NCUK

Prepare for an Aston University degree at one of 100+ NCUK centres around the world

Our partnerships with education providers create pathways for students to progress to Aston University.

This strategic partnership provides a valued route to Aston University. By completing an NCUK qualification - such as the International Foundation Year, International Year One, or Master's preparation programme - international students develop the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to study in the UK. They can then progress to Aston to gain a globally recognised degree from a leading UK institution.

NCUK – Study at one of 100+ centres around the world

Since 1987, NCUK has helped over 30,000 international students gain access to university.

You have a choice of over 80 study centres worldwide to study the skills and qualifications you need to succeed at university, including the language preparation module, English for Academic Purposes (EAP).

Please email us for more information on applying.

Undergraduate Pathways

You can study the NCUK International Foundation Year and gain entry to the first year of our undergraduate degrees.

You can also study the NCUK International Year One programme and gain entry to the second year of the following programmes:

For more information, visit the NCUK website.

Postgraduate Pathways

You can study a Master’s Preparation programme and gain the qualifications and skills you need to study a Master’s programme at Aston.

For more information, visit the NCUK website.

NCUK Articulation and Progression Scholarships 2026/27

NCUK Articulation and Progression Scholarship

The NCUK Articulation and Progression Scholarship supports international students progressing/articulating from an NCUK pathway programme to continue their studies at Aston University, Birmingham.

The scholarship provides a tuition fee reduction for eligible students progressing/articulating from an NCUK International Foundation Year (IFY), International Year One (IY1), or Master's Preparation programme (MP) and enrolling at Aston University for the September 2026 intake.

The scholarship is competitive and application-based, meaning applicants must submit a scholarship application to be considered. Meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee that a scholarship will be awarded. All applications are assessed in line with the published eligibility requirements and scholarship availability.

Scholarships are applied as a tuition fee reduction to the eligible programme of study and cannot be exchanged for cash or transferred to another programme, applicant, or intake.

Scholarship values

The available scholarship awards for NCUK students progressing/articulating to Aston University are shown below.

NCUK Students currently studying	Scholarship Value
NCUK International Foundation Year (IFY)	£6,500 tuition fee reduction (first year at Aston University)
NCUK International Year One (IY1)	£5,000 tuition fee reduction in Year 2 (first year at Aston University), with the potential to receive an additional £5,000 in the final year of study
NCUK Master's Preparation programme (MP)	£5,000 tuition fee reduction (first year at Aston University)

For students progressing/articulating from NCUK International Year One, the scholarship may be awarded across two academic years. Students who meet the continuation requirements during their first year at Aston University may receive a further £5,000 tuition fee reduction in their final year of study.

Continuation of the final-year award requires students to achieve an overall 60% average at first attempt, pass all modules at first attempt, and remain enrolled as an Overseas fee payer.

How to apply

To be considered for the NCUK Articulation and Progression Scholarship, applicants must complete the scholarship application form after receiving an offer to study at Aston University.

Applicants will be asked to submit a short written statement as part of the application explaining why they should be considered for the scholarship.

Applications are reviewed following the submission deadline. Where the number of eligible applications exceeds the available scholarship allocation, applications will be assessed competitively using the University’s internal evaluation process.

Key dates

Submission deadline: 14th June 2026 (midnight UK time)
Scholarship outcome: 30th June 2026
Deposit deadline: 21st July 2026 (midnight UK time)

Eligibility

To be eligible for the NCUK Articulation and Progression Scholarship, applicants must:

Be classified as an Overseas fee payer
Hold an offer for a full-time Undergraduate or Postgraduate Taught programme at Aston University, Birmingham
Be progressing/articulating directly from one of the following NCUK pathway programmes:
- NCUK International Foundation Year (IFY)
- NCUK International Year One (IY1)
- NCUK Master's Preparation programme (MP)
Meet all academic and English language entry requirements
Submit a completed scholarship application before the published deadline
Pay the required programme deposit and enrol for the September 2026 intake.

The scholarship is open to self-funded international students. Applicants whose studies are fully or partially funded by a sponsor are not normally eligible unless a formal agreement with Aston University confirms eligibility.

Programme exclusions

The following programmes are not eligible for the NCUK Articulation and Progression Scholarship.

Undergraduate

MBChB Medicine
MPharm Pharmacy
MOptom Optometry
BSc Nursing Studies
BSc Healthcare Science (Audiology)

Postgraduate

PGDip / MSc Overseas Pharmacy Assessment Programme (OSPAP)
MSc Physician Associate Practice
All MBA programmes
All MRes programmes
All research-only programmes

Additional programme exclusions may apply where specified by the University.

Terms and Conditions

Full eligibility criteria, scholarship conditions and continuation requirements are outlined in the NCUK Articulation and Progression Scholarship Terms and Conditions.

The full Terms and Conditions can be found below.

NCUK Articulation and Progression Scholarships (IFY, IY1 and PMP) Terms and Conditions_4.pdf707.19 KB

Meet our students

NCUK qualifications enable international students to gain the necessary skills, qualifications, and confidence to study in the UK. We caught up with four students who have progressed to Aston University through NCUK to find out how they have found the experience and why they chose Aston University to continue their studies.