Undergraduate£3,000 per year for three years; additional £2,000 annually for care-experienced Verified active

University of Leeds UK Undergraduate Means-Tested Scholarship

Last verified 12 May 2026 by the Scholarships for Africans editorial team

Secure up to £3,000 annually for three years with the University of Leeds UK Undergraduate Means-Tested Scholarship. Designed for UK students from lower-income households, this scholarship also provides invaluable support and mentoring through the Plus Programme.

Provider: University of Leeds International Scholarships
Host country: United Kingdom
Deadline: 12pm on 1 June 2026

Visit official site

Topics

Undergraduate scholarships

About this scholarship

## About the award The University of Leeds UK Undergraduate Means-Tested Scholarship offers significant financial support to eligible UK students pursuing full-time undergraduate degrees from 2026. This scholarship is designed to empower students from lower-income households, providing not only financial aid but also a comprehensive support system to facilitate their academic and personal growth throughout their studies. ## What's covered Successful applicants will receive £3,000 per year for three years, paid in cash instalments. This funding is in addition to any financial support received from the government, such as tuition fee loans or maintenance loans. Students who can demonstrate that they are care-experienced or estranged from their parents during the application process will be eligible for an additional £2,000 annually. Beyond financial assistance, beneficiaries gain access to the Plus Programme, which offers one-to-one support, advice sessions, group workshops, mentoring opportunities, social events, and monthly newsletters updating on relevant activities both on and off campus. ## Who can apply This scholarship is exclusively open to UK students applying for entry in 2026 to a full-time, level one undergraduate degree course at the University of Leeds. Applicants must have no prior experience of higher education and be liable for full UK undergraduate fees without external subsidies. A key eligibility criterion is a household income of £42,875 per year or below, alongside eligibility for a UK student maintenance loan from Student Finance England, Student Awards Agency for Scotland, Student Finance NI, or Student Finance Wales. Even if applicants do not intend to take out a loan, they must still undergo a household income assessment by the relevant student finance body to prove financial eligibility. Specific scholarships are also available for particular Faculties and Schools, such as Engineering and Physical Sciences, Environment, and the School of Design, for offer holders from low participation neighbourhoods in Higher Education. ## How to apply Applications are made via a Microsoft Form, with the deadline set at 12pm on 1 June 2026. To complete the application, you will need to provide your contact details, educational history, financial eligibility information, and personal statements. It is crucial to complete the form only once, as only the most recently submitted application will be considered. For specific Faculty and School scholarships, eligible candidates are automatically selected based on their main application, requiring no separate submission.

What's covered

The award components below were extracted from the sponsor's published description. Always cross-check the exact figures, ceiling amounts and conditions on the official site before you budget around them.

Full tuition

Eligibility criteria

Always cross-check eligibility against the sponsor's official site before applying — sponsor rules can change between intakes.

Applicants must be UK students applying for 2026 entry into a full-time, level one undergraduate degree at the University of Leeds, with a household income of £42,875 per year or below. They must be eligible for a UK student maintenance loan and have no prior higher education experience. Care-experienced and estranged students are eligible for additional funding.

Required documents

A planning baseline drawn from how 90%+ of African scholarship sponsors structure their checklist. The sponsor's portal is the source of truth for any single application.

Valid international passport (bio page scan)
Most recent academic transcripts (sealed or e-verified copies)
Curriculum vitae / résumé (1–2 pages, reverse-chronological)
Personal statement or motivation letter (500–1,000 words, tailored to the sponsor)
Two to three reference letters (academic for students, professional for working applicants)
Proof of English proficiency (IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo) — Medium-of-Instruction letter may substitute for Anglophone-Africa graduates
Passport-sized photograph meeting ICAO biometric standards
Standardised test scores where required (SAT or ACT for many U.S. universities)
Secondary-school leaving certificate (WAEC, KCSE, NSC, EGSECE or equivalent)
Country-of-origin proof (national ID or birth certificate) — required by many Africa-focused funders

How to apply

A practical, sponsor-agnostic sequence used by >95% of international scholarship applicants. Adapt to the sponsor's specific portal — the order rarely changes.

1
Confirm eligibility on the official site
Open https://www.leeds.ac.uk/scholarships and verify your country, level of study and English-language status against the current call. Sponsor rules change between intakes — never rely on third-party summaries alone.
2
Secure a study place or admission offer
Apply to the host university or programme first where required, and obtain a conditional admission letter. A growing number of sponsors only fund applicants who already hold an offer.
3
Sit required tests and gather documents
Register for IELTS / TOEFL / Duolingo (or SAT / GRE where required), request official transcripts, brief two or three referees, and prepare passport and identity documents at high resolution.
4
Draft your essays and statements
Write a 500–1,000-word personal statement and any additional essays the sponsor specifies. Anchor each essay in concrete examples and tie your goals back to the sponsor's mission.
5
Complete the online application
Create an account on https://www.leeds.ac.uk/scholarships, fill in every field, and upload the required documents in the formats specified (PDF, max file size, single-file vs multi-file). Save progress frequently — most portals time out after 30–60 minutes.
6
Submit at least one week before the deadline
Sponsor portals routinely slow or fail in the final 24 hours. Submit early, download the confirmation receipt, and screenshot the submission timestamp. Late submissions are not accepted under any circumstances.
7
Prepare for shortlist interviews
If shortlisted, University of Leeds International Scholarships will contact you within 4–12 weeks. Re-read your essays, rehearse 3–5 likely questions out loud, and confirm your time zone for any video interview.

Deadline timeline

The sponsor has not published a fixed deadline yet. Use the milestones below as a generic 12-month plan; substitute dates once the intake window opens.

12 months out
Register for tests (IELTS/TOEFL/SAT/GRE), shortlist 3–5 universities, identify referees.
6 months out
Sit your tests, draft a personal statement, request transcripts and confirm reference letters.
3 months out
Finalise essays, upload supporting documents, complete the online application portal.
1 month out
Final review, double-check uploaded files, submit a week before the deadline to avoid portal issues.
Application deadline
Submit by 23:59 in the sponsor's stated time zone — usually local to the sponsor, not your country.

Editorial verification note

Auto-curated from official source (top-tier batch v3).

Last checked 5/12/2026

Frequently asked questions

Who can apply for the University of Leeds UK Undergraduate Means-Tested Scholarship?+

Applicants must be eligible African nationals applying at the Undergraduate level, meet the academic and English-language requirements set by University of Leeds International Scholarships, and be able to relocate to United Kingdom for the duration of the programme.

Is the University of Leeds UK Undergraduate Means-Tested Scholarship fully funded?+

Funding model: £3,000 per year for three years; additional £2,000 annually for care-experienced. Where listed as fully funded, the award typically covers tuition, monthly stipend, health insurance and round-trip airfare. Always confirm the latest funding breakdown on the sponsor's official page.

When is the application deadline?+

The application deadline is 12pm on 1 June 2026. Submit at least one week early — sponsor portals frequently slow or fail in the final 24 hours, and late submissions are not accepted under any circumstances.

What documents do I need to apply?+

At minimum: passport bio page, academic transcripts, CV, personal statement, two to three references, and an English-language test score (IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo). Research-led Masters and PhD applications also require a research proposal and a writing sample.

How can I improve my chance of winning?+

Apply early, tailor every essay to the specific sponsor (do not recycle a generic statement), secure at least one reference who knows your work in detail, and apply to two or three additional scholarships in parallel — never rely on a single application.

Guides for this scholarship

Explore related programmes

Long-form sponsor guides, country pages and category pages connected to this scholarship.