Funding & scholarships

After school

When you’re weighing up the next steps after school, or your Sixth Form choices, the Royal Navy offers several options that can help secure your career.

Sixth Form scholarship scheme

Signing up to this programme gives you £1,050 a year while you study. And you get to experience life in the Royal Navy before you start your training. You need to be in Year 11 or 12 (4th or 5th Year at Scotrish secondary schools) in order to apply.

Welbeck College

If you’re an aspiring engineer, there is no better way to fast track your career than at Welbeck College – the Royal Navy’s Defence Sixth Form College near Loughborough.

This is a fee-paying, residential centre, equipped with some of the best facilities in the country. You will live on site, studying alongside other aspiring engineers aiming to work in the armed forces and the MOD civil service.

You can then go on to study engineering at university with all fees paid for by the Royal Navy.  After you graduate you will have a job waiting for you as an Engineer Officer.

Special Flying Award

If you want to kickstart your career as a Royal Navy Aircrew Officer, are eligible to do so and are aged between 16 to 21, then the Special Flying Award could be for you. There are two residential courses, the gliding award which lasts for eight days. And the powered award which runs for two weeks.

After A-levels

Once you’ve done your A-levels or equivalent, the Royal Navy gives you the option of studying and getting paid while you train. Then when you’ve finished, you’ll have a job waiting for you in the Royal Navy. There are a number of avenues open to you. Just take a look below.

Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme (DTUS)

With the DTUS you can study Engineering at university and then join the Royal Navy as an Engineer Officer.

Every year we sponsor just 70 students through their studies. If you get picked to be one of them, you could get £4000 a year – plus an extra attendance-based payment of around £1500 per year.

While you’re studying you’ll still be a civilian and enjoy a full and active university life. All you need to do for the Royal Navy is complete at least 45 training days each year – including weekly training nights during term-time. There are also some military attachments and exercises during Easter and summer holidays.

Then, when you graduate, you’ll have a job in the Royal Navy as an Engineer Officer. You will need to complete at least three years in the service once you’ve finished your professional training.

Military Aviation Academy

If you’re an aspiring Aircrew Officer you could get a foundation degree in Military Aviation Studies from the Open University while you learn to fly. And you won’t have to pay any tuition fees. You can apply straight from school or college – and you’ll even be on a full salary while you study.

Foundation degree for Warfare Naval College entrants

If you don’t have a degree when you join BRNC as a Warfare Officer, you’ll automatically be registered with the University of Plymouth for a foundation in Naval Studies – which is fully funded by the Royal Navy.

As with the Aircrew foundation degree, you’ll be earning a good salary while you study. And if you want, you can move on to an honours degree which we’ll also pay for.

University years

With our bursaries and cadetships you won’t need to worry about the mounting cost of university fees. You will also have the security of knowing there’s a job in the Royal Navy waiting for you once you’ve finished your studies.

So take a look at our financial support packages below.

Bursaries

If you’re planning to go to university, or you’re already studying for your degree, you can apply for one of our bursary schemes. You’ll then be known as a ‘bursar’, during which time you will still be a civilian while studying. But you’ll need to spend part of your summer holidays with us, getting to know the Royal Navy.

There are two kinds of bursaries:

• Standard bursary
  These are available to those wanting to join the Warfare, Logistics or Fleet Air Arm branches, to help with the costs of studying any subject at any UK university. The bursary is currently worth £1500 a year.
• Technical bursary
  If you’re currently studying for an accredited engineering degree and want to join us as an Engineer Officer, you can apply for a technical bursary, currently worth £4000 a year.

Medical and dental cadetships

If you want to join the Royal Navy as a Medical Officer or Dental Officer, with our cadetships you can earn a good salary while you study and have your tuition fees paid for by the Royal Navy.

Medical cadetship
As a medical student, you can apply for an undergraduate cadetship up to three years before you qualify. You’ll have to pass both the Admiralty Interview Board and a competitive selection board.

If you’re successful, you’ll receive a Royal Navy salary and have all your tuition fees paid, while enjoying university life as a civilian.

Dental cadetship
If you’re in the last nine terms of your undergraduate dentistry training, you can apply for a dental cadetship.

If you’re successful, you’ll receive a salary and have all your tuition fees paid for by the Royal Navy.