Royal Holloway GREAT Scholarship: £10,000 Off a January 2027 Masters for One Nigerian Student
Read This First: The Course Deadline Is 9 November
You cannot apply for this scholarship without an offer from Royal Holloway, and the university asks you to apply for your masters course by Monday 9 November 2026. The scholarship application itself closes later, at 11.59pm UK time on 15 November 2026, but that date is useless to you if you have no course offer. If you have not yet applied for a course, stop reading, apply today, and come back to this page once your offer arrives.
What the Royal Holloway GREAT Scholarship Is
Royal Holloway, University of London is offering two GREAT Scholarships for the January 2027 intake, and one of them is reserved for a student from Nigeria. The award is a £10,000 tuition fee reduction for a new, full-time postgraduate student on any taught masters subject starting in January 2027. To be considered, you must be a passport holder and a resident of Nigeria, hold an offer for a full-time masters at Royal Holloway, and submit a scholarship statement of no more than 400 words by 11.59pm UK time on Sunday 15 November 2026. The scholarships are offered in partnership with the British Council and the GREAT Britain Campaign.
Only one Nigerian will get this award, so treat it as a competitive prize worth preparing for properly, not a discount everyone receives. The money comes off your tuition fee; it is not a cash payment, and it does not cover your living costs, travel or visa expenses. Plan your finances for the January start with that in mind, and compare it against other awards in our guide to fully funded scholarships for Africans before you commit.
Quick Facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scholarship deadline | 15 November 2026, 11.59pm UK time |
| Course application deadline | 9 November 2026 (you must hold an offer to apply for the scholarship) |
| Level | Postgraduate taught masters, full-time |
| Start date | January 2027 |
| Host institution | Royal Holloway, University of London |
| Funding | £10,000 tuition fee reduction |
| Who can apply | Passport holders resident in Nigeria (one award) or India (one award) with an offer for a January 2027 full-time masters |
Key Dates in Order
- By 9 November 2026: apply for your chosen full-time masters course at Royal Holloway.
- By 11.59pm UK time, 15 November 2026: once you hold your offer, submit the scholarship application with your statement on the applicant portal.
- By 20 November 2026: Royal Holloway notifies you of the outcome.
- By 24 November 2026: if you win, confirm your acceptance by this date.
Eligibility
You are eligible if all of the following apply to you:
- You are a passport holder and a resident of Nigeria (a separate award exists for a student from India).
- You hold an offer to study any full-time masters subject at Royal Holloway starting in January 2027, having applied for your course by 9 November 2026.
- You have completed an undergraduate degree, and you are motivated and interested in your proposed subject area.
- You meet Royal Holloway’s English language requirement for your course.
- You can show engagement with the UK as a scholar, through personal and academic fulfilment.
There are also ambassador duties attached to the award. As a GREAT scholar you must be willing to attend a networking event with other UK-based GREAT scholars, keep in contact with the British Council and the university and act as an ambassador for the GREAT Scholarships by sharing your UK study experience with future scholars, and, as an alumnus, occasionally speak to potential candidates about your experience. If that public role does not suit you, this is not the right scholarship.
One restriction to note: you may not hold any other Royal Holloway scholarship in addition to the GREAT Scholarship.
What the Scholarship Covers
The award is a tuition fee reduction of £10,000, applied to the tuition fee of your one-year, full-time taught masters starting in January 2027. It is offered under the GREAT Scholarships programme, launched by the British Council together with 71 UK universities, which gives students from a list of countries, including Nigeria, a tuition fee reduction of a minimum of £10,000 towards one year of postgraduate study in the UK.
Be clear about what it does not do. The page describes a fee reduction only, so the balance of your tuition, your accommodation, feeding, flights and other costs remain your responsibility. A January start also means a short gap between the 24 November acceptance confirmation and the start of term, so your funding plan for the rest of the money needs to be ready before you apply, not after you win.
How to Apply
- Choose your masters course. Pick any full-time taught masters subject at Royal Holloway starting in January 2027.
- Apply for the course by 9 November 2026. This is the step most people will miss. Without an offer, the scholarship application is closed to you.
- Wait for your offer. The scholarship application requires you to hold an offer for the January 2027 intake.
- Write your scholarship statement. Prepare a statement of no more than 400 words covering the three points listed in the documents section below. Statements over the word limit are automatically rejected, so count your words.
- Submit on the applicant portal. Complete the scholarship application, including your statement, through Royal Holloway’s applicant portal.
- Submit before 11.59pm UK time on 15 November 2026. Remember that UK time is behind Nigerian time, so do not leave submission to the last hour of the Nigerian evening.
- Respond if you win. Outcomes are sent by 20 November 2026, and winners must confirm acceptance by 24 November 2026.
Documents to Prepare
The one document this application really turns on is your scholarship statement. Royal Holloway’s guidelines say it must be no more than 400 words, and applications that exceed the word count will automatically be rejected. Your statement should include:
- Academic achievements you are particularly proud of, and why these really matter to you
- Why you have chosen the degree you have applied for
- Your future aspirations, and how the scholarship will help you achieve your future goals
The statement is judged on how effectively and convincingly you respond to those points. Write it in your own words, tie each point to your actual degree choice and plans, and check the word count twice. Alongside the statement, you need your course offer in hand, since holding an offer for a full-time masters starting in January 2027 is a condition of applying at all. Read the university’s application guidelines on the official page before you submit.
Common Mistakes
- Applying for the scholarship without a course offer. An offer is a requirement, and the course application deadline of 9 November comes first. This is the mistake most likely to end your application before it starts.
- Writing more than 400 words. Royal Holloway states that statements exceeding the word count are automatically rejected. A brilliant 450-word statement scores zero.
- Treating 15 November as the only deadline. There are three dates that matter before the outcome: 9 November for the course, 15 November for the scholarship, and 24 November to confirm acceptance if you win.
- Applying for a September start or a part-time course. This award is only for full-time taught masters students joining in January 2027.
- Assuming the £10,000 covers your full cost of study. It is a reduction on tuition fees only. Your remaining fees and living costs need another source.
- Stacking it with another Royal Holloway scholarship. The terms say you may not hold any other Royal Holloway scholarship alongside the GREAT Scholarship.
Key Takeaways
- One GREAT Scholarship at Royal Holloway is reserved for a Nigerian student, worth a £10,000 tuition fee reduction for a full-time masters starting in January 2027.
- The hidden deadline is 9 November 2026: apply for your course by then, because you need an offer before you can apply for the scholarship.
- The scholarship application, with a statement of no more than 400 words, closes at 11.59pm UK time on 15 November 2026.
- Winners are notified by 20 November and must confirm acceptance by 24 November 2026.
- The award reduces tuition only, and it cannot be combined with another Royal Holloway scholarship.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have not applied for a course yet. Can I still get this scholarship? Only if you move immediately. Royal Holloway asks applicants to apply for their masters course by 9 November 2026, and you must hold an offer before you can submit the scholarship application by 15 November. If you miss the course deadline, you cannot be considered for this January 2027 award.
How much is the Royal Holloway GREAT Scholarship worth? It is a tuition fee reduction of £10,000 for one year of full-time postgraduate study. It is not paid to you in cash, and it does not cover living costs or travel.
Who exactly can apply for the Nigeria award? You must be a passport holder and a resident of Nigeria, hold an offer for any full-time masters at Royal Holloway starting in January 2027, have completed an undergraduate degree, and meet the university’s English language requirement. Two awards exist in total: one for Nigeria and one for India.
What should my 400-word statement include? Three things: academic achievements you are proud of and why they matter to you, why you chose the degree you applied for, and your future aspirations and how the scholarship helps you reach them. Keep it at or under 400 words, because longer statements are automatically rejected.
When will I know if I won, and what happens next? Royal Holloway will notify you of the outcome by 20 November 2026. If you are successful, you must confirm your acceptance by 24 November 2026.
Can I combine this with another scholarship? Not with another Royal Holloway scholarship: the terms state you may not hold any other Royal Holloway scholarship in addition to the GREAT Scholarship.
Last updated: 7 November 2026
Apply through the official page here: Royal Holloway GREAT Scholarships
