Aspire Scholarship Frequently Asked Questions

Read the frequently asked questions below on the UCL Computer Science Undergraduate Aspire Award.

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If you can’t find the answer to your question, please get in touch with us: CS-EDI-Officer@ucl.ac.uk 

Eligibility criteria 

What is the Eligibility criteria for 2025?

Candidates must:

  • Based in the UK with home fee status or be a forced migrant (as defined by UCL)
  • be from a Black or mixed Black background
  • have accepted an offer of admission to study Computer Science BSc undergraduate, Computer Science MEng or Mathematical Computation MEng or Robotics and Artificial Intelligence MEng programmes for the 2025 intake
  • have not completed undergraduate study either at UCL or elsewhere previously.

Eligible candidates must also meet at least one of the additional criteria detailed below: 

  • be in financial need as assessed by UCL (household income of less than £42,875) 
  • receive (or were eligible for) free school meals
  • have a disability (underrepresented group in Higher Education)
  • be a care leaver (underrepresented group in Higher Education)
  • attend (or have attended) a low-performing school for either GCSE or A-level
  • live in a disadvantaged neighbourhood (we use POLAR classification and/or Index of Multiple of Deprivation (IMD) data to identify levels of financial, social, economic or educational deprivation, as defined by home postcode).

Will I be assessed on my academic merit for the Aspire Award scholarship?

You must meet academic requirements. This will be assessed by the admissions team and you must have received and accepted an offer to study a Computer Science BSc undergraduate or Computer Science MEng or Mathematical Computation MEng or Robotics and AI MEng programmes in 2025 to be able to apply for the Aspire Award scholarship.

UCL Computer Science will not assess your academic ability further.

How will my UK domiciled, and home fee status be assessed?

Your UK domiciled and home fee status will be assessed by the Admissions teams and your offer letter will state what your fee status is. 

Applying to the Aspire Award Scholarship 

Do I need to have accepted an offer to study from the department of Computer Science first?

Candidates applying for an Aspire Award Undergraduate scholarship must have received an offer from UCL Computer Science to study an undergraduate programme starting in September 2025. You must have accepted your offer in order to apply for the Aspire Award Undergraduate scholarship.

What undergraduate programmes are available at UCL Computer Science?

The department of Computer Science offers two programmes:

  • Computer Science BSc 
  • Computer Science MEng
  • Mathematical Computation MEng
  • Robotics and Artificial Intelligence MEng

Do I need to have an unconditional offer to study an undergraduate programme at the department of Computer Science?

No. Your offer can be unconditional or conditional. If you are shortlisted and you have an unconditional offer you will go forward to the dialogue stage of the selection process.

If you are shortlisted but your offer is conditional on your ‘A’ level results, we will check your results when they are published and if you have met your requirements, you can go forward to the dialogue stage of the selection process.

If you are awarded a scholarship, you must submit an unconditional offer letter by emailing CS-EDI-Officer@ucl.ac.uk by 18 August 2025.

There is no guarantee that we can accommodate awarded candidates who do not meet the requirement of having an unconditional offer by 18 August 2025.

What is the application process?

Once you have accepted an offer from UCL Computer Science for an undergraduate programme to start in September 2025, you can submit your application for The Aspire Award.

The application form will be available on our website from June 2025. Candidates must complete an application by 18 August 2025.

We will consider your educational, personal and financial circumstances. You will need to demonstrate these in your application form.

As part of the application process, shortlisted candidates will be asked to engage in a one-to-one dialogue with the Windsor Fellowship to discuss anything else which you feel might support your application.

This will not include describing or detailing your academic abilities and/or research plans. Dialogues will be conducted electronically via an appropriate method agreed between the Windsor Fellowship and the applicant e.g. telephone, Zoom etc. They will be scheduled by the Windsor Fellowship after the application deadline.

The selection panel will assess your application based on information provided on your scholarship application form and the information you provide in your one-to-one dialogue with the Windsor Fellowship. The assessment of applications will be made in relation to the eligibility criteria.

When does the Aspire Award scholarship application form open?

The application form will be available from June 2025. We will consider your educational, personal and financial circumstances. You will need to demonstrate these in your application form.

Is there a deadline for applying?

Yes, the deadline is 23.59 (BST) on 18 August 2025.

How soon after applying will I find out the outcome?

The successful applicants will be notified by email by 29 August 2025. Those with conditional offers will need to provide an unconditional offer letter by 29 August 2025 in order to confirm their award allocation. 

Post-acceptance

Besides academic supervision, what other support is available while studying?

As part of The Aspire Award, ongoing academic support will be provided by UCL Computer Science alongside mentoring from the Windsor Fellowship. You can also you find a wealth of support for your wellbeing from UCL student services and from the Student Union.

Can I apply for The Aspire Award if I want to study part-time?

No. There is currently no part-time option for undergraduate programmes.

Can I work while studying?

The stipend is designed to enable scholars to focus on their studies full time. Limited, occasional amounts of part time work may be possible. You should discuss this with personal tutor.

Can international students apply?

No. For 2025 The Aspire Award scholarship is for UK domiciled students on home fees only.

Can I defer my studies and keep my scholarship offer?

No. The scholarship offer cannot be deferred. You must take up your place in September 2025.

Can I interrupt my studies?

Please consult the Changes to your study pages to understand the process for interrupting your studies. You must then consult your supervisor and department before making any decisions. Each case will be assessed on its own merits.

If I need to repeat a year, will I receive funding for it?

No - the funding is available for a specific number of years.

What happens if I have to withdraw from my studies?

Please consult the Changes to your study pages to understand the process for interrupting your studies. You must then consult your supervisor and department before making any decisions. Each case will be assessed on its own merits. 

Scholarship value

How much is the fixed allowance amount?

The maintenance stipend for 2025/26 is £20,000 per year.

How many years funding will I get?

You will be funded for the full length of your programme. This may be three or four years depending on your programme.

Will the fees and allowance be paid directly to me?

The fees will be paid directly by the department to UCL fees. The maintenance stipend will be paid to you in three termly instalments (October, January and April).

If I to relocate to London to study is there any financial support available?

There is no additional funding to cover relocation.

Can I accept The Aspire Award scholarship in addition to other internal or external awards?

The award may be held in conjunction with other scholarships or bursaries, as long as the total value of all the additional scholarships you hold does not exceed £26,057. You must inform UCL Computer Science if you hold other awards. Failure to notify the team that you hold other awards may result in the loss of your scholarship.  

Partnerships

If you would like to work in partnership with UCL Computer Science to support a scholar, please visit our website now to make a donation.