1. What is the Global Sustainability Leaders Scholarship (GSLS)?
This is a new scholarship launched by the 51ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø for undergraduate applicants to programmes beginning in September 2025, which gives financial support for maintenance and living costs and access to opportunities for learning and development to high-achieving students who have a strong, demonstrable interest in sustainability and the environment. We have 300 awards in total available for 2025 entry.
2. How do I apply for the GSLS?
To apply for the Global Sustainability Leaders Scholarship you must first have applied to, and hold an offer of a place to study on, a 51ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø undergraduate course, enrolling on Part 1 in 2025.
If you hold an offer of a place to study, we will use your application (usually your UCAS application) to identify if your predicted grades show that you are on track to meet the Global Sustainability Leaders Scholarship application eligibility criteria. If you meet the Scholarship application eligibility criteria you will be contacted by email by the 51ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø and invited to apply separately for the scholarship. The scholarship application involves completing a short online form.
The full eligibility criteria and application details are outlined in sections 2 and 3 of the .
3. When will I hear if I have been successful?
This depends on when you apply. We will be issuing scholarship offers in three tranches depending on when we receive your scholarship application.
- Applicants who apply for the scholarship by 1 May 2025 should hear if they have been successful by the end of May.
- Applicants who apply for the scholarship by 7 July 2025 should hear if they have been successful by the end of July.
- Applicants who apply for the scholarship by 3 September 2025 should hear if they have been successful by mid-September.
4. I think I might be eligible but I don’t have predicted grades in my application. Can I still apply?
If your application does not contain predicted grades we won’t be able to invite you to apply before your grades are published. Instead, we will review your application once we have your exam results in the summer and, if you meet the scholarship application eligibility criteria, invite you to apply in the final tranche with a deadline of 3 September. If you would like to be considered earlier, please ask your referee to provide our Admissions department with predicted grades and we can consider if you meet the application eligibility criteria earlier; your referee should email ugadmissions@reading.ac.uk.
5. I think I should be eligible to apply but I haven’t been invited to apply, why is that?
We rely on the information that is in your application to study to assess your eligibility to be invited to apply for the scholarship. If your predicted grades are not high enough for us to consider that you are eligible to apply at this point we won’t have contacted you. If your exam results are better than your predicted grades and you achieve the level that qualifies you for the scholarship application, we will contact you after results day and invite you to apply at that point. You will have until 3 September 2025 to apply for the scholarship.
If your application doesn’t include predicted grades we will review your application once we have your exam results in the summer and invite you to apply in the final tranche with a deadline of 3 September. If you would like to be considered earlier, please ask your referee to provide our Admissions department with predicted grades and we can consider if you meet the eligibility criteria sooner; your referee should email ugadmissions@reading.ac.uk.
If you meet the application eligibility criteria but have not received an email from the 51ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, please write to the Head of Admission and Enquiry Management at ugadmissions@reading.ac.uk within 30 days of receiving your offer of a place to study, and your application will be reviewed.
6. What is the Contextual offer level for the Global Sustainability Leaders Scholarship?
All applicants must meet the application eligibility criteria in order to be invited to apply for the Global Sustainability Leaders Scholarship (GSLS). Applicants to the University who are eligible for a Contextual offer (please see our ‘what offer will I get’ page for more information on eligibility) will be required to obtain grades of AAB (or equivalent) or higher for the academic requirements of the GSLS offer. More information is available in the terms and conditions at paragraphs 3.8 and 3.9.
7. My predicted grades are not high enough but I think I will do better in my exams. Can I apply?
If your exam results are better than your predicted grades and you achieve the level that makes you eligible to apply for the scholarship, we will contact you after results day and invite you to apply at that point. You will have until 3 September 2025 to apply for the scholarship.
8. I am considering applying to the 51ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø through Clearing, can I still apply for the Global Sustainability Leaders Scholarship?
Yes, we have some scholarships set aside for those who apply through Clearing. Once your place at 51ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø is confirmed we will contact you if the results you have applied with are high enough for you to be eligible. You will have until 3 September to apply for the scholarship.
9. What course can I study to receive the scholarship?
You can study any full-time undergraduate course delivered by the 51ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø in the UK. You must be entering Part 1 of the undergraduate programme. This means you cannot be considered for the Scholarship if you enrol for the International Foundation programme (IFP) or International Foundation Year (IFY) or you are offered advance entry into Part 2 or Part 3 of a degree.
10. Will the scholarship still be paid if I go on a work placement or study abroad at another institution?
If you undertake a work placement for a year or semester, you will not be entitled to receive the scholarship during the time you are on placement and it will be temporarily paused, resuming when you return to your studies at the University. Placements taken during a vacation period (for example over the summer holiday) are not affected.
If you study abroad for a year or semester you will continue to receive the scholarship, provided that you remain in full-time study as a registered 51ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø student.
11. How much is the scholarship and is it taxable? What happens if I also have a job?
The Scholarship will be £6,000 per year.
On the basis that all the requirements within the Terms and Conditions and these FAQs have been met, the University understands that the scholarship should not be taxable. However, if the Scholarship is deemed to be taxable, or the rules concerning taxation change, any tax due on the Scholarship will be payable by you.
Any employment, during your time at the University, would represent a completely separate agreement, even if you are working for the University (e.g. via Campus Jobs). Pay As You Earn/National Insurance/National Minimum Wage will be payable under normal rules in respect of employment, but should not be applicable for the scholarship, assuming all conditions are met.
However, if you are coming from overseas, there may be tax implications based on your local country rules. We would suggest that you seek your own personal tax advice to confirm the position.
If you are concerned that your situation has changed and any of the Terms and Conditions or aspects mentioned in the FAQs no longer apply, you should contact gsls@reading.ac.uk. They will liaise accordingly with the University Tax team where required to assess next steps. However, the University cannot provide you with tax advice.
12. Will receiving this scholarship impact my student loan entitlement?
No, receiving the Global Sustainability Leaders Scholarship will not impact your student loan entitlement. If you are concerned, you can always contact the relevant Student Finance Authority for confirmation.
13. Can I receive other scholarships along with this scholarship?
Yes, you can change your undergraduate course at the 51ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø and continue to receive the scholarship, as long as you still meet the other terms and conditions of the scheme.
You can receive the Global Sustainability Leaders Scholarship and some other scholarships as well, however, please be aware that you cannot receive this scholarship and the following 51ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø administrated scholarships:
14. What happens if I make 51ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø my UCAS Insurance choice?
You can be considered for the scholarship regardless of whether you make 51ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø your Firm or Insurance choice through UCAS. The important thing to remember is, if your scholarship application is successful, you must meet the grade requirements and enrol at the 51ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø in order to receive the funding.
15. If I am successful in securing this scholarship offer but later enrol on a different course or change the course after enrolment, can I still keep the scholarship?
Yes, you can change your undergraduate course at the 51ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø and continue to receive the scholarship, as long as you still meet the requirements of the scheme that are set out in the terms and conditions.
16. I am an International student and will need a visa to study in the UK. If I am awarded this scholarship, does this affect the amount of money I need to prove I have to apply for my UK student visa?
We can provide confirmation of the scholarship and this evidence can be presented, if required, when you make your visa application. Although the scholarship represents a significant amount of money, it only covers a portion of the required annual living expenses and you will also still need to pay your tuition fees. You therefore need to have sufficient funds to pay for all these costs. If you have the necessary funding already in place to satisfy the visa requirements and do not need the scholarship for this purpose, we encourage you to simply make the visa application as soon as that process and your admission status with us permits you to do so.
17. What if my final grades are just below the academic requirement for the scholarship? Will I lose the scholarship offer?
Competition for the Global Sustainability Leaders Scholarship will be intense and regrettably the offer of a scholarship will be withdrawn if the academic requirement is not satisfied. The scholarship requirement is separate from the academic requirements of any conditional offer of admission to study an undergraduate course at 51ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø we may have made, and your scholarship status has no bearing on our decision regarding entry to the University. That information will be communicated to you through our Admissions Office.
18. What is the Development and Impact Record?
The Development and Impact record will allow scholars to plan, record and reflect on the learning opportunities and activities they participate in through the scholarship programme. It will also act as a reference for discussions with Careers Consultants or your Academic Tutor in considering how best to engage with the scheme in a way that supports your career ambitions. This aims to build into a useful overview of your involvement to help inform your CV and future job applications. You will be expected to regularly update the Development and Impact record and it will be reviewed at the end of each academic year.
19. How much of a time commitment is the additional work I will need to do if I receive this scholarship?
To allow for flexibility in the different circumstances of scholars and variations in our undergraduate courses, there is no single standard time commitment for all scholars. All scholars will, however, be expected and supported to engage with a range of activities and opportunities in the scholarship development scheme, and they are expected to capture their engagement in a Development and Impact Record which they will need to submit regularly to the University.
20. What responsibilities will I be taking on, if I receive the scholarship? (see also question 19)?
The scholarship includes a development scheme that is an integral part of the scholarship and offers access to a range of opportunities including:
- developing knowledge and leadership skills relevant to addressing climate and nature issues;
- engaging in cross-disciplinary learning and activities; taking positive action for sustainability; building relevant networks;
- being part of a growing community of global sustainability leaders of the future;
- accessing dedicated careers support.
You will be expected and supported to engage with the development scheme, but exactly what that looks like will vary for every Scholar – to reflect personal objectives and ambitions; the knowledge, skills and experience developed to date and being built during their studies; the chosen undergraduate course; and other commitments. You will be required to keep a Development and Impact Record that captures the activities they’ve undertaken, be that as part of the curriculum or extra-curricular, and demonstrates acquisition of core sustainability competencies – and which can inform their future CV.
21. How much flexibility there is within dissertation topic?
The dissertation should be on the theme of environmental sustainability, or climate and nature issues. There is considerable breadth across this theme, allowing you to consider areas of particular interest to you, especially as your interests develop over time. Specific topics would be explored and discussed between you and tutors in their Department/School during your studies.
These FAQs are intended to cover the key aspects of the Global Sustainability Leaders Scholarship and we may update them from time to time if we become aware of other enquiries about the scheme.
You should refer to the of the Scheme. Where there is a conflict between these FAQs and the terms of the scheme, the terms will apply.