ACU Global Grants 2026: Up to £5,000 for Undergraduate Students
Introduction
The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) Global Grants 2026 provide funding for undergraduate students at ACU member universities to attend short-term international academic programmes, including summer and winter schools, hosted by an ACU member institution in a different Commonwealth country.
The grants are designed to support academic development, international experience and knowledge exchange among students across the Commonwealth. A number of the grants are funded through the legacy of the HW Paxton Trust.
Applications opened on 14 July 2026, and 10 awards of up to £5,000 each are available.
Benefits
Successful applicants can receive:
- Up to £5,000 in grant funding.
- An opportunity to attend a short-term academic programme in another Commonwealth country.
- International academic experience.
- Opportunities for academic development.
- Opportunities for knowledge exchange with students and institutions across the Commonwealth.
A total of 10 awards are available:
- Five awards are allocated to citizens of the United Kingdom, funded by the HW Paxton Trust.
- Five awards are allocated to citizens of, or people holding refugee status in, Commonwealth countries other than the United Kingdom.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the ACU Global Grants, applicants must:
- Be registered as an undergraduate student at an ACU member institution.
- Be a citizen of, or hold refugee status in, a Commonwealth country.
- Identify an academic programme that is related to their studies.
- The proposed programme must be a short-term academic programme, such as a summer or winter school.
- The programme must take place in a Commonwealth country and be hosted by an ACU member institution.
- The programme must have an official start date between 1 December 2026 and 31 August 2027.
- Provide a letter of institutional support from either a departmental head or an academic/course supervisor at their university.
- Provide a letter of support from the proposed programme host.
Applicants should ensure that their proposed academic programme meets all the requirements before applying.
Deadline
The application deadline is:
25 August 2026 at 15:00 UTC
Applications opened on 14 July 2026.
How to Apply
Applicants should first review the FAQs and Global Grants Application Guidance provided by the ACU.
After reviewing the guidance, applicants must submit an application through the online application form.
If you already have a MyACU account, log in to the platform and access the grant application form.
If you do not have a MyACU account, you must first register for an account. After registration, follow the instructions provided in the registration email to log into the system and then access the application form.
Applicants should also ensure they have the required institutional support letter and programme host support letter before completing the application.
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The ACU Global Grants offer eligible Commonwealth undergraduates funding of up to £5,000 to gain international academic experience through approved short-term programmes.
Application Link
Application deadline: 25 August 2026, 15:00 UTC.
