The ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ and The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation (CSF) are pleased to be accepting applications for eligible students commencing undergraduate study in the 2026-2027 academic year.
The ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ and The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation (CSF) will offer a scholarship to support Black African and Caribbean heritage applicants from socio-economically challenged backgrounds. Applicants must be ordinarily resident in the UK and commencing undergraduate study in the academic year 2026-2027.
The Cowrie Scholarship Foundation wants to fund 100 Black British students through UK universities in the next decade. More information on the Foundation can be found .
I am delighted that our University is partnering with the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation. As an institution, we are committed to fair access and participation in higher education and recognise the structural barriers which result in a lower proportion of Black UK students studying at Russell Group universities. More work is needed, not only to widen access, but also to ensure that students feel at home, achieve excellent results and progress to their chosen careers or postgraduate study. These scholarships will form part of our broader Widening Participation strategy.
We have one scholarship available for 2026 entry. Ìý
The scholarship will cover home tuition fees in full for students completing their first undergraduate degree (inclusive of BSc/BEng or MSc/MEng UG integrated master’s programmes). Intercalation, integrated foundation years, and industrial placement years are excluded from this offer. Ìý
The successful scholar will also receive a maximum maintenance stipend of £8,000 per annum, which is tenable for the duration of their programme of study. This £8000 will be comprised of the ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ Undergraduate Bursary and the Cowrie stipend.
You must meet all of the following criteria to be considered for this scholarship: Ìý
1. Identify as belonging to one of the following ethnic groups:Ìý
2. Have firmly accepted an offer of a place by the relevant UCAS deadline on a first undergraduate full time degree programme at the ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ, commencing study in the 2026-2027 academic year.
3. Have been assessed for fee status as a 'home' student.
4. Have a verified (by Student Loans Company) household income of £35,000 or less.ÌýÌýÌý
5. Made an application to your regional student funding authority for income assessed UK government financial support for higher education students.
6.ÌýConfirmation you will be in receipt of both Tuition and Maintenance loan elements for the 2026/27 academic year.
The regional student funding authorities are:
Priority will also be given based on applicants' area of residence and measures of educational challenges, often referred to as socio-economic metrics. Further information on widening access at the ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ can be found here.Ìý
As part of the application process you will be asked to provide standard information and complete a personal statement. Your application will be assessed based on your personal statement of no more than 700 words, explaining: ÌýÌý
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an online interview between late May and early June.Ìý
The interview gives you an opportunity to tell us more about yourself and why you would benefit from receiving the Scholarship.Ìý
A small selection panel will review the application form and interviews to decide on the award recipient.
All applicants will be notified by the first week of September.
All applicants will receive notification by the first week of September.
Do not contact the Foundation as all awards and notifications will come from the partner university.
If you have any questions please contact us on studentinclusion@soton.ac.uk .