Cardiff International Excellence Scholarships 2027

Cardiff University Undergraduate International Excellence Scholarships 2027 in the UK: £10,000 for International Students

If you are an international student heading to Wales for undergraduate study in autumn 2027, Cardiff University has a straightforward, high-value award worth a close look. Its Undergraduate International Excellence Scholarships offer nine awards of £10,000 each to new undergraduate international students who can show strong academic potential.

Let us be clear from the start: this is a partial funding award, not a fully funded scholarship. The £10,000 is paid as a tuition fee waiver or discount, with no cash alternative, and it cannot be used in place of any required deposit. You will still need a plan for the rest of your tuition and your living costs in Cardiff. What it does offer is a significant reduction in your fees, awarded on merit, for study on the Cardiff campus.

What the scholarship offers

- Scholarship: Cardiff University Undergraduate International Excellence Scholarships 2027

- University: Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK

- Level: Full-time undergraduate degree, starting in autumn 2027, based on the Cardiff campus

- Number of awards: Nine scholarships for 2027

- Award value: £10,000 per award

- How it is paid: As a tuition fee waiver or discount — no cash alternative, and it cannot be used in place of any required deposit

- What it is for: Recognising undergraduate international students who can demonstrate their academic potential

Who can apply

Cardiff University states that, to be eligible, you must:

- Be classed as an international student for fee-paying purposes

- Be self-financed, and not in receipt of non-repayable funding from alternative sources

- Be holding an offer for an eligible undergraduate degree at the point you submit your scholarship application

- Submit your scholarship application by 23:59 on 2 April 2027 (UK time)

- Meet the original, published admissions criteria for your programme

Conditional offer holders must also confirm Cardiff University as their firm choice by the UCAS deadline, and meet all offer conditions, including any English language conditions, by 31 August 2027. Unconditional offer holders must confirm Cardiff as their firm choice by their UCAS deadline.

There is an important exclusion to note. Programmes in the schools of Dentistry, Medicine and Healthcare are not included in this scheme. That includes Dental Hygiene, Dental Surgery, Dental Therapy and Dental Hygiene, Medicine, Graduate Entry Medicine, Nursing, Diagnostic Radiography and Imaging, Midwifery, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, and Radiotherapy and Oncology. If your programme is in one of those schools, this particular scholarship does not apply.

How to apply

This is not an open form you can simply download and send in cold. Cardiff says students who hold an offer to study on an eligible programme will be invited by email to complete an application form. So the practical order is:

1. Apply for an eligible full-time undergraduate programme at Cardiff University for autumn 2027 entry, and secure an offer.

2. Watch for the emailed invitation to apply for the scholarship, and complete the application form it links to.

3. Answer the set question within a 300-word limit: “What specific achievements, actions, or evidence demonstrate that you should receive this scholarship?” Any text above the 300-word limit will not be considered.

If you have not received an email but believe you are eligible, Cardiff advises contacting its International Scholarships team. Do not leave that to the last week — give yourself time to be added to the process before the deadline.

That 300-word answer is where this award is won or lost. Keep it specific: name the achievement, explain what you actually did, and show the evidence behind it. A short list of grades alone will not stand out among nine awards; a clear, honest account of what you have achieved and why it matters will.

Important deadlines

- Scholarship application deadline: 23:59 on 2 April 2027 (UK time)

- Scholarship acceptance deadline: Within 2 weeks after award allocation — scholarships not accepted within this timeframe may be reallocated to other students

- Meeting of offer conditions: 31 August 2027

If you are offered the scholarship, accept it promptly. A missed two-week acceptance window could see the award go to someone else.

Why this scholarship stands out

Cardiff is a Russell Group university in a compact, student-friendly capital city, and this award is refreshingly simple: nine awards, £10,000 each, judged on academic potential and a single focused 300-word case for support. There is no long essay portfolio and no separate test — just an offer, an invitation, and a short, sharp application.

The trade-off is equally clear: it is a tuition fee discount only, it is limited to nine recipients, and it is not open to Dentistry, Medicine and Healthcare programmes or to students already receiving non-repayable funding from another source. If Cardiff is your firm choice and you have the academic record to back it up, this is a strong, realistic target for autumn 2027 entry.

Official links

- Cardiff University — Undergraduate International Excellence Scholarships (award value, eligibility, key dates and how to apply): https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/international/funding-and-fees/international-scholarships/undergraduate-excellence-scholarships

Apply for your Cardiff undergraduate programme, watch for the scholarship invitation, and submit your 300-word application by 23:59 on 2 April 2027 (UK time) — and good luck!