Graduate Support Scheme

This scheme is open to all applicants for diploma and taught master's study, with the exception of those undertaking specific modular or executive programmes such as the MSc Finance (Part time), the MSc Health Economics, Policy and Management and the MSc International Strategy and Diplomacy.

Double degree students are also eligible for the GSS for their time at LSE - please refer to the information in the 'GSS for double degree programmes' section.

Points of note

• The GSS assesses on financial need, applications are means tested, it is not assessing academic merit.
• GSS awards are intended to supplement funding already secured or expected, and not to provide a full funding package to applicants.
• Attempts to secure financial support from other sources (eg help from household, non-LSE scholarships, government awards, loans, etc) are therefore viewed very favourably.
• Your chances of securing an award will increase if you provide as much information as possible about your individual financial situation.
• Concealing information or being dishonest normally only disadvantages an applicant. This is because we can only assess if we are able to assist an applicant, and the appropriate level of an award, if we have a full picture of an applicant's financial situation.
• The GSS is a competitive process, due to the large number of applicants applying, the means test threshold is set at a particularly low level.
• Access to the online application will be provided once you have submitted your application for admission.
• If you are offered a GSS award, the Financial Support Office will contact you and ask you to provide supporting documentation. If you are not able to provide the documentation or the documentation is not consistent with the information you supplied on the GSS form, we may amend or withdrawn your GSS award. 

More Frequently asked questions

The value of GSS awards ranges from £5,000 to £15,000, depending on financial need.

This scheme is aimed at supplementing applicants who already have some form of funding secured and need a bit more to cover all the costs at LSE. If you have a greater need, and you submit a personal statement with your Graduate Financial Support Application, you will be considered for other LSE scholarships which can offer a higher level of funding.

After you submit your application for admission to LSE, you will be given access to the Graduate Applicant Portal. This allows you to track all aspects of your application for admission and will include a link to the LSE Graduate Financial Support online application.

The deadline for completing the form for those starting at LSE in 2023 is the 27 April 2023 (applications close at 5pm UK time).

In order to be considered for funding, you must have received either an unconditional or a conditional offer of a place by 27 April 2023.

After submitting your Graduate Financial Support application, please allow up to 24 hours to receive a decision on your application.

We recommend that your application for admission is submitted well in advance of the April funding deadline. Read the guidance on when to apply for admission.

Funds are limited and we recommend you apply for funding as soon as possible.

We will use the information on the form to consider you for the Graduate Support Scheme and if you complete the personal statement section, for any other LSE scholarships and awards you may be eligible for.

Your financial information will not be considered as part of your application for a place at the School.

How to complete the LSE Graduate Financial Support Application

If you hold an offer of admission and submit the Graduate Financial Support Application you will normally receive an instant decision (updated after 24 hours) via the Graduate Applicant Portal. This is because the online application is able to automatically calculate an outcome from all the specific information you will have entered into the form.

Please do not contact us before you receive a formal offer of admission. If you do not receive an offer of admission, the data you have submitted will be destroyed.

If you submit an application after receiving an offer of admission, then there is no need to wait for a response as you will be able to see the updated outcome on the Graduate Applicant Portal.

Sections where we ask for free text responses are used to consider you for any other LSE scholarships offered for which you are eligible. Those decisions on other LSE Scholarships are released throughout May, June and July.

GSS awards

If you are offered a GSS award, you will not normally be considered for any further funding from LSE, as a GSS award will cover 100% of your funding shortfall as calculated by the Graduate Financial Support application.

If your financial circumstances, fee status, mode of study or programme of study changes, any award will be reviewed and may be amended or withdrawn.

Further information on the terms and conditions attached to all Graduate Support Scheme awards: Graduate Support Scheme award conditions

Other LSE awards

Unfortunately we do not have sufficient funding to be able to support as many applicants as we would like with awards from the Graduate Support Scheme. Competition for scholarships at Master's level is very strong.

If you are not offered a GSS award, you will be considered for all the other LSE awards for which you are eligible, using the information you provided on the Graduate Financial Support Application. 

We will only write to successful applicants regarding the outcome of these awards. Successful applicants will be contacted throughout May and June as decisions are made, we hope to have notified all successfull applicants by the end of July 2023. If you have not heard from the Financial Support Office by 31 July 2023, then unfortuantely your application has been unsuccessful.

Please note that LSE expects all students who register on a programme of study, regardless of its duration, to register with sufficient funds for the duration of their programme. There is no opportunity to apply to the GSS or for an LSE Scholarship once you have joined the School.

If you are an applicant to a double degree programmes, you are eligible to apply to the LSE Graduate Support Scheme for Year 2 at LSE. You will be invited to submit an LSE Graduate Financial Support Application during your first year (whilst at LSE's partner institution).

Applicants to any double degree programmes where you study at LSe for Year 1, should apply for LSE funidng in the standard way refereed to above.

Please note that LSE expects all students who register on a programme of study, regardless of its duration or whether one or more years takes place at a partner institution, to register with sufficient funds for the duration of their programme. Since there is no guarantee of receiving funding from the Graduate Support Scheme for the second year of your programme, it is important that you consider alternative options to ensure you can finance two years of study.

Once the funding deadline has passed we cannot consider any changes to the information already submitted in the LSE Graduate Financial Support Application.