Athlete support

We offer essential sporting and academic support for student athletes who are committed to succeeding on the international stage.

Sport Scholarship funding is available in the range of £500 - £10,000, which will be allocated annually on a case-by-case basis. The level of funding awarded to an athlete is calculated based on a holistic approach looking at various factors, such as:

  • Athlete performance level
  • Academic fees
  • Financial hardship
  • Relative national and international competition level of the athlete's sport
  • Relative cost of the athlete's sport
  • Other support available to the athlete through internal and external programmes

To be considered for a scholarship, applicants must fulfil the following:

  • Hold, or be in the process of applying for, a place on an undergraduate or postgraduate degree programme at the University
  • Currently competing at junior international standard or better in their chosen sport
  • Ready to be fully involved in university sport, and in particular British University and College Sport (BUCS) Competition

Our approach to awarding scholarships ensures as many athletes as possible receive appropriate and impactful support for their dual-career progression.

Support on offer

In addition to financial support, our scholarship athletes receive top-level sport-specific support at no personal cost, including:

  • Strength & Conditioning (including tailored programmes and expert tuition)
  • World-class sport-specific coaching
  • Facility access
  • Branded kit
  • Sports Psychology
  • Sports Nutrition
  • Physiotherapy
  • Anti-doping Education
  • Academic Flexibility

 

Named Scholarship Support

We are incredibly grateful to our alumni and friends whose generous donations support our sport scholars. Along with the supporters of our general Sports Scholarship Fund, we are grateful to the individuals who provide support for several named scholarships available to our athletes:

Donald Oliver ScholarshipElite Sport
Richard Davidson Sports Scholarship Orienteering / Endurance 
Stockman Scholarship for Sporting Excellence Athletics/ Cross Country
Reynard Swimming ScholarshipSwimming
Keri Holdsworth AwardLadies Rugby
Ben Helm Rowing PrizeRowing
Gary Painter Rowing PrizeRowing
Tim Lees Rowing Access BursaryRowing
Dr D J Baillache Rowing ScholarshipRowing

If you would like to donate to our Sports Scholarships Fund, you can donate online via the link below. If you would like to discuss setting up your own named scholarship, please get in touch with our sports philanthropy team: peter.sawkins@ed.ac.uk or cara.mckeown@ed.ac.uk 

Winning Students 100

The University of Edinburgh is a member of the Winning Students network

Winning Students 100 is a world-leading dual-career programme that supports 100 of the most talented student athletes studying at Higher and Further Education institutions in Scotland.

Since the original Winning Students scholarships launched in 2008, the programme has supported over 1500 student athletes, including world and Olympic champions. An advisory board, comprising representatives from the various sectors, provide guidance on the development of the programme.

The scholarships can be used on a range of support services, and through partnership with the sportscotland institute of sport, the support received compliments existing support for each athlete.

A key element of the scholarships is the creation of a network of member colleges and universities. For a student to gain support, their institution must be a member of the network.

Award: Up to £3,000

Further information

For more information, eligibility criteria and applications deadlines please see:

Winning Students Scotland