Scholarships for UK students to study in the US: Fulbright, Kennedy, Thouron and more
Fully funded scholarships for British students to do a master's or PhD in the United States: Fulbright UK, the Kennedy Memorial Trust, the Thouron Award and others, with eligibility and dates from official pages.
American graduate school has a reputation for two things: world-class research and eye-watering fees. For British graduates, the second often rules out the first before they have looked properly.
Yet some of the most generous scholarships in the world exist specifically to send UK students to American universities. They pay tuition, living costs and more. We checked their official pages on October 31, 2026. Most close in the autumn of the year before you would start, so this is the time to plan.
At a glance
| Scholarship | Where | Covers | Next date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thouron Award | University of Pennsylvania | Tuition, fees, health insurance and a $50,000 a year stipend, for up to two years | 1 November 2026 (UK applicants) |
| Kennedy Memorial Trust | Harvard or MIT | Typically full tuition and health insurance, plus a means-tested living bursary | 2027 to 2028 round closed 18 October 2026 |
| Fulbright UK Postgraduate Awards | Any accredited US university | Fully funded and partial awards, plus J-1 visa sponsorship | 2027 to 2028 round closed 5 May 2026 |
Thouron Award
The Thouron Award funds up to two years of graduate study at the University of Pennsylvania, with full tuition and fees, health insurance and a stipend of $50,000 a year.
Who can apply: British citizens normally resident in the UK, educated at UK secondary schools, who are in their final year at a UK university or are recent graduates.
Deadline: for 2027 to 2028, the UK deadline is 1 November 2026, with references due by 8 November 2026. See the full listing.
Kennedy Memorial Trust Scholarship
Set up as the UK’s memorial to President John F. Kennedy, the trust funds graduate study at Harvard or MIT. Awards typically cover full tuition and health insurance, plus a means-tested bursary for living costs.
Who can apply: British citizens ordinarily resident in the UK and mainly educated there before university, who are final-year students or graduates of a UK university and began their undergraduate degree on or after 1 September 2017.
Deadline: applications usually open in August and close in October of the year before study. The 2027 to 2028 round closed on 18 October 2026. See the full listing.
Fulbright UK Postgraduate Awards
The US-UK Fulbright Commission offers awards for UK citizens to study at postgraduate level in the US, including fully funded awards, and sponsors the J-1 visa.
Who can apply: UK citizens with, or expecting, at least a 2:1 undergraduate degree. Dual US and UK citizens, Green Card holders and people living in the US are not eligible.
Deadline: the 2027 to 2028 round closed on 5 May 2026. Watch the Commission’s website for the next round. See the full listing.
Other options open to British students
These are not only for UK students, but British applicants can apply:
- Knight-Hennessy Scholars at Stanford, open to all nationalities.
- Schwarzman Scholars, a fully funded master’s in Beijing, if you want to look beyond the US.
- Gates Cambridge is for non-UK citizens only, so British students cannot apply.
Erasmus+ and the UK
Many British students ask whether they can use Erasmus+ again. Erasmus+ study and traineeship grants are arranged through your home university’s international office, not through a central application. If you are at a UK university, ask your international office which exchange schemes are open to you for 2027 to 2028. See the Erasmus+ listing for how the programme works.
How to make a strong application
- Start a year early. Kennedy and Thouron close in October and November of the year before you would go.
- Choose your US programmes first. Kennedy is for Harvard or MIT, and Thouron is for Penn, so your course choice is part of the application.
- Line up referees in good time. See how to ask for a recommendation letter.
- Know the US process. American graduate programmes set their own admission deadlines, separate from the scholarship’s. Check both.
Next steps
Read is my degree recognised abroad? for how US universities assess UK degrees, and see our scholarship deadline calendar.