New masters grants from Carnegie Education Fund

Grants of up to £10,000 towards a part-time masters degree can be applied for until 31 July 2026 by eligible Open University (OU) in Scotland students, from the Carnegie Education Fund.

Its new Carnegie Masters Grants scheme will support students living in low-income households in Scotland to do a taught or research masters degree at a Scottish university.

For successful applicants, the grants will meet the difference in cost between postgraduate loans and tuition fees, up to a maximum of £10,000. For those who might need it, separate study cost support may also be provided.

Applications go directly to the Carnegie Education Fund, an independent charitable trust. Information about background, circumstances and chosen course will be asked.

For this new funding scheme, applicants should:

• Be ordinarily resident in Scotland
• Live in low-income households
• Have an offer for a place on an eligible course beginning in 2026/27.

The Applicant Guide – available via the scheme’s webpage - includes more information, from full eligibility criteria and evidence requirements to guidance on how to apply.

Martin Boyle, Principal of The Open University in Scotland, said: “Our mission of widening access to education for learners across the country very much aligns with the Carnegie Education Fund’s ethos behind this new scheme: to help more people in Scotland access postgraduate study.

“I encourage those who will be embarking on OU masters-level study in the new academic year to check if they are eligible to apply for funding, ahead of the scheme’s 31 July 2026 deadline.”

7 July 2026