Bristol Think Big Postgraduate Scholarships — Master's Scholarship

The University of Bristol runs Think Big as its flagship international scholarship scheme. The postgraduate awards support overseas-fee students who will study an eligible full-time, in-person master’s programme in Bristol.

One scholarship application is matched against every Think Big award for which the applicant qualifies. The 2026 round is closed, and the scholarship is expected to return for a later annual cycle.

Benefits & funding

Postgraduate awards are worth £6,500, £13,000 or £26,000.
The award is applied as a tuition-fee discount for the first year of study, with no cash alternative.
Postgraduate applicants may also be considered for the year-long Think Big Career Accelerator, which includes career events, workshops and networking plus a £3,000 tuition-fee scholarship.
Think Big recipients are invited to participate in the associated development programme.

Eligibility

Applicants must have applied for an eligible full-time, in-person master’s programme at the University of Bristol for September 2026 entry.
Applicants must be classed as overseas students for fee-paying purposes. This is a fee-status requirement, not a stated nationality restriction.
An offer was not required when the scholarship application was submitted, but postgraduate applicants had to receive an offer by 24 April 2026 and meet the University entry requirements.
The award could not be deferred beyond September 2026 entry.
Applicants whose external award covered all tuition fees were not eligible, and Think Big could not be combined with another University-funded tuition discount except the Alumni Discount.

Can you apply?

Here's who can apply

Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.

Education required
Bachelor

Check my eligibility — free

Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.

We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.

Application process

1
Apply to an eligible University of Bristol master’s programme.
2
Receive a Student ID, Kaplan ID or UCAS ID.
3
Prepare responses about achievements, ambassadorial potential, the proposed Bristol study and future plans.
4
Complete the international scholarships online form; one submission is used to assess every eligible Think Big award.
5
Check the application carefully before submitting because changes are not permitted afterward.

Program timeline

Scholarship applications opened at 10:00 am UK time.
21 October 2025
Career Accelerator Round 1 early-consideration deadline for postgraduate applicants.
14 January 2026
Career Accelerator Round 1 outcomes were shared.
February 2026
Think Big applications closed at 10:00 am UK time.
10 April 2026
Postgraduate applicants had to hold a University study offer.
24 April 2026
Think Big outcomes were shared and successful applicants had an acceptance deadline.
Late May 2026
Scholarship award letters were shared.
July 2026
Eligible study began; awards were valid only for this entry period.
September 2026