Tuition fees are usually the biggest barrier for international students looking at UK universities. Heriot-Watt University in Scotland has opened a scholarship that chips away at that problem at least partly for students from the Americas and a specific group of non-EU European countries.
It is called the Americas and Europe Non-EU Scholarship and it is open for the January 2027 intake.
At a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Scholarship | Americas and Europe Non-EU Scholarship |
| University | Heriot-Watt University UK campus |
| Intake | January 2027 |
| Award value | £3000 to £5000 per year of study |
| Level | Undergraduate and postgraduate taught |
| Study mode | Full-time |
| Eligible regions | Americas and selected non-EU European countries |
| Deadline | 4 December 2026 |
What This Scholarship Actually Is
This is not a full scholarship. It does not cover rent, food or flights. It is a tuition fee award worth between £3000 and £5000 per year of study.
That is still meaningful money. For a Bachelor’s or a taught Master’s degree in the UK, £5000 off tuition each year adds up fast, especially over a 3 or 4 year undergraduate course.
The scholarship supports both undergraduate and postgraduate taught students as long as they are starting full-time study at Heriot-Watt’s UK campus in January 2027.
Who Is Actually Eligible
This scholarship is not open to everyone. It targets two specific groups.
First students from the Americas. This covers North Central and South America. Countries named include the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Jamaica, Panama and Venezuela along with other qualifying countries in the region.
Second students from selected non-EU European countries. This includes Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland and Ukraine.
If your country is not in either group this particular scholarship will not apply to you even if your academic record is strong.
The Academic Bar You Need to Clear
Heriot-Watt is fairly specific about grades here.
- If you followed a US high school curriculum, you need at least an unweighted GPA of 3.5. That works out to roughly a B+ average.
- If you did the International Baccalaureate, you should be looking at around 32 points overall with strong scores in subjects related to the degree you want to study.
- Coming from a different school system entirely, the university simply expects an equivalent B+ level of performance.
- Postgraduate applicants face a similar bar. Around a 3.5 GPA or its equivalent plus solid results in subjects relevant to your chosen Master’s.
- None of this is unusually high for a university scholarship but it does rule out average academic records.
Two Separate Applications, Not One
This is the part students often get wrong so pay attention to the order.
Admission and scholarship are two completely separate processes at Heriot-Watt. You cannot apply for the scholarship first.
Here is the correct sequence:
- Apply for an eligible Heriot-Watt Bachelor’s or Master’s programme starting January 2027
- Wait until you receive a university offer
- Only then complete the separate scholarship application form
- Upload your current academic transcript
- Write a personal statement capped at 1000 words covering your academic achievements, career goals and why you specifically deserve this award
Skipping straight to the scholarship form without an admission offer will not work. Get your university place first.
Why a Strong Transcript Alone Will Not Get You the Full £5000
Heriot-Watt states that selection depends on both academic merit and the quality of your scholarship application.
In practice, this means two students with identical GPAs could receive different award amounts. The one who writes a sharper, more specific personal statement explaining exactly why Heriot-Watt and exactly what they plan to do with the degree has a real advantage.
So this is not a box ticking exercise. Treat the personal statement the way you would treat a job application cover letter. Generic statements tend to get generic outcomes.
A Few Rules Worth Knowing Before You Apply
- You can normally hold only one Heriot-Watt tuition award at a time. You cannot stack multiple awards
- If you are already receiving a tuition fee waiver through a partner arrangement, you are not eligible for this scholarship on top of it
- The number of awards available is limited so this is not guaranteed funding just because you meet the minimum grade requirement
Deadline
The scholarship application closes on 4 December 2026 for the January 2027 intake.
Because admission has to happen before the scholarship application, and because award numbers are limited, waiting until the final week is risky. If your programme’s admission process takes time to process that eats into your scholarship application window too.
Should You Apply
If you are from an eligible country in the Americas or from one of the listed non-EU European nations and your grades sit around a B+ average or IB 32+ this is worth pursuing. It will not fully fund your degree but a £3000 to £5000 reduction in tuition each year is a real cut in cost not a token gesture.
Start with the university application first. Everything else follows from there.