The IOE Centenary Masters Scholarship is still running. UCL’s Institute of Education (IOE), its Faculty of Education and Society, offers it with International Students House (ISH) in London to students from low and lower-middle income countries. It pays full international tuition for a one-year, full-time master’s at IOE and a single room at ISH for the academic year. It does not pay a stipend, despite what several listing sites say.
As of 25 October 2026 the scholarship is closed. IOE says applications open again in January 2027. The 2026 round closed on 4 May 2026, so the deadline for the 2027/28 round is 4 May 2027 at 23:55 UK time, for courses starting in October 2027. You need an unconditional offer from UCL before you can apply, which in practice means applying for your master’s by early March.
Is the IOE Centenary Masters Scholarship still running?
Yes. IOE’s scholarships page lists it as closed for now, with applications reopening in January 2027, and its FAQ page gives the timetable used in 2026. The Centenary programme dates from IOE’s 100th anniversary, and IOE says more than 80 Centenary Scholarships have been awarded since 2002. Nothing on UCL’s pages suggests it is ending.
One caution: UCL’s FAQ page still shows the 2026 deadline next to the January 2027 opening, which reads oddly. I have treated the 2026 dates as last year’s cycle and rolled them forward. Check the FAQ page in January 2027, when IOE posts the new form.
IOE Centenary Masters Scholarship key facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | UCL Institute of Education with International Students House |
| Named awards | IOE International Students House Centenary Scholarship; Mary Trevelyan Centenary Scholarship |
| Covers | Full international tuition fees; a single room at ISH (shared bathroom and kitchen) for one academic year |
| Does not cover | Living costs, travel, family support; no cash is paid to you |
| Who can apply | People permanently domiciled in a World Bank low or lower-middle income country |
| Course | Full-time, campus-based master’s at IOE |
| Number of awards | Not published |
| Applications open | January 2027 |
| Deadline | 4 May 2027, 23:55 UK time |
| Results | By 12 June 2027 |
The opening month comes from IOE. The deadline and results dates are this year’s dates moved forward one year (based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens).
What the scholarship covers, and the stipend myth
Many listing sites say the award includes an annual stipend. UCL’s own FAQ says the master’s scholarship has no stipend. The stipend of £8,300 a year applies only to the separate IOE Centenary Doctoral Scholarship. The master’s award is also not cash: UCL pays your fees and ISH provides your room directly.
The international fee for IOE’s MA Education is £40,800 for 2027/28, and a room in central London for a year is one of the biggest costs of studying there, so the award removes most of your bill. What you must fund yourself is food, transport, books, your visa, health surcharge and flights.
| Cost | Covered? |
|---|---|
| International tuition fees | Yes, in full |
| Accommodation for the academic year | Yes, a single room at International Students House |
| Food, transport, books, phone | No |
| UK student visa fee and Immigration Health Surcharge | No |
| Flights to and from London | No |
| Partner or children | No |
| UCL application fee | No, and IOE will not waive it |
You cannot hold this award with another UCL scholarship. You can combine it with outside funding for living costs, such as a government grant, an employer or a family sponsor.
IOE Centenary Masters Scholarship eligibility
- Domicile: you are permanently domiciled in a country the World Bank classes as low income or lower-middle income. IOE’s 2026/27 list included India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Vietnam.
- Offer: you hold an unconditional offer letter from UCL Admissions for a full-time, campus-based IOE master’s.
- No UK history: you have never studied or lived in the UK.
- Start date: you will start in October of the scholarship year. Students already enrolled at IOE cannot apply.
Who is not eligible
- Nationals of eligible countries who already live in the UK
- Applicants holding only a conditional offer
- Offers from other UCL departments or other UK universities
- Part-time and online master’s students
- Applicants to the MA/MSc Educational Neuroscience
The “unconditional” rule catches many people. If your offer depends on an English test or your final degree result, it is conditional, and you cannot apply until UCL lifts the conditions. Take your English test early and send final transcripts as soon as you have them.
How to apply for the IOE Centenary Masters Scholarship
- Choose an IOE master’s: any full-time, campus-based IOE taught master’s except Educational Neuroscience. Popular choices include the MA Education and education and international development programmes.
- Apply to UCL early: UCL can take up to eight weeks to process a programme application. For the MA Education, applications for September 2027 opened on 19 October 2026 and close on 25 June 2027 for visa applicants, but you need your offer well before 4 May. Aim to apply by early March 2027 at the latest.
- Meet every condition: the MA Education asks for at least a second-class bachelor’s degree or an equivalent overseas qualification, one reference and English at UCL’s Level 2. Send proof as soon as you can so your offer becomes unconditional.
- Check your domicile country: confirm it is low or lower-middle income on the World Bank list IOE uses for that year.
- Complete the online scholarship form: once you have the unconditional offer letter, submit IOE’s scholarship application form (it opens in January 2027) before 23:55 UK time on 4 May 2027.
- Wait for the result: a panel of IOE academics, professional services staff and ISH representatives makes the selection. In 2026 every applicant was emailed a result by 12 June, whether or not they were selected.
- Accept and apply for your visa: winners then arrange their UK student visa, paying the visa fee and health surcharge themselves.
How to write a strong scholarship application
IOE has not published the questions on the 2027 form. Past listings describe the award as meant for people who will use their study to improve education for disadvantaged or excluded groups at home or elsewhere. Write as if that is the test, because a panel that includes ISH staff will look for both academic promise and commitment.
- Start with a real problem you have seen: children leaving school early in your district, girls missing out on secondary education, teachers with no training in special needs.
- Show what you have already done: teaching, volunteering, an NGO role, a small project you ran. Evidence beats intention.
- Link it to your IOE course: name modules or staff whose work fits your plan.
- End with a concrete return plan: the role you will take and the change you expect to make within a few years.
An opening like this works (it is a made-up example): “In the rural primary school where I have taught for four years, half of my Year 4 class cannot read a simple paragraph. I want to study literacy teaching at IOE so I can train teachers across my district to change that.”
Timing warning
The scholarship deadline is in May, but your unconditional offer must already be in hand. Most applicants who miss out do so because their UCL offer arrives too late or is still conditional. Apply for the course in the first weeks the portal is open.
Common mistakes
- Counting on a stipend: there is none for the master’s award. Plan your living costs from day one.
- Applying with a conditional offer: the form is for unconditional offer holders only.
- Choosing a part-time or online course: only full-time, on-campus study qualifies.
- Having lived in the UK before: any earlier UK study or residence rules you out.
- Checking the wrong country list: the World Bank updates income groups every July, so check the current classification.
Other IOE scholarships worth knowing
| Scholarship | Who it is for | Value |
|---|---|---|
| IOE Centenary Doctoral Scholarship | PhD applicants from low and lower-middle income countries | Fees, one year at ISH, £8,300 a year stipend, up to four years |
| IOE Windle Trust Scholarship | Refugees and people affected by conflict from East, Central and Horn of Africa, living in Kenya, Uganda, Sudan or South Sudan | One master’s scholarship a year |
| IOE Clarke Scholarships | Practising school teachers from South Africa | Tuition, return flights and a monthly stipend |
| IOE China Scholarship Council Scholarship | Chinese PhD students | Tuition from IOE, stipend from CSC |
How it compares with other UK master’s scholarships
| Scholarship | Covers | Living allowance? |
|---|---|---|
| IOE Centenary Masters | Tuition and one year of accommodation | No |
| Chevening Scholarship | Tuition, flights, visa costs | Yes, monthly stipend |
| Commonwealth Scholarship | Tuition, flights | Yes, monthly stipend |
| Manchester Global Futures Scholarship | £10,000 to £36,000 off tuition | No |
Chevening and Commonwealth awards pay living costs too, but they are far more competitive and have earlier deadlines. I would apply for one of them in the autumn and keep the IOE award as a strong second route if you are set on studying education in London.
Who should apply and who should not
Apply if you live in an eligible country, have never lived in the UK, want a full-time education master’s at IOE, and can fund about a year of food, transport and travel in London yourself or through a sponsor. Teachers, education officers and NGO staff with a clear plan for their communities fit the award best.
Skip it if you need a living allowance and have no other source of money, if you want a part-time or online course, or if your course is outside IOE. The visa rules require proof of living funds, so a fees-and-room award alone will not get you to London.
FAQs about the IOE Centenary Masters Scholarship
Is the IOE Centenary Masters Scholarship fully funded?
Not completely. It covers full tuition and a room at International Students House for the year, but there is no stipend for living costs.
When does the IOE Centenary scholarship open for 2027?
IOE says applications open in January 2027. The deadline is 4 May 2027, based on the 2026 date.
Can I apply for the IOE Centenary scholarship with a conditional offer?
No. You need an unconditional offer letter from UCL Admissions for a full-time IOE master’s before you submit the scholarship form.
Which countries are eligible for the IOE Centenary Masters Scholarship?
Countries the World Bank classes as low or lower-middle income. IOE’s 2026/27 list included India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Vietnam.
Sources and updates
Status, value, eligibility and the 2026 timetable come from UCL’s IOE scholarships and funding page and its scholarships and funding FAQs. Fees, entry requirements and application windows come from UCL’s MA Education course page. Country eligibility follows the World Bank’s income classification. Checked on 25 October 2026. I will update the dates when IOE opens the 2027 form in January.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
