Hatfield Lioness Postgraduate Scholarship 2025-26

Background

The aim of the Hatfield Lioness Scholarship is to enable a female student from a developing country where access to tertiary education is limited to benefit from undertaking postgraduate study at the Durham University. The scholarship was launched as part of the celebration of 30 years of women students at Hatfield College, Durham University in 2018, and is funded by alumni, friends of the College and other sources supportive of the scholarship’s aims. 

Hatfield College aims to award the Lioness Scholarship to an individual who has the academic and personal qualities to enable them to complete and benefit from a postgraduate course, and who will also act as a positive ambassador for their home country in Durham, and put their enhanced knowledge and skills gained from the master’s programme and experience in Durham to good use for the benefit of their society when they return home.

Eligibility

• Applicants must have applied for and been offered an unconditional place on their chosen master’s programme by June 2025
• Applicants must not be in receipt of any other scholarship to fund their postgraduate studies
• Applicants must be or identify as a woman
• Applicants must be a national of one of the following countries:

Level & Mode of study

Full Time Taught Master’s Degree programmes.

Year of Entry

The Scholarship is available for students starting a degree programme in September/October 2025.

Programmes

All except MBA, PhD and research Master's programmes. 

Further information

Applicants should:

• hold a relevant honours degree of sufficient standard to be admitted to your chosen Master’s course ; and
• have all other course entry requirements including the relevant English language qualification;
• not hold a Master’s degree; and
• not otherwise have the financial means to study for a Master’s degree in the UK.

Funding Details

The Scholarship will cover:

• full payment of University tuition fees
• stipend for living expenses
• fully funded, self-catered or fully catered, mixed accommodation at Hatfield College
• one return economy air ticket from the home country to the UK, and the cost of return travel between the UK airport and Durham City
• ‘settling in allowance’ on arrival
• cost of UK visa and the UK Health surcharge.

Restrictions:

• the Scholarship does not provide funding for dependants, nor for travel during the Scholarship.
• accommodation is for the Scholarship holder only; dependants cannot be accommodated.

Number of awards available

1

How to apply

There are two stages to an application for the Hatfield Lioness Scholarship.  First you must apply to Durham University to study your chosen Master's programme.  Secondly, you must apply to Hatfield College to be considered for a Lioness Scholarship by the College deadline.

Stage 1: Submit an academic application and the necessary documentation for your chosen master’s programme at Durham University; within this application you should reference your intention to apply for the Hatfield Lioness Scholarship;

Stage 2: Submit an application for the Hatfield College Lioness Scholarship and submit all supporting documents (Durham University offer letter, academic transcript, references and IELTS certificate) via email by the College deadline on 31 March 2025. You can complete the application form here.

Application deadline

To be considered for the Hatfield College Lioness Scholarship, please apply with the relevant documentation, including your offer letter for a programme of study at Durham University, to hatfield.development@durham.ac.uk.

Candidates will hear the outcome of their Hatfield College Lioness Scholarship application by mid-June 2025.

Contact

For further information or advice:

Email: hatfield.development@durham.ac.uk

Kindly do not write to any other email for information or enquires on the Hatfield Lioness Scholarship, including hatfield.trust@durham.ac.uk . If you do so, we will be unable to guarantee you a swift reply.