A funded master's abroad is won on the calendar as much as on merit. Scholarship deadlines close a full year before you start, and the applicants who miss out are usually the ones who started late — not the ones who were unqualified. Here's a month‑by‑month plan for a September 2027 entry.
~15–18 months out (spring–summer 2026)
- Shortlist programmes and countries. Use the destinations and university pages to compare verified programmes, tuition and English requirements.
- Book your English test early. Know your target from our tests pages and leave room to retake.
~12 months out (autumn 2026)
- Scholarship season opens. The big fully funded schemes — Chevening, Commonwealth, Fulbright and many national awards — open now and close between November and February. Track dates on the deadline calendar and each scholarship profile.
- Draft essays and secure references. These take longer than you think.
~9–11 months out (winter 2026–27)
- Submit university applications. Many scholarships require an admission offer before their own deadline, so applying to courses early is essential.
- Submit scholarship applications before they close.
~3–6 months out (spring–summer 2027)
- Interviews and results. Scholarship interviews and final decisions land here.
- Accept your offer, then start the visa — gather financial evidence (the living‑cost figures on our cost pages) and apply as soon as your place is confirmed.
Final weeks
- Housing, insurance, flights, arrival.
The theme is simple: funding deadlines drive everything, and they're early. Start with the scholarship matcher to find the awards you're eligible for, then work the calendar backwards from their deadlines.