University of Hull Opens GBP 10,000 GREAT Scholarship for Indian Students

The University of Hull has opened its GREAT Scholarship 2026-27, offering GBP 10,000 (INR 12.64 lakhs) to one Indian postgraduate student joining the January 2027 intake. The British Council confirmed the scheme on its study-UK portal, with applications closing on 12 November 2026 at midnight UK time (5:30 AM IST, 13 November 2026). The scheme replaces broad Hull tuition discounts with a single merit-based award restricted to Indian passport holders who have not studied in the UK before.

• Awards: Hull offers two GREAT scholarships – one for Indian and one for Vietnamese citizens
• Eligibility: Confirmed admission offer, a 2:1 bachelor’s degree, and IELTS 6.5 overall (minimum 5.5 per band)
• Deadline: 12 November, 2026

GREAT Scholarships are jointly funded by the British Council and the UK government’s GREAT Britain Campaign across 12 participating universities for Indian students in 2026-27. Hull’s slot is one of the smaller intakes but one of the few explicitly tied to the January window rather than the September cycle.

Also check: University of Hull: Admission, Courses & Fees, Scholarships

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What the GBP 10,000 (INR 12.64 lakhs) GREAT Scholarship Covers

The award is a straight tuition fee reduction credited to the recipient’s Hull invoice. It does not fund living costs, visa fees, the Immigration Health Surcharge, or flights. The scholarship applies to a one-year taught master’s programme only.

What it means for Indian Students: The GBP 10,000 (INR 12.64 lakhs) lands as a credit against your tuition bill, so you still need to show the full Hull offer-letter fee minus GBP 10,000 (12.64 lakhs) on your bank statements for the UK Student Visa maintenance test. The scholarship does not count as proof of funds until Hull formally confirms it in writing before CAS issuance.

Also check: September 2027 Intake in the UK: Universities and Admission Timelines

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Who Qualifies from India

Hull’s eligibility bar is tighter than most GREAT partner universities. The scheme is closed to anyone who has previously studied in the UK, which rules out Indian students who completed a UK undergraduate degree or a UK foundation year.

• Nationality: Indian passport holder and resident of India at the time of application
• Academic: A UK 2:1 equivalent undergraduate degree, which maps to 60% or a 7.0 CGPA on most Indian grading systems
• English: IELTS 6.5 overall with no band below 5.5, or an accepted equivalent (TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic)
• Offer status: A confirmed University of Hull offer letter for a January 2027 start on a one-year taught master’s
• Previous UK study: Candidates who have ever studied in the UK on any route are not eligible

Also check: UK Student Visa Documents Checklist

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How Do Indian Students Apply Before November 12?

Applicants submit the Hull scholarship form online after securing the course offer. The form carries four essay questions capped at 250 words each, covering skills, course fit, extracurricular record, and plans to contribute to India after graduation.

1. Apply to a January 2027 taught master’s at Hull and receive the formal offer letter
2. Complete the IELTS or an accepted English test and get the score report in hand
3. Fill out the scholarship form on the GREAT Scholarship Hull page, uploading the offer letter and the English score
4. Submit the four essay answers in a single sitting before midnight UK time on 12 November 2026
5. Wait for the Hull scholarships office to shortlist and confirm by email ahead of the January 2027 enrolment

Important Distinction: Hull reads "contribution to home country development" literally. Indian applicants planning to settle in the UK on the Graduate Visa and apply for ILR should still answer the essay around India-facing outcomes (remittances, remote collaboration, India-UK trade), not UK settlement, since the GREAT programme is funded to strengthen India-UK links.

Also check: How to Apply to UK Universities as an Indian Student

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What INR 13 Lakh Actually Saves at Hull

In UK terms, GBP 10,000 (INR 12.64 lakhs) is about 1.7 times the UK national living wage for a full-time week. For a one-year PG taught programme where international tuition at Hull sits in the mid-teens of thousands of pounds, the award cuts the headline tuition bill by between a third and half, depending on the course. It does not touch the GBP 1,048 (INR 1.32 lakhs) per month maintenance figure the Home Office requires Indian students to show for the visa.

Compared with Hull’s other merit awards, which cap at GBP 1,000 (INR 1.26 lakhs) to GBP 5,000 (INR 63.21 lakhs), the GREAT route is the single largest Hull scholarship an Indian PG applicant can target at the January intake. The university’s full University of Hull scholarship list runs several smaller awards for the September cycle instead.

Indian students targeting Hull’s January 2027 intake have a 27-day window from today’s date to lock the offer, the English score, and four tight essays. The scholarship is a one-shot cycle, and Hull does not operate a rolling GREAT round for the September 2027 intake under the same India-only slot. Missing the November 12 cutoff means waiting for the next British Council GREAT announcement, which usually opens mid-2027 for the following academic year.

Action Plan for Indian Applicants

1. Submit the Hull PG course application today and chase the admissions office for an offer letter within 2 weeks
2. Book or confirm an IELTS slot that returns a 6.5 overall by the first week of November 2026
3. Draft the four 250-word essays this week, mapping each to Hull’s four scoring criteria
4. Lodge the scholarship form before 5:30 AM IST on 13 November 2026 to avoid a UK-time rollover miss
5. Keep INR 26 lakh in liquid funds anyway: if the award does not come through, Hull’s January 2027 CAS still needs full tuition and one year of maintenance on your bank statements

Keep an Eye On: The Hull scholarships office is expected to email shortlisted Indian candidates between late November and mid-December 2026, ahead of the January 2027 enrolment. Final award confirmation must land before the visa CAS is issued, so chase Hull directly if there is no update by 15 December 2026.

Also check: UK Scholarships for Indian Students 2026-27: Full Guide