Revealed: The Top 3 Lesser-Known Scholarships Making Dreams Come True for Scottish Students

For many students, scholarships are the key to achieving their higher education dreams since they help ease the financial burden arising from tuition, accommodation, digital tools, and other associated costs to a great extent.

This assistance enables the students to not only focus on their studies but graduate with less debt, leading to higher earnings and a better standard of living in the long run. Scholarships can also produce a ripple effect on the local economy, as they often enable students to stay in their community and contribute to its growth.

However, deserving students risk losing out on potentially life-changing opportunities if they aren't aware of what's available. Considering this, the Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh Campus has come up with a list of the top 3 lesser-known scholarships for deserving Scottish students regardless of background – one of whom can be availed through Heriot-Watt.

• 1-Upskilling Scotland Scholarship

  The Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council created the Upskilling Scotland Scholarship to uplift the country’s economy. The initiative intends to increase productivity by improving business skills and enhancing individuals’ employability.

  This scholarship, available through Heriot Watt’s Edinburgh campus, can be used to undertake online master’s courses for free, funding degrees worth up to £1,340. With this funding source, you could study logistics and supply chain management, business analytics and consultancy, and undergraduate courses.

  This scholarship is available to people over 18 who reside in or have the legal right to work in Scotland.

• 2-Digital Start Fund

  Scotland is experiencing a digital skills gap; particularly when it comes to tech.

  It follows a broader trend in the UK and is partially attributed to a lack of digital subjects and teaching at school. To tackle this and help people on low incomes or are unemployed, the Scottish Government and Skills Development Scotland have teamed up to offer the Digital Start Fund.

  Over 350 people have utilised the fund so far, which offers grants of £1,000-£8,000 to use on upskilling in various tech areas, including cybersecurity and software development. There is a range of courses offered by colleges and training providers across Scotland that learners can apply to. If you’re interested in entering the tech sector or expanding your skill set, this scholarship is for you.

  The Digital Start Fund is available to people on Universal Credit or other benefits based on income or those on low income who face additional work barriers, such as being disabled, a veteran, or homeless.

• 3-Carnegie PhD Scholarships

The Carnegie Trust is an independent foundation that offers undergraduate and postgraduate students and academic researchers grants. Its postgraduate funding is available at 15 Scottish universities and consists of home-rate tuition fees, living costs, and research expenditures.

You can use the postgraduate PhD fund to study full-time (it’s available for three years of study as standard) and part-time (an average of six years). To apply for this competitive scholarship, students must be on track to achieving First Class Honours in their undergraduate degree at a Scottish university.

Students are entitled to a £14,700 stipend, which can contribute to living costs, having their tuition fees covered and receiving a research allowance of up to £3,000. This is an excellent option for high-achieving students who intend to study at a PhD level and complete comprehensive research related to their chosen field. Still, competition is tough – around 13–15 scholarships are awarded yearly.