Carnegie Masters Grants

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Key facts

  • Number of scholarships: Varies
  • Value: Up to £10,000 (plus stipend of up to £5,000 in some cases)
  • Opens: 1 May 2026
  • Deadline: 31 July 2026
  • Helps with: Childcare, Equipment and study costs, Living costs, Travel costs, Tuition fees

Summary

Carnegie Masters Grants support students living in low-income households in Scotland to undertake a taught or research Masters degree at a Scottish university.

The scheme aims to:

  • Support people from low-income backgrounds who want to return to higher education to upskill or reskill to change career
  • Increase the numbers of low-income students undertaking postgraduate study in Scotland; and
  • Equip graduates with the skills and expertise to meet current and emerging skills gaps in Scotland.
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Eligibility

Applicants are likely to be eligible for a Carnegie Masters Grant if they meet all of the following criteria:

  • They must be ordinarily resident in Scotland. This means Scotland must be their permanent home; applicants who only live in Scotland for study are not considered ordinarily resident.
  • They must have a meaningful connection to Scotland. This can be demonstrated by:
    • having completed two years of full-time study at a Scottish secondary school or college, or
    • by showing a substantial connection to Scotland through residency, earlier education, family life or work life. Applicants applying on the basis of a substantial connection should contact Carnegie Education Fund before applying.
  • Applicants must live in a lower-income household. Full information on income thresholds can be found in the Applicant Guide on the Carnegie Trust website.
  • Applicants must have secured a conditional or unconditional offer for an eligible taught or research Masters programme before applying.
  • Applicants must not already hold a Masters-level qualification, including a Masters, MPhil or PhD. Applicants who hold a postgraduate Certificate or Diploma are still eligible.
  • Applicants must first apply for a postgraduate tuition fee loan through the Student Awards Agency for Scotland. The Carnegie Masters Grant can then be used to cover remaining Home-rate tuition fee costs, up to the maximum grant value.

Subject eligibility

Accounting & finance, Aeronautical engineering, Architecture, Biochemistry, Biology & biological sciences, Biomedical engineering, Biomedical science, Business, Chemical engineering, Chemistry, Civil & environmental engineering, Civil engineering, Computer science, Data analytics, Design manufacture & engineering management, Economics, Education, Electronic & electrical engineering, Engineering, English, Entrepreneurship, Environmental engineering, Forensic science, Health, History, Hospitality & tourism, Human resource management, Immunology, International relations, Journalism, Languages, Law, Management, Management science, Marine Engineering, Marketing, Mathematics & statistics, Mechanical & aerospace engineering, Mechanical engineering, Microbiology, Naval architecture, Naval architecture ocean & marine engineering, Ocean engineering, Pharmacology, Pharmacy & biomedical sciences, Physics, Politics, Product design, Prosthetics & orthotics, Psychology, Renewable energy, Science, Social policy, Social work, Software engineering, Speech & language therapy, Sports engineering, Teaching

Levels eligibility

Postgraduate Research, Postgraduate Taught

Study modes eligibility

Distance, Full Time, Part Time

Fee Status

Home (Scottish)

Student type

Applicant

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Further information

Full details can be found in the Applicant Guide for 2026-27.

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How to apply

Information on how to apply can be found on the Carnegie Trust website.

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Contact us

For questions about the scheme or to discuss eligibility before applying, contact Carnegie Education Fund: grants@carnegie-trust.org