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Undergraduate Inspiring Excellence Scholarships
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Summary

The Inspiring Excellence Undergraduate Scholarship is an invitation to International Students to achieve excellence at Durham.

Each scholarship is a competitive award worth up to £15,000 - £30,000 in tuition fee discounts towards the original tuition fee for an undergraduate programme starting in September 2026.

The selection will be based on an individual’s achievements and potential for positive impact upon completion of an undergraduate degree at Durham University.

The scholarships are available to all new international students to Durham who meet the eligibility criteria.

Amount

The scholarship is offered in two award types:

Inspiring Excellence £5k - up to £15,000 for three-year programmes (£5,000 per year)

Inspiring Excellence £10k - up to £30,000 for three-year programmes (£10,000 per year) 
Year of Entry Scholarships are available for programmes commencing in 2026.
Number of awards available Limited
Level of study Undergraduate
Eligible programmes

Full-time in-person undergraduate programme at Durham University (BA (Hons) in Theology, Ministry and Mission and BA (Hons) in Theology and Religion are excluded).
Duration Up to three years (subject to maintaining strong academic progress).

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for Durham Inspiring Excellence Undergraduate Scholarship, applicants must:

  • have applied to full-time in-person undergraduate programme at Durham University (BA (Hons) in Theology, Ministry and Mission and BA (Hons) in Theology and Religion are excluded).
  • have a valid UCAS ID.
  • start undergraduate studies at Durham University in September 2026.
  • be classed as an overseas student for fee-paying purposes.
  • self-funded and not already be in receipt of any other scholarship, fundings or sponsor from the university or any external institutions.
  • meet or exceed the entry requirements for the programme applied for at Durham University.
  • confirm Durham University as your Firm choice by the UCAS reply deadline.
  • complete the Inspiring Excellence Undergraduate Scholarship Application Form.

How to apply

  1. Apply for an eligible undergraduate programme via UCAS

    Apply for an eligible undergraduate programme at Durham University via UCAS before the equal consideration deadline on 14 January 2026 at 18:00 (UK Time)

     

    To apply for the Inspiring Excellence Undergraduate Scholarship, you must provide a valid UCAS ID on the scholarship application form. However, you do not need to hold an academic offer at the time of scholarship application.

     

    UCAS Applicant Portal 

  2. Complete and submit the scholarship application form by the below deadlines

    In addition to submitting the academic application above, complete the Durham Inspiring Excellence Undergraduate Scholarship online application by:

     

    1st round selection: midnight (GMT) 30 January 2026

    2nd round selection: midnight (GMT) 15 May 2026

     

    Inspiring Excellence Undergraduate Scholarship Application Form

     

    Please note: if you fail to receive an academic offer before the deadline for the 1st round selection, or you are unsuccessful in the 1st round selection, you will be automatically considered for the 2nd round selection. You do not need to submit the scholarship application form again.

Guidance

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Funding

  1. The Durham Inspiring Excellence Undergraduate Scholarship applies to courses commencing in September 2026. The scholarship award is not transferable, not deferrable and will be applied as a tuition fee waiver directly to the undergraduate programme tuition fees. No cash alternative is offered. The tuition fees will be adjusted at the time of enrolment at Durham University.
  2. If an awardee of the Durham Inspiring Excellence Undergraduate Scholarship fails to meet the academic conditions of the course for which they originally applied, the scholarship offer will be withdrawn.

  3. The awards are offered for up to three years, with the second and third year of scholarship award dependant on ongoing strong academic progress.
    1. Inspiring Excellence 5k: Awardees must pass all modules and achieve an overall mark of at least 60% each year to continue receiving the award.
    2. Inspiring Excellence 10k: Awardees must pass all modules and achieve an overall mark of at least 70% each year to continue receiving the £10,000 award.
    3. Inspiring Excellence 10k: Awardees who pass all modules and achieve at least 60% overall mark but fall short of 70% will receive the £5,000 award in the following year instead.
    4. Inspiring Excellence 5k and Inspiring Excellence 10k: Awardees who fail to pass all modules or achieve an overall mark of 60% will not be eligible to receive the scholarship for the following academic year.
  1. Where awardees register for a programme with a Placement or Study Abroad year, the award will be applied to year one, two and four. The continuation of the award to year four will depend on performance in year two. The scholarship award is not applicable during the Placement or Study Abroad year.

  2. Awardees must obtain approval from the International Office before making any changes to their programme of study, including course transfers or interruptions to study.

  3. Awardees will lose eligibility for the award if they fail to meet the grade requirements, are no longer classified as overseas students for fee purposes, or receive other scholarships, funding, or sponsorship from Durham or external institutions during their degree.

  4. Applicants must be willing to participate and cooperate in marketing and communications activities (Scholarship Commitments) for their Faculty/Durham University. This may include testimonials and public relations opportunities, as well as being involved in and attending Open Events, Webinars or being a class representative.

  5. Awardees who suspend their Scholarship Commitments or academic studies will have all future scholarship discounts cancelled. Please note that only under exceptional circumstances e.g. medical reasons, and at the sole discretion of the Faculty Executive Dean, approval may be given for discounts to recommence after suspended studies continue.

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Durham University makes every effort to ensure that the information published or contained on its website is accurate.

However, the University cannot guarantee the information may not subsequently be altered owing to circumstances beyond the University's reasonable control.

Such circumstances include (but are not limited to) changes in Government policy or change of law.

Whilst any changes will be incorporated into the University's website any person wishing to clarify the details of a particular scholarship/s should contact the University at inspiring.excellence@durham.ac.uk

 

 

Get in touch

If you have any questions about whether you are eligible for a scholarship or the application process, get in touch with our International Office.