Essex Masters EU Scholarship at a glance
| Detail | What Essex says |
|---|---|
| Full-time value | £5,000 off tuition |
| Part-time value | £2,500 in year 1 and £2,500 in year 2 |
| Starts | October 2027 or January 2028 |
| How you get it | Automatically |
| Combine with | Early Bird Discount only |
Who qualifies for the EU award among University of Essex scholarships
- You must have overseas fee status.
- You must have been ordinarily resident in an EU country for the three years before your course (1 September 2024 to 1 September 2027 for October 2027 starts). The terms set no nationality requirement.
- You must be entirely self-funded and a new student.
- Your course must be a taught Masters (MA, MSc, LLM, MFA, MPP, MBM or MRes). The MBA and Essex Online or Kaplan courses don’t count.
Because eligibility depends on where you’ve lived, not your passport, a Nigerian or Indian national who has lived in an EU country for the last three years could qualify. Check the terms carefully.
Worked example: the Essex Masters EU Scholarship in practice
Chidi is a Nigerian national who has lived and worked in Germany since 2023. He applies for an MSc at Essex starting October 2027 and pays his own fees. Because he meets the three-year EU residence rule, he gets £5,000 off automatically, and he can also claim the Early Bird Discount if he qualifies. He can’t add any other Essex scholarship.
For his visa, he still needs to show living costs; see our UK student visa requirements guide.
University of Essex scholarships for international students: Global Talent
If you haven’t lived in the EU, the award to watch is the Global Talent Masters Scholarship. For 2027-28 it takes £5,000 off the fees of international, self-funding Masters students, based on your undergraduate grades. It’s automatic: Essex considers every application for an eligible course. Essex doesn’t publish a deadline, so apply early.
Essex fees, deposit and English
| Course | International fee | After £5,000 |
|---|---|---|
| MSc Data Science | £23,875 | £18,875 |
| MSc Applied Data Science | £25,075 | £20,075 |
Essex’s course pages don’t say which year these fees are for. Its current deposit policy (October 2026 to April 2027 entry) sets £4,000 for Nigeria, India and Kenya, £6,000 for Ghana and Pakistan, and £2,000 for others. Both courses ask for IELTS 6.0 overall, with at least 5.5 in each part.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an EU passport?
The 2027-28 terms set no nationality requirement; what matters is three years’ ordinary residence in the EU and overseas fee status.
Is there a deadline?
Essex doesn’t state one, since the award is automatic.
Which Essex award is for Nigerian or Indian students?
Usually the Global Talent Masters Scholarship. The EU award is only for people who have lived in the EU for the last three years.
Official sources
- University of Essex – Masters (PGT) EU Scholarship
- University of Essex – 2027-28 terms and conditions (PDF)
- Official page – Essex Global Talent Masters Scholarship
- Official page – Essex MSc Data Science
Terms change. Always confirm on Essex’s official pages before you apply.
