GREAT Scholarships for Nepali Students

GREAT Scholarships are joint awards from the UK government’s GREAT Britain Campaign, the British Council and participating UK universities. However, eligibility is limited to named countries each year. For 2026–27, Nepal is not on the official list of 18 participating countries, so a student applying with Nepalese nationality or residence cannot apply for the national GREAT Scholarship route unless the official rules for a specific award say otherwise.

Quick answer: Do not confuse a university’s ordinary international scholarship with a GREAT Scholarship. The 2026–27 GREAT programme offers £10,000 toward tuition for eligible students from 18 listed countries on one-year taught postgraduate courses, but Nepal is not one of those countries. Nepali students should focus on Chevening, university merit awards, need-based funding and course-specific scholarships while monitoring future GREAT country lists.

GREAT Scholarships 2026–27 at a glance

Feature	Official 2026–27 position	Meaning for a Nepali applicant
Value	£10,000 toward tuition fees	The headline amount does not apply without eligible-country status.
Study level	Wide range of one-year taught postgraduate courses	It is not a general undergraduate award.
Scale	More than 140 scholarships at over 60 UK universities	Universities and courses vary by participating country.
Countries	18 named countries for 2026–27	Nepal is absent from the published list.
Application	Through a participating university under the country route	There is no valid Nepal application page for the current round.

Which countries are included?

The British Council’s official 2026–27 page lists Bangladesh, China, Egypt, France, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Spain, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. Each country page provides its own participating universities, eligible courses and application instructions.

Nepal’s absence is decisive for the current national programme. Studying in Nepal, holding a Nepalese passport or receiving a UK university offer does not by itself create eligibility. A Nepali student who also has another nationality must read the exact citizenship, passport and residence conditions on that country’s page and the university award page rather than assume dual-national eligibility.

Why online lists can be misleading

Old pages may describe a country that participated in a previous academic year.
A university may offer both GREAT and its own international scholarship under different rules.
Third-party websites often copy the £10,000 headline without the country restriction.
A course may be eligible for one participating country but not another.
A university offer is not a GREAT Scholarship application or award.

Always verify three levels: the British Council’s current programme page, the current country page and the university’s matching scholarship page. All three should show the same entry year and applicant category.

How the application normally works for an eligible country

Open the current GREAT country page and choose a listed university.
Check that the intended one-year taught postgraduate course is included.
Apply for admission and obtain any offer or applicant ID required by the university.
Submit the university’s scholarship form before its deadline.
Follow the university’s assessment and offer-acceptance instructions.

Selection standards differ. Universities commonly examine academic merit, motivation, course fit, future contribution and ambassadorial potential. A scholarship may be a tuition discount rather than money paid to the student, and it will not automatically cover the remaining tuition, living costs, visa application, Immigration Health Surcharge or travel.

Better funding routes for Nepali students

Route	Who it may suit	What to verify
Chevening Scholarship	Post-degree professionals with at least 2,800 hours of eligible experience and a leadership-focused plan	Nepal page, 2027–28 dates, three course choices and return commitment
University merit scholarship	High-achieving undergraduate or postgraduate applicants	Automatic versus separate application, value, deadline and renewal conditions
Need-based university award	Applicants who can document limited household resources	Income definition, evidence, course exclusions and whether living support is included
Faculty or course award	Applicants in a specific school, subject or programme	Exact programme, fee status and whether an offer is required
Funded research position	Research-ready applicants considering a PhD	Project, supervisor, funding status, fee coverage and stipend

Start with the UK university merit-scholarship guide, the Chevening guide for Nepali students and our complete UK funding guide.

Build a scholarship comparison sheet

For each opportunity, record the official URL, entry year, level, nationality rule, eligible courses, award value, what it excludes, admission deadline, scholarship deadline, application method, decision date and conditions for retaining the award. Mark the page’s last-updated date and recheck before submission.

Compare the net cost, not the scholarship headline. A £10,000 discount on a high-fee course can still leave a larger balance than a lower-fee university offering a smaller award. Add tuition after discount, deposit, accommodation, living costs, visa, Immigration Health Surcharge, travel and a contingency buffer.

Fraud warning

No consultancy can add Nepal to the official GREAT country list. Do not pay for a “GREAT Nepal nomination,” guaranteed certificate or private application link. Use British Council and university domains, and never submit passport or payment details to an unverified form. A logo on a social-media graphic is not evidence of an official partnership.

How MKS Education can help

MKS Education is a study-abroad consultancy opposite Shankerdev Campus, Putalisadak, Kathmandu. We assist with profile review, course and university shortlisting, applications, scholarship research, document planning, visa-file guidance and pre-departure preparation. IELTS, PTE and Duolingo preparation is available in physical, online and hybrid modes with an LMS, recordings and mock tests.

We can check country eligibility, distinguish government schemes from university discounts and prepare a cost-aware shortlist. We cannot make an ineligible applicant eligible or guarantee a scholarship, admission, CAS or visa. The British Council, universities and UKVI make the relevant decisions. Contact MKS Education for an official-source scholarship review.

Frequently asked questions

Can a Nepali student apply through India’s GREAT page?

Not simply because India is nearby or because the applicant studied there. The country and university rules control nationality, passport or residency eligibility.

Is GREAT fully funded?

No. The general 2026–27 award is £10,000 toward tuition. Applicants must plan for remaining tuition and living and immigration costs unless another permitted source covers them.

Could Nepal return in a future year?

Country participation can change. Monitor the British Council’s current GREAT page rather than assuming that the 2026–27 list will remain permanent.

Official sources reviewed

Information checked 24 July 2026. GREAT countries, universities and course lists are cycle-specific and can change.

MKS Education support

Plan your application with MKS Education

MKS Education is a study abroad consultancy opposite Shankerdev Campus in Putalisadak, Kathmandu. We help Nepali students review profiles, shortlist universities and courses, prepare applications, organise documents, research scholarships, and plan CAS and visa-file stages using current official sources. Universities and immigration authorities make all admission and visa decisions.

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