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Posted June 25, 2024

How can you find scholarships to fund your LLM degree in the UK?

LLM degree scholarships

The legal environment is competitive, demanding in-depth legal knowledge and expertise – this is one of the reasons why many law professionals choose to advance their legal qualifications with a Master of Laws. Legal professionals who get an LLM are usually trained in a specific area of law which will enhance their CV and career prospects. Although an LLM degree is undeniably an investment in your future, the costs can be expensive, so how can you find LLM scholarships to study an LLM in the UK? Let’s take a look at some of the options.

How to find LLM scholarships: UK law schools

It’s important to start by doing extensive research into what funding is on offer from various UK institutions. Different law schools will offer bursaries and grants of different amounts to different types of students. If you are eligible and can tap into any of this funding, it will go a long way in lessening the financial burden of studying for your LLM degree. Start by searching “How to find LLM scholarships?” in your browser, and this will result in a list of institutions that have LLM funding opportunities. Make sure you check the deadlines here because applying for LLM scholarships can take up some time, so you don’t want to apply for something that is no longer available. Plus, scholarships in the UK are extremely competitive and limited, so you want to get your application in as early as possible and be at the top of the candidates’ list.

Law school funding examples

The University of Law (ULaw) – the longest-established specialist provider of legal education and training in the UK – has trained more practicing lawyers than any other institution in the UK. ULaw offers an extensive range of LLM degrees that are aimed at both law and non-law graduates with tuition fees currently at around £9,200 for home students and £12,360 for international students. There are several full or partial scholarships available at ULaw for postgraduate law students – find out more. Meanwhile, the University of East Anglia’s funding options for LLM students include The Academic Excellence Scholarship, 10 scholarships worth £500–£2,000 towards tuition fees.

UK law school funding criteria

UK law schools and universities use various criteria to award LLM scholarships – these could include:

Academic excellence – scholarships are awarded to students with exceptional and proven academic skills. Students will often need to have gained a first in their undergraduate degree to be eligible to apply for these scholarships.

Alumni discounts – many universities and law schools offer students a percentage discount on their LLM tuition fees if they study their Master of Laws in the same institution as they studied their undergraduate degree.

Disadvantaged bursaries – this is LLM funding designed to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds and/or certain countries.

How to find LLM scholarships: scholarship websites

Using trusted scholarship websites is a good way to ensure you are aware of the most recent and viable scholarships. Some scholarship websites to check include:

How to find LLM scholarships: trusts and charities

LLM funding is sometimes available from charities and trusts – some funding sponsors of postgraduate programs include:

The Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust – founded in 1919 by businessman and philanthropist Sir Richard Stapley, this trust supports postgraduate students from all countries who want to study their course in the UK, offering grants of around £550–£1,250 per applicant.

Leverhulme Trust – on his death in 1925, philanthropist Lord Leverhulme left some of his holdings in Lever Brothers to provide ‘scholarships for … research and education’. This led to the Leverhulme Trust which grants £100million in funding annually to students and towards research.

Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 awards 35 postgraduate scholarships and fellowships per year.

As an LLM student in the UK you might be able to take advantage of these or other trusts and charities to help fund your postgraduate dream – so get online and see what’s available.

How to find LLM scholarships: government scholarships and funding

You may also be able to apply for a non-repayable UK government scholarship – some of the funding options you should look into are;

GREAT Scholarships offer scholarships of £10,000 towards a one-year masters course in the UK for students from 15 countries – these are Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Ghana, Greece, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.

Chevening Scholarship is one of the most prestigious scholarship programs in the UK, offering students from eligible countries full funding to study a postgraduate masters degree at a UK university. To be eligible students must also have at least two years’ work experience.

Commonwealth Scholarship offers funding to around 700 scholars from Commonwealth countries who want to study their postgraduate degree in the UK and are looking to make a positive influence globally.

The UK government’s Disabled Students' Allowance finances students for their postgraduate studies and additional funds to cover costs brought on by disability, mental health issues and long-term illnesses. Postgraduate students can get up £26,948 for the 2024/25 academic year and this money doesn’t need to be paid back and.

How to be successful in getting your funding

Generally, the earlier you apply for a suitable scholarship or sponsorship, the better your chances of getting it. You will primarily be required to submit a standard application and a personal statement. The details of this statement are likely to include the level of financial need, employment status, educational achievements, and future career ambition. Always proofread your application to ensure that there are no grammatical errors.

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