Think Big Scholarship 2026: Bristol Puts £5 Million Behind Its International Students
The Think Big Scholarship 2026 at University of Bristol is now open, offering international students up to £20,000 in tuition support for undergraduate and postgraduate study. With multiple awards available for the 2026/27 intake, the application deadline is set for 10 April 2026 (10:00 AM UK time), leaving a limited window for candidates to secure both admission and funding at one of the UK’s leading universities.
What Is Think Big Scholarship?
The Think Big Scholarship is the flagship international funding scheme by University of Bristol, created to attract talented students from around the world. The University of Bristol consistently ranked among the UK’s top ten research universities and a member of the Russell Group, Bristol has spent years building a reputation that draws applications from over 150 countries.
The scholarship is funded directly by the university, along with support from faculties and partners, it aims to reduce tuition costs for international students and strengthen Bristol’s global reach. Bristol has invested up to £5 million in Think Big Scholarships, its flagship international scholarship scheme covering both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The programme reflects the university’s focus on widening access and bringing diverse talent to the UK.
Think Big Scholarship 2026: What Bristol Is Actually Offering
The University of Bristol Think Big Scholarship 2026 operates across two academic levels, each with its own award tiers. Undergraduate awards are valued at £6,500 and £13,000 per year for up to four years of study. Think Big Postgraduate awards are valued at £6,500, £13,000, and £26,000 for the first year of study. All amounts apply exclusively to tuition fees and cannot be drawn as cash.
For postgraduate applicants, the Think Big Career Accelerator is included alongside the scholarship, and a separate living cost bursary of £3,000 is available for postgraduate taught students from selected schools within the Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences.
At the £26,000 tier, the Think Big postgraduate award covers a substantial portion of Bristol’s international master’s tuition fees, which for most programmes fall in the £25,000 to £32,000 range. Compared with similar institutional awards — such as the University of Edinburgh’s Global Scholarship, which offers a flat £5,000 fee reduction, Think Big at its upper tier is meaningfully more generous.
Where it falls short of comparators like the Chevening Scholarship or Commonwealth Scholarships is in its scope: it does not cover living expenses at the undergraduate level and does not extend beyond the first year for postgraduate recipients.
Think Big Eligibility: Open Globally, With Conditions That Matter
The Think Big Bristol Scholarship 2026 is open to applicants with overseas fee status who have applied for eligible undergraduate or master’s courses starting in September 2026. There is no nationality shortlist — students from any country outside the UK may apply, provided they are classified as international for fee purposes.
You can apply from almost any academic background, but courses in Bristol Dental School and Bristol Medical School are not eligible at undergraduate level. Applicants holding external funding that already covers full tuition fees are also ineligible. The scholarship cannot be deferred; it is valid for September 2026 entry only.
One practical advantage: applicants do not need to have received an offer from Bristol before submitting their scholarship application, but they must have already submitted a programme application.
Applying for the Think Big Scholarship Before April 10
Before starting your Think Big Scholarships application, you must have applied to study at the University of Bristol and received an application ID or application confirmation. The scholarship application is submitted through Bristol’s international scholarships online portal.The form itself covers short-answer questions evaluating academic motivation, career ambitions, and the applicant’s reasons for choosing Bristol specifically.
The University of Bristol considers the use of AI tools in scholarship applications to be a breach of academic integrity and may render an application ineligible.Outcome notifications are expected in May 2026. Undergraduate applicants must subsequently receive a Bristol offer by 24 April 2026 and make Bristol their firm UCAS choice to retain eligibility.
Given the £5 million total investment distributed across hundreds of applicants globally, competition is substantial. The awards at the higher tiers in each category are fewer in number, and the subject-specific awards — including new 2026 additions covering Veterinary Science, Conflict Resolution, and Interpreting — are single-place or very limited in supply.
What a Think Big Award Signals Beyond the Fee Reduction
Think Big Scholarship 2026 recipients are expected to serve as university ambassadors and participate in the Think Big Development Programme, which places them within a broader institutional network extending well past graduation. For an international student, that affiliation carries practical value: Bristol’s alumni network, combined with the university’s ranking as Research University of the Year 2026 in the Daily Mail University Guide, means the credential travels. The April 10 deadline is the point at which preparation either pays off or is rendered irrelevant. Students who have already submitted their programme application have everything they need to proceed.
Think Big Scholarship 2026: Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the Think Big Scholarship open to international students already living in the UK?
Answer: No. It is exclusively for students classified as “overseas” for fee-paying purposes.
Q: Are there any living cost bursaries available through Think Big Scholarship?
Answer: While the main award is for tuition, applicants are automatically considered for the Michael Wong Pakshong bursary or the £3,000 living cost subsidy, which are aimed at assisting with maintenance during the first year.
Q: What are the three “Think Big” essay questions for 2026?
Answer: The questions focus on: (1) Your non-academic achievements and ambition, (2) Your “Ambassadorial Potential” and community impact, and (3) Why you chose Bristol and your future career goals.
Q: If I defer my 2026 entry to 2027, will I keep my Think Big scholarship?
Answer: No. Scholarships are only valid for the September 2026 intake and cannot be deferred. You would need to re-apply the following year.