Government opens £4,000-a-year TechFirst degree scholarship
Students starting or already on a UK degree can apply for £4,000 a year plus summer tech placements. Applications close on 15 January 2027 and need no coding experience.
The government opened applications for the TechFirst Undergraduate Scholarship on 2 November 2026, when it added the application form to its guidance page.
The guidance, from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, says the scholarship pays £4,000 for each year of full-time study at a UK university, for up to four years. Scholars also get summer placements of about eight weeks in a technology field, plus mentoring and careers support. The scheme focuses on six areas, including AI, cyber security and semiconductors.
Applicants can study any subject. School and college students must expect at least 120 UCAS tariff points (BBB at A level) and plan to start a full-time degree in September 2027. Current undergraduates must be on track for at least a 2:1 and have two years of full-time study left from September 2027. Applicants must qualify as UK home students.
Selection has three online stages: a form, an assessment and a video interview. The department says the process tests how candidates learn and solve problems, not what they already know about technology. It says it particularly welcomes women and students from lower-income backgrounds.
For a sixth former or student interested in tech, the deadline is 15 January 2027. Coding knowledge, tech qualifications and industry experience are not required. Most other UK government scholarships cannot be held at the same time.
The scholarship is part of TechFirst, the government's tech skills programme for young people. The guidance does not say how many scholarships will be awarded.
Sources
- Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (GOV.UK) TechFirst Undergraduate Scholarship
- Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (GOV.UK) TechFirst