Eligibility
You can apply to any registered university or institution in The United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland).
No, but we do expect you to have made an application to your course, unless your course opens for applications after the stage 1 deadline.
If you are awarded a scholarship, you will need to have a confirmed offer before we can process your award.
No. Your course must begin in the academic year 2026/2027 to qualify for the 2026 Snowdon Master’s Scholarship. Your course must start between August 2026 and June 2027.
Yes. As long as your course begins between August 2026 and June 2027.
Yes, your course can be taught in person, online or as hybrid. However, your course must be taught by a university or institution registered in The United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland). You must also be residing in the UK throughout the duration of your course.
- Yes, your course can be taught part-time or full-time.
- Your course can be delivered over any duration. The award will be released in instalments over the duration of your course.
- The course must be a full master’s degree such as MA, MSc, MRes/MPhil, MML and MBA, awarding 180 higher-education credits.
- A postgraduate study programme where you are applying for the master’s year in year one of a longer study programme is eligible, but you cannot apply for the final master’s year of an integrated undergrad/postgrad qualification.
- Master’s programmes that would otherwise be funded by your employer or Access to Work are not eligible.
We will only fund a full Master’s Course. A “top up” or conversion course does not qualify for this award.
In exceptional circumstances, where the reason for studying a second master’s programme is directly related to disability. This might be because your disability has occurred since completion of a first master’s or because your health or condition has deteriorated such that you are no longer able to work in a previous role and need to retrain.
We understand that disability is defined differently within different contexts and by individual preference. We cannot provide an exhaustive list or reply to individual queries about specific health conditions, impairments or disabilities. If you believe, based on the information you have read in the eligibility criteria, that you align with our application remit, you are welcome to apply.
You will be asked to provide a complete document that shows your name and that your diagnosed disability or disabilities:
- A letter from your doctor or other relevant medical letter
- A letter from an official source e.g. about your Disabled Students Allowance, Education Health and Care Plan, or other state benefits
No, there is no upper age limit, but you will need to demonstrate the scope of your future ambitions in your application.
Only if you have UK home fee status.
If you are awarded a scholarship we may ask to see proof of your eligibility. This should be a copy of your course offer letter which states your fee status.
Yes. A previous a Snowdon Trust Grant does not prevent you from applying for the Master’s Scholarship.
Application process and how to apply
If you are invited to complete stage 2, you will need to provide the following;
- Disability: a complete copy of something that confirms your disability diagnosis. This could be:
- A letter from a doctor or other relevant medical letter
- A letter from an official source eg. Disabled Students Allowance, Education Health and Care plan or other state benefits
If your application is successful and you are made an award, you will need to provide the following:
- Study place: evidence that you have applied for your course. If you are awarded a scholarship, your award will not be processed until you receive a confirmed offer.
- Proof of your UK home fee status: you can show this through your offer letter.
For information on the application process, please see our process pages.
You can apply here or via the link on our scholarships page.
You can find guidance on filling in the application here.
We assume you are likely to be applying for similar courses within the same subject area, rather than e.g. one in maths and another in fine art. Your general plans and ambitions should still be appropriate to discuss in relation to your planned area of study.
All eligible candidates can submit a stage 1 application.
Being eligible does not guarantee your progression in the selection process. We expect to receive hundreds of applications. Only those who make the strongest case and whose ambitions align most closely with the intended awardee for this scholarship will be invited to submit a stage 2 application.
Please read our guidance notes carefully when preparing your answers.
No. Only finalists who are shortlisted following stage 2 will be invited for an interview.
No. If your application reaches the final shortlist, the Snowdon Trust team will contact your referee and request a reference on your behalf.
Please ensure you have your referee’s permission to share their contact details with the Snowdon Trust, and confirm that they will be available to write you a reference between 8 and 19 of June.
No. Due to the high number of applications we receive, we regret that we are unable to provide individual feedback to unsuccessful applicants.
No. The deadline for submitting a stage 1 application is 19 March 2026 at 111:55pm GMT. No extensions or exceptions will be considered. We encourage you to submit your stage 1 application early.
If you are invited to submit a second stage application, the deadline to submit this is 30 April at 11:55pm (GMT). No extensions or exceptions will be considered.
Please prepare your answers and submit your application with plenty of time, especially if you are likely to experience technical or environmental issues.
General questions
We don’t set any requirements or restrictions on your ability to work or study alongside your master’s. However, we offer a generous scholarship with the intention that you can focus entirely on your studies.
We don’t make any restrictions on other funding you can apply for. Please note, if you are employed and your employer is due to fund your master’s programme you cannot apply for this scholarship.
You do not need to repay any of the scholarship.
There are no limits or expectations on how you use the maintenance stipend part of your scholarship. You’ll need to submit a report to us at the end of each term to release the next instalment of your allowance.
Yes, it must be split across the two payments. We’ll only award a maximum of £15,000 towards maintenance costs. The other component must be used towards your tuition fees, and is paid directly to your university.
Yes, the recording and other resources are available here.
This is a highly competitive award, and fewer than 2% of applicants will be awarded a scholarship.
This year, we have updated the eligibility criteria to make the scheme more manageable for both applicants and staff, with the aim of improving the probability of winning an award.
The Snowdon Master’s Scholarship has been designed to identify and accelerate exceptional disabled students through higher education, creating the influencers of the future. Successful recipients will receive up to £30,000 divided between a contribution towards fees and an allowance/maintenance stipend.
Snowdon Trust disability-related study costs grants typically contribute towards accessibility costs not covered by statutory funding. These are costs that disabled students need to pay in order to get to their lectures, access study materials or live on campus. The maximum grant value is £5,000.
Please click here to find out more about the Disabled Leaders Network.
Longlisted applicants of the Snowdon Master’s Scholarship are invited to join the DLN.
This is a highly competitive award so when we talk about exceptional, we are looking for applications from individuals who have something special to offer.
We are searching for remarkable individuals who have the capability and qualities to become an outstanding leader, role model or pioneer in their area of expertise and beyond. Individuals with the ability to create change and influence others. This could include excellence within a chosen field of study, or the ability to demonstrate leadership more widely through the workplace, extracurricular activities and leading by example.
If you are worrying about whether you are exceptional enough, remember, that’s something good leaders do a lot of!
We are searching for outstanding candidates who are high achievers in their field.
We are searching for people that are truly passionate about their chosen subject. Excellence could be measured by results, performances, exhibitions, or any other subject related experience. Projects, extracurricular and workplace experience all count towards subject related experience.
No, you do not need to submit a separate application to be considered for the DFN Snowdon Masters Scholarship. Applications that align with the DFN aims will be identified during the usual application process.
You can find out more about our partnership with DFN Charitable Foundation here.
