Global Pathways

We want to make sure that international students are an integral part of the Aston University community.

Our partnerships with education providers provide pathways for students to progress to Aston University. This strategic partnership is a valued route to Aston, where an international student can gain the necessary skills, qualifications and confidence to study in the UK by taking an NCUK programme, whether that be an International Foundation, or an International Year One programme or the Pre Masters preparatory opportunity. These pathways offer the opportunity for an international student to gain the necessary skills, qualifications and confidence to study in the UK.

NCUK – Study at one of 80+ centres around the world

Since 1987, NCUK has helped over 30,000 international students gain access to university.

You have a choice of over 80 study centres worldwide to study the skills and qualifications you need to succeed at university, including the language preparation module, English for Academic Purposes (EAP).

Please contact international@aston.ac.uk via email for more information on applying.

Undergraduate pathways

You can study the NCUK International Foundation Year and gain entry to the first year of our undergraduate degrees.

You can also study the NCUK International Year One programme and gain entry to the second year of the following programmes:

For more information, visit the NCUK website.

Postgraduate pathways

You can study a pre-Master’s programme and gain the qualifications and skills you need to study a Master’s programme at Aston.

For more information, visit the NCUK website.

Scholarships

NCUK Partnership Scholarships 2024

Applications for September 2024 scholarships will open soon. Please check this page for updates.

Aston University is proud to offer a range of scholarships for international students who are currently studying on NCUK Pathway Programmes.

Details of the 2023/24 scholarship scheme are provided below:

All NCUK students are welcome to apply for any of the Aston University International Scholarships if they meet the criteria, but in addition to these we also have the following scholarships available exclusively to NCUK students for the September 2023/24 intake:

Undergraduate students

NCUK Students currently studying in:	Scholarship value
Sub-Saharan Africa	£5,000
Pakistan	£5,000
South America/ Peru	£3,000
Turkey	£3,000
Algeria	£5,000
Middle East	£5,000
Indonesia	£3,000
Vietnam	£5,000
UK	£5,000

The NCUK scholarship awards of £5,000 are available as a multi year award, across a maximum of three years of study. You could benefit from a total of £15,000* to help with the costs of your degree.

*With an additional £2,550 if you include a placement year.

The NCUK scholarship awards of £3,000 are a one off award for the first year of entry

Postgraduate students

Postgraduate NCUK Global Scholarships

£5,000

When is the application deadline?

Please submit your application by midnight on Thursday 31 May 2023.

How to apply?

To apply for an NCUK Scholarship, you will need to apply for an eligible Aston University undergraduate or postgraduate course first. Once you have received an offer to study an Aston University course, you can then log into your My Aston Portal (MAP) account, where you will find a link to the scholarship application form. Details on how to access your MAP account can be found in your offer email.

You have the option to submit either a 1-minute video or a 400-word personal statement. Details of the brief for the video and personal statement are below:

Please create a 1-minute video to answer the question - “What skills and attributes do you consider you have to make you a good role model, and how will you use your study at Aston to get the best out of yourself and succeed in your aims and aspirations?” (Please note - to ensure a fair application process, if your video is longer than 1 minute we will only consider the first 1 minute of the video.)

Please upload your video to YouTube (or an alternative platform if YouTube is not available in your country) and submit the video link on the 'NCUK Scholarship' application page on My Aston Portal (MAP).

Please submit a 400-word personal statement on “What skills and attributes do you consider you have to make you a good role model, and how will you use your study at Aston to get the best out of yourself and succeed in your aims and aspirations.?”

Please submit your statement on the 'NCUK Scholarship' application page on My Aston Portal (MAP).

What happens next?

If your application is successful, you will be awarded £3,000 or £5,000 (in the form of a tuition fee discount). We will contact you by email to let you know if your application was successful. Please note, we will communicate scholarship decisions 2 weeks after the deadline date. If you have any further questions, you are welcome to contact international@aston.ac.uk.

Terms and Conditions

International Scholarships Terms and Conditions for September 2023 and January 2024133.39 KB

Top tips for recording your video

Record your video on your phone or laptop – try to keep the device as still as possible while filming, and make sure that your device is level with your face. Please upload your video to YouTube (or an alternative platform if YouTube is not available in your country) and submit the video link on the 'NCUK Scholarship' application page on My Aston Portal (MAP).

Film indoors to avoid background noise.
Avoid filming with your back to a window.
Keep your device still whilst filming.
Be innovative - show us your creative skills.
Show us that you’re proud, passionate and a great communicator.

Meet our students

NCUK qualifications enable international students to gain the necessary skills, qualifications, and confidence to study in the UK. We caught up with four students who have progressed to Aston University through NCUK to find out how they have found the experience and why they chose Aston University to continue their studies.