In order to be awarded a Mandatory Scholarship Award the applicant must meet the following criteria:
- You must be resident in Gibraltar.
- Attained the age of 18 by the 1st September of the year of Award.
- Applicants for awards must have been ordinarily resident in Gibraltar for a continuous period of five years at the time the application for the award is made.
- Applicants are attending a school in Gibraltar or in the United Kingdom, or have attended such a school.
- Applicants are expected to have attained a minimum of two ‘A’ level or equivalent grades by 1st September of the year of Award.
- Be eligible for home fees within the UK*
*Individuals who are not eligible for home fee status can be found eligible for a mandatory scholarship if they meet all other criteria. However, in such cases funding awarded will be capped at the relevant home fee status.
Gibraltar Mandatory Scholarship Awards for an Undergraduate Degree course are awarded for a period of 3 years.
Studies Outside the United Kingdom
If you wish to study an Undergraduate Degree course at a bona fide University outside of the United Kingdom, the Department of Education (DoE) can, at its discretion, approve the award of a Mandatory Scholarship Award. Payments for tuition and maintenance will be capped at the current UK rate.
Foundation Year
If you need to complete a course at Foundation level in order to access an undergraduate course in the future, the Department of Education can, at its discretion, approve a scholarship award. Possible reasons for undertaking a course at Foundation level:
- You want to study an Art related course and a foundation course is a requirement.
- You do not have the required subjects at A Level and must complete a foundation course in order to meet the entry requirements for the undergraduate course.
- You completed two A Level courses and do not have enough UCAS points to meet the entry requirements for the undergraduate course you want to follow.
- Your school believes that you would benefit from a foundation level year of study.
Integrated Masters
You may wish to study a course which includes an Integrated Masters. HM Government of Gibraltar (HMGoG) will provide funding for three years and you will be offered a 3 year Contract. If you wish to pursue an Integrated Masters course, upon successful completion of the 3rd year of your course, you will need to apply for a Discretionary Award for funding for the 4th year.
If you are planning to enrol on a degree programme which is longer than 3 years, you must seek guidance from the Department of Education before accepting this offer.
Entitlements
A Gibraltar Scholarship Award for overseas studies provides you with the following:
- Maintenance Grant
- Flight Allowance
- Rail Allowance
- Tuition Fees
Maintenance Grant
This is an assistive grant to you to help cover costs whilst you are studying a full time course outside of Gibraltar. It is important to understand that if you return to Gibraltar and continue with your course online you will not be entitled to receive a maintenance grant.
The grant you will receive will depend on where you are studying.
If you are studying in Inner London the maintenance grant is £8,625.00.
If you are studying in Outer London the maintenance grant is £7,015.00.
If you are studying outside of the United Kingdom the maintenance grant is £6,100.00.
The maintenance grant is paid in three equal instalments: September, December and March.
1st instalment of your maintenance grant is awarded for the Autumn Term commencing the month of September.
2nd instalment of your maintenance grant awarded for the Spring Term commencing the month of January.
3rd instalment of your maintenance grant awarded for the final term of the academic year i.e. Summer Term, which customarily commences after the Easter holiday (March/April).
Flight Allowance
You will receive a flight allowance of £1197.15. This allowance will be paid to you with the first instalment of the maintenance grant in September.
Rail Allowance
If you are studying in the United Kingdom, you are entitled to a rail allowance. The amount you receive will depend on the location of your University. This allowance will be paid to you with the first instalment of the maintenance grant in September.
Tuition Fees
This will be paid directly to your university once the university provides us with the invoice. Undergraduate: £9,250.00 (Current UK capping rate).
Postgraduate: up to £18,000.00 (Current Department of Education capping rate)
If you are studying outside of the UK, your tuition fees will also be capped at the amounts stated above. If your fees are higher than the capping rate, you would need to pay the difference. Kindly note that if fees are less than the capping rate you will not be entitled to the remaining amount.
A tuition fee letter will be attached to your contract booklet, which is issued electronically. You must hand in this letter to the Finance Department when you enrol at the University. This is important since this letter informs the university that HMGoG are responsible for the payment of your tuition fees capped at £9,250.00. If you do not hand in this letter to the finance department, your university will be asking you for payment of the tuition fees. If fees are not paid, the university may stop you from having access to your student portal and facilities such as the library. Handing in this letter to the University, will ensure that fees are paid promptly by us and you will not encounter any problems.
Extra Weeks
If your course requires you to remain at your university throughout the entire academic year, including the period of the summer break (i.e. mid-July to end of August), you may be eligible to apply for additional financial assistance, up to a maximum of six extra weeks. To do this, you need to provide the DoE with a letter, from your University, clearly stating that this is a compulsory element of your course and the reasons why you are required to remain abroad. The letter must also state the exact term dates and holiday breaks.