The University of Nottingham Excellence Scholarships are not one single award. The name covers a group of merit-based scholarships the university runs for international students, including the Undergraduate Excellence Scholarships and the International Postgraduate Masters Scholarship. If you are a Pakistani student with strong grades and a Nottingham offer in hand (or on the way), this is one of the funding routes you should look at. You can see the full scholarship details on our listing as well.
Let me be direct about what kind of money this is. Most of these awards are partial. The scholarships vary in value and type, and coverage depends on the specific award. Plan as if you will receive a tuition reduction, and treat anything bigger as a bonus.
The basic facts in one table
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | University of Nottingham |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Study levels | Undergraduate and Master's |
| Fields | All subjects |
| Funding | Varies by award. Mostly partial tuition fee waivers |
| Opening date and deadline | Vary by award and cycle. Confirm on the official site |
| Official site | Nottingham international scholarships |
Who this suits, and who should look elsewhere
This fits a student who has already decided Nottingham is a serious option and wants to bring the cost down. Because you can only apply after receiving an offer, it is not a scholarship you "win" first and then pick a university around. It rewards students who apply to their course early and have a clean, strong academic record.
If your family cannot cover a large share of UK tuition and living costs on their own, do not build your whole plan on this award. A partial waiver still leaves a big bill, and UK visa rules will still expect you to show funds. Our guide on bank statements and proof of funds explains what that looks like in practice. Students who need near-complete funding should compare this against the other options in all United Kingdom scholarships.
On the university itself: Nottingham is ranked in the QS World University Rankings top 100. The university says it is 1st in the UK for high-skilled graduate jobs, 7th in the UK for research power and in the top 10 in the UK for student life. Those are the university's own claims, but they give you a sense of why competition for its scholarships is real.
What a Nottingham excellence award can pay for
The core of these scholarships is a partial tuition fee waiver. Depending on the specific award, there may also be financial support for living expenses. The exact amount is set per scholarship and per cycle, and the university advises checking the official scholarship pages for current award amounts.
Scholarship holders also get access to the support any international student at Nottingham receives:
- university student services
- support with the international student visa process
- opportunities for academic and professional development
Be honest with yourself here. The student services and visa support come with being a Nottingham student, scholarship or not. The money that changes your budget is the fee waiver, so find out its exact value for your course before you accept an offer on the strength of it.
The five conditions you must meet
The eligibility rules are short, but each one can knock you out:
- You must be an international student. Pakistani applicants paying international fees fall into this group, but still read the country-specific page for anything that applies to Pakistan in particular.
- You must hold an offer to study at the University of Nottingham.
- You must meet the academic entry requirements for your chosen course.
- You must demonstrate academic excellence.
- You must not be receiving full funding from other sources.
That last point catches people out. If you already hold a fully funded award elsewhere for the same studies, you are not eligible. A smaller grant from another source is a different case, but confirm how it interacts with the Nottingham award in the guidance notes.
"Academic excellence" has no fixed grade cut-off in the information available. Nottingham judges it against its own criteria for each award, so read the scholarship guidance notes rather than guessing what counts as excellent.
Paperwork to have ready before you apply
Most of these you will already have prepared for your course application:
- academic transcripts
- English language proficiency test results
- a personal statement
- letters of recommendation
- a copy of your passport
For Pakistani students, transcripts are usually where delays happen. If you need attested copies, start early. Our IBCC and MOFA attestation guide walks through that process. Your English test result also matters more than people expect: the university's own advice is to make sure your English proficiency meets its requirements early, since a missing score can hold up your offer and therefore your scholarship.
Why the offer comes before the scholarship
The order of steps is the single most important thing to understand about these awards:
- Apply for an eligible course at the University of Nottingham.
- Receive an offer of admission.
- Read the scholarship guidance notes on the official website.
- Submit the scholarship application through the university's portal.
- Wait for the outcome, which is sent by email.
Since you cannot apply for the scholarship without an offer, a late course application can leave you with an offer that arrives after the scholarship has closed. The university's tip is plain: apply for your course as early as possible so you have an offer in time for scholarship deadlines.
Timing when every date says "varies"
No fixed dates are published here. Opening dates, deadlines and outcome dates all vary by award and academic cycle, so confirm the current deadline on the official portal for the specific scholarship you want. The sequence is always the same though: course application first, scholarship application after your offer, then an email with the result.
A practical approach is to sign up for email updates on the Nottingham website so you hear about new funding as it is announced, and to check the scholarship pages yourself every few weeks during your application year.
Where applicants go wrong
The most common mistake is assuming the award is fully funded. Read the specific scholarship page and note the exact coverage before you tell your family it is sorted.
The second is skipping the country-specific information. Nottingham has a dedicated section on its website with entry requirements and funding by country, and some awards may be specific to your home nation. Check it for Pakistan before deciding which scholarship to apply for.
The third is treating the scholarship application as a formality after the offer. Read the guidance notes properly. A personal statement that clearly shows academic strength, backed by recommendation letters from teachers who know your work, gives you a better chance than a generic essay reused from your course application. Our scholarship documents checklist can help you get the paperwork in order early.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for the scholarship before I get an offer?
No. You must hold an offer to study at Nottingham first. Once you have it, you apply through the official international finance and scholarships webpage.
Are Nottingham Excellence Scholarships fully funded?
The awards vary in value and type, and most are partial. Check the specific scholarship page for exact coverage before you count on any figure.
Can Pakistani students apply?
The scholarships are for international students, which covers Pakistani applicants paying international fees. Check the country-specific section on the university website in case there are awards or conditions particular to Pakistan.
Which subjects are eligible?
All subjects, at undergraduate and Master's level. Individual awards may have their own rules, so read the guidance notes for the one you apply to.
Can I hold another scholarship at the same time?
You cannot be receiving full funding from other sources. If you have partial funding from elsewhere, confirm with the university how it affects your eligibility.
Before you plan around any amount or date, check the official Nottingham scholarships website for the current cycle, and keep our full scholarship page bookmarked for quick reference.