Allan and Nesta Ferguson Scholarships for Developing Countries at SOAS London

The Allan and Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust funds full scholarships for students from developing countries to study a taught master's at SOAS. Each award is worth £32,500 and goes toward tuition fees. The scholarship does not cover living costs or accommodation.

• Host: SOAS University of London
• Level: Master's degree
• Study destination: London, UK
• Deadline: 2 March 2026 (12:00pm midday UK local time)
• Awards: 3x awards of £32,500
• Value: £32,500 each toward tuition fees
• Course starts: September 2026

SOAS University of London

Any full-time Master's programme in the College of Humanities. Excluded courses are MA Buddhist Studies, MA Buddhist Studies with Intensive Language, and MA Traditions of Yoga and Meditation.

3x awards of £32,500

Students resident in low income or lower middle income countries as defined by the World Bank.

A minimum of two awards will be made by Allan and Nesta Ferguson, each has a total value of £32,500 which will be put towards tuition fees. The amount is applied to tuition fees. Maintenance support and accommodation costs are not included. Students offered an Allan and Nesta Ferguson Scholarship must take it up in the academic year 2026/27 and it cannot be deferred to a later year.

Applicants must:

• be a resident in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (as defined by the World Bank) and preferably from low income households
• hold an undergraduate degree at the first class level
• have applied to a full-time masters degree at SOAS but are not required to have received an offer of admissions by the scholarship deadline. You must have received an offer by the time the relevant panel meets to discuss scholarship applications. If you have applied for a 2-year full-time masters degree the scholarship will be applied to the first year of tuition fees only.
• meet the English language condition of their offer of admission to study at SOAS as soon as possible
• please note that this scholarship does not cover funding or even allow for Pre-sessional courses

Applications are currently closed.

To apply for the scholarship, you must also submit a complete online application to your programme. Please note that complete applications for admission can take up to 4 weeks to be considered by the Department, although this duration can vary depending on the time of year. You should be prepared to wait up to 6 weeks in busy periods. Scholarship applications must be received no later than 12:00pm (midday UK local time) on 2 March 2026. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Step one: Apply for your programme. To apply for a masters degree programme, please see taught masters applications.

Step two: Apply for the scholarship by 12 noon (UK local time) on 2 March 2026. You must apply for this scholarship via the admissions portal. You will need to have applied for a course to get login credentials for this.

If you do not see the scholarship you are hoping to apply for within your admissions portal, please double-check you meet the eligibility criteria. Should you have any queries, please contact [email protected].

It is important to visit the official website (link found below) to access the application form and for detailed information on how to apply for this scholarship.

• Who can apply for the Allan and Nesta Ferguson Scholarships? Students resident in low income or lower middle income countries as defined by the World Bank, who hold a first class undergraduate degree and have applied to a full-time Master's programme in the College of Humanities at SOAS (excluding certain Buddhist Studies and Yoga and Meditation programmes).
• What does the scholarship cover? Each award is worth £32,500 and is applied toward tuition fees. It does not include maintenance support or accommodation costs.
• How many scholarships are available? 3x awards of £32,500.
• What is the deadline for applications? Scholarship applications must be received by 12:00pm (midday UK local time) on 2 March 2026. Applications are currently closed.
• Do I need an offer of admission before applying for the scholarship? No, you must have applied to SOAS but do not need an offer by the scholarship deadline. An offer will need to have been received by the time the panel meets to discuss scholarship applications.
• Are pre-sessional courses covered? No, the scholarship does not cover funding or allow for pre-sessional courses.

• Read the official scholarship guidelines and application form carefully before you start.
• Prepare your documents early, including degree transcripts and proof of English language ability.
• Submit your programme application well before the scholarship deadline to allow time for processing.
• Check that you meet the English language condition of your offer as soon as possible.