The RGU International Merit Based Scholarship for Masters Students is open for September 2027 entry at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom. Three international students will receive an £8,000 tuition-fee reduction for full-time, on-campus master’s study, with all subject areas eligible under the published scholarship rules.
If your undergraduate results could support a first-class honours equivalent, this is worth exploring alongside your course choice. But an admission offer does not automatically enter you for the award, and the discount leaves living costs and some tuition to finance. This guide explains who qualifies, what to prepare and how to complete admission and scholarship applications in the right order.
01Which RGU master’s subjects can you pursue?
The scholarship covers all subject areas, provided your course meets its September-entry, full-time and on-campus requirements. RGU’s postgraduate catalogue spans business, accounting and finance, computing, engineering, energy, law, art and design, architecture and construction, communication and media, health, pharmacy and social studies.
That breadth gives you room to connect the degree to a particular career move or academic interest. It does not mean every course is available in the required study mode and intake. I would choose the course for its content and entry requirements before treating the scholarship as part of your budget.
02How much will the RGU Merit Scholarship actually save?
The award reduces tuition; it does not provide a maintenance stipend. RGU also deducts other university scholarships already assigned when calculating the merit award, so the headline amount should not be added in full on top of an existing RGU reduction.
For illustration, if RGU has already assigned £3,000 in scholarship support, subtracting that from £8,000 gives a £5,000 additional reduction under the published wording. Ask RGU to confirm your final fee calculation before paying on that basis.
You still need a plan for the remaining tuition, accommodation, food, travel and other personal costs. Our guide to scholarships and study costs in Scotland can help you compare funding routes; the university’s current fee offer remains the authority for your own bill.
03Who qualifies, and what should you prepare?
You must have the equivalent of a first-class honours undergraduate degree, an RGU postgraduate offer for the specified intake and international fee status, while funding your own studies. Meeting a course’s admission threshold alone does not establish scholarship eligibility.
| Decision | Scholarship requirement | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Academic fit | First-class honours degree or equivalent. | Do not convert your grades using an unofficial universal GPA or percentage; RGU must assess your qualification. |
| Study arrangement | Full-time, on-campus master’s. | An online or part-time offer does not meet the published mode requirements. |
| Offer conditions | Meet the conditions by the deadline attached to your offer. | Keep the offer’s conditions and scholarship submission deadline as separate tasks. |
For admission, RGU asks you to prepare:
- Official degree certificates and transcripts, where available, alongside a current CV.
- A statement of purpose or personal statement, references where available, and relevant course-specific evidence.
- English-language evidence and a passport copy for international full-time applicants; evidence of sponsorship or scholarships where applicable.
For most taught postgraduate courses, the normal English benchmark is IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each component, or an accepted equivalent. Some courses differ. RGU also accepts specified alternative qualifications, so IELTS is not the only route; the scholarship itself creates no blanket English waiver.
04How do you apply for the RGU International Merit Scholarship?
Apply for the degree first, then submit the separate scholarship form using your RGU offer. The admission application and scholarship application serve different purposes.
- Choose a September-entry, full-time campus master’s from RGU’s postgraduate course catalogue. Read the course’s academic requirements, tuition and teaching mode, and compare your English evidence with the accepted postgraduate English qualifications.
- Follow the RGU postgraduate application instructions and use its Apply Online link. Upload the relevant admission documents. RGU says decisions currently take several weeks, with some assessments taking longer.
- After receiving your offer, read its conditions and completion dates. I recommend making a short checklist of outstanding qualification, language and payment conditions rather than assuming admission has already become unconditional.
- Open the official International Merit Based Scholarship page and complete the embedded application form under Application Form. Use its actual questions and upload instructions; no separate scholarship fee is stated on the published page.
- Submit before the scholarship cutoff and retain any submission confirmation. Continue meeting your offer conditions and monitor university messages. The RGU admission deadline schedule separately records university application, condition and enrolment dates.
For scholarship questions or a form that does not load, contact [email protected]. Complete the fields displayed in that form; the general admission checklist above is not a separate scholarship upload list.
05What could make an RGU application ineligible or unaffordable?
If you need a larger tuition contribution, our UK GREAT Scholarship guide explains another route to investigate where your nationality and course qualify. Treat it as a separate competition and confirm any combination of awards with RGU.
06What else should RGU scholarship applicants know?
Does “all countries” include students paying UK home fees?
The residence list is worldwide, but the award also requires international fee status and self-funding. Residence eligibility alone does not override those conditions.
Is a tuition deposit automatically exempted?
The merit scholarship page does not publish a deposit exemption. Follow your own offer and obtain written clarification if you need to know when payment is due.
Can I use this award for a January start?
This competition is tied to September 2027 entry. A January course offer does not satisfy the published intake requirement; January funding must be assessed under its own scheme.
07When does the RGU International Merit Scholarship 2027 close?
At the verification date, the central September 2027 admission and condition deadlines remain to be confirmed. Your course and offer can carry their own requirements; a later university admission window would not extend the scholarship cutoff.
Choose your course, request the academic evidence that will take longest and prepare an admission statement explaining the degree’s purpose for you. Apply early enough to receive the offer needed for the scholarship form.
