UK Scholarships for Middle East Students: Costs and Funding Guide

If you live in the Middle East and are thinking about a UK degree, two questions usually come first: how much will it cost, and what help is there? This guide to UK scholarships for Middle East students sets out the main costs published by the UK government for 2027 entry, the scholarship schemes worth knowing about, and the practical steps that help you plan. Every figure below comes from GOV.UK, Chevening or the British Council, and we link to each source so you can check it yourself.

What a UK degree costs: the four main items

Most students budget for four things: tuition fees, the visa application fee, the Immigration Health Surcharge, and living costs. Flights, accommodation deposits and books come on top, and they vary a great deal from person to person.

1. Tuition fees

International tuition fees are set by each university and differ by course, subject and level. Your university will show the fee for your course on your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). A CAS is the electronic reference number your university gives you once you have accepted an unconditional offer, and you need it to apply for a Student visa. For a Student visa, GOV.UK says you need enough money to pay your course fees for one academic year (up to nine months), unless you have already been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months.

2. The Student visa fee

According to GOV.UK, it costs £558 to apply for a Student visa from outside the UK. The same fee applies to each family member who joins you, if they are eligible to come.

3. The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)

The Immigration Health Surcharge is a payment that gives you access to the UK's National Health Service (NHS) during your visa. GOV.UK lists the student rate as £776 for each year of your visa. The amount depends on how long your visa lasts, which can be longer than your course. For example:

• A visa of more than six months but under one year: the full yearly cost, £776.
• A visa of more than one year but no more than 18 months: one and a half times the yearly cost, £1,164.
• A two-year visa: £1,552.

You pay the surcharge as part of your visa application, and your visa will show the exact amount.

4. Living costs (the "financial requirement")

Unless an exemption applies, you must show you have money to support yourself for up to nine months. On GOV.UK's money page the current monthly amounts are £1,529 for courses in London and £1,171 for courses outside London. The money must be held for at least 28 days in a row, and the end of that period must fall within 31 days of your application date.

These amounts rise on 30 November 2026. The Statement of Changes HC 584 replaces them with £1,570 a month in London and £1,203 a month elsewhere. As almost everyone applying for September 2027 will apply after that date, the higher figures are the ones to plan with. Over nine months, that is £14,130 in London or £10,827 outside London. We explain the change in more detail in our post on the maintenance increase from 30 November 2026.

Good news for some Gulf nationals: lighter financial evidence

GOV.UK publishes a list of countries and territories under the "differential evidence requirement". If you are a national of one of them, you do not normally need to submit proof of your living-cost funds with your application. The list includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

This is not a reduction in the money you need. You must still have the funds, and UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) may contact you and ask for the evidence before it decides your application. Keep your bank statements ready. The financial evidence guidance explains what counts. Visa questions specific to your case should go to a qualified immigration adviser; EduQuantica works with an SRA-regulated solicitor firm for this.

UK scholarships for Middle East students

Scholarships for international students in the UK fall into three broad groups: UK government schemes, university awards, and funding from your own government or employer. Competition is strong for all of them, so apply early and apply to more than one.

Chevening Scholarships (UK government)

Chevening is the UK government's international scholarship programme for one-year master's degrees. A Chevening award covers tuition fees, a monthly living allowance, economy travel to and from your home country, an arrival and departure allowance, and the cost of your own visa application.

Chevening's country list includes many Middle East and North Africa countries, such as Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine and Yemen. Check your own country on the Chevening website, because availability differs by country. The main eligibility rules are:

• at least two years' work experience after your undergraduate degree (equal to 2,800 hours);
• an undergraduate degree that qualifies you for a UK master's course;
• applications to three different eligible UK courses, with at least one unconditional offer by the deadline;
• a commitment to return to your home country for at least two years after the scholarship ends.

Timing matters. Applications for 2027-28 awards opened in August 2026 and closed in October 2026. According to the Chevening timeline, interviews run from March to April 2027, results come from mid-June 2027, and successful candidates must submit an unconditional university offer by 8 July 2027. If you missed this round, use the coming months to build your work experience, choose your three courses and prepare for the next cycle.

GREAT Scholarships (British Council and UK universities)

GREAT Scholarships are worth £10,000 towards tuition fees for a one-year taught postgraduate course. They are funded jointly by the UK government's GREAT Britain Campaign, the British Council and participating universities. For 2026-27, the British Council listed 18 eligible countries, and Egypt was among them.

For Egypt, applicants must hold an Egyptian passport and be permanently resident in Egypt, have an undergraduate degree, and meet the university's English language requirement. You apply through each participating university, and each sets its own deadline. Check the Egypt page for the list of universities, and watch for the next year's list of countries.

University scholarships

Many UK universities offer their own awards for international students, often as a fee discount for a strong academic record. Terms, amounts and deadlines are set by each university and change each year, so always read the university's own scholarship page. You can search current awards on our scholarship search.

Home-country and employer funding

Many students from the Middle East are funded by a government ministry, a national scholarship programme or an employer. If you hope to use this route, ask the sponsor early which UK universities and subjects it accepts, and what paperwork it needs. For your UK visa, GOV.UK says that if you have official financial sponsorship you must provide evidence of it from the sponsor.

How to plan your budget: a simple checklist

• Shortlist courses and note the international tuition fee from each university's website.
• Add the visa fee (£558) and the Immigration Health Surcharge for the likely length of your visa.
• Add nine months of living costs at the new rates: £1,570 a month in London or £1,203 elsewhere.
• Add flights, an accommodation deposit and a buffer for unexpected costs.
• Subtract any confirmed scholarship or sponsor funding, not funding you hope to get.
• Check on GOV.UK whether you need a tuberculosis (TB) test or an ATAS certificate (the Academic Technology Approval Scheme, needed for some postgraduate science and technology subjects).

One more date to note: GOV.UK says the Graduate visa, which lets you stay and work after your course, will last two years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026 and 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027 (three years after a PhD). This affects how long you could stay after graduating, so factor it into your plans.

How EduQuantica can help

EduQuantica is a London-based admissions agency, UCAS registered and a British Council certified agent. Our support with UK university applications is free for students, and we help Middle East students compare courses, check entry requirements and prepare strong scholarship applications. Read more about studying abroad from the Middle East and studying in the UK.

Ready to plan your costs and funding? Book a free 30-minute consultation and we will go through your options with you.