Score a learning experience like no other
If you live in Portsmouth or on the Isle of Wight and are either the first in your family to progress to higher education or have a household income of less than £35,000, the Portsmouth Football Club Partnership Scholarship could benefit your future.
This scholarship is awarded by Portsmouth Football Club to inspire and support local young people to achieve. It provides £3,000 a year towards your time at university well as the opportunity to gain work experience at the football club.
Past recipients of the scholarship have worked with the football club to redesign parts of Fratton Park and worked on graphic design projects within the marketing team.
Who can apply
You could get this scholarship if you:
- Live in Portsmouth, the surrounding area (PO postcode) or on the Isle of Wight
- Are under 25 at the start of your course
- Will be studying your first full-time undergraduate degree
- Apply for a full time undergraduate course starting in Autumn 2024
- Meet one or both of these criteria:
- you are the first in your family to go to university and/or:
- have a household income of £35,000 or below
See our terms and conditions for full eligibility criteria.
How to apply
Online applications for September 2025 entry will open in spring 2025.
How will the scholarship be awarded?
There is one scholarship available for University of Portsmouth students each year. You'll need to meet the criteria and grade requirements for your chosen course in order to receive the scholarship.
The scholarship panel’s decision on the allocation of the scholarship is in accordance with the terms and conditions and is final. There is no appeals process.
How will the scholarship be paid?
The scholar can request the £3,000 each year to contribute to their own running costs at university. If no preference chosen, the default will be £3,000 deducted from your tuition fee annually in your first 3 years of study (excluding placement or study abroad years).
You'll be able to receive this scholarship in addition to other University of Portsmouth scholarships or bursaries that you're eligible for.
Meet the new Portsmouth FC Scholar
Maddie Long has been named as the third recipient of the scholarship.
Maddie is from Bognor Regis and is living in Portsmouth for her studies. She started her BSc (Hons) Sports, Health and Exercise Sciences (Dual Degree) degree with the University in September 2023.
She'll be spending her time with the club based at the training ground at Pompey Health and Fitness. This will initially involve shadowing the club’s sport science team but with plans to develop her experience with the club alongside her studies.
The scholarship looks to help local students through university with both financial support and invaluable work experience with the club.
Maddie
I've always wanted a scholarship and I thought, “why not apply?” I never thought that I'd get it. Why would they choose little old me? Then, I got a call and then I was shaking a little bit, I just found out I've got a scholarship.
Richard
The scholarship is huge. Providing this opportunity for students to get the funding to do their passion, but also the opportunities that we're able to provide as a football club is great.
Maddie
I'm doing the Sport, Health and Exercise Science dual-degree. I would like to gain experience in the field of sport therapy, physiotherapy and rehabilitation.
Richard
She's going to get exposure to a couple of great professionals who's going to help her and help her development and I think she'll just get time to be in an environment to see what it looks like in a professional football club, which I'm sure and I'm really hopeful, it'll be really useful for her as she progresses through her career.
Maddie
I'm hoping that it helps me into a future career within football. I want to help people and they can help me help people.
Richard
The partnership with the club and the University of Portsmouth is massive for us. The access that their students get and the links that we get in between are really important. The funding and the access is huge for them.
Maddie
The money, at the moment, is going towards my accommodation and that allows me to be able to fund myself because I don't have the option of getting financial support from my parents, so it takes that stress not only off of me, but my family as well. Anyone thinking of applying for a scholarship should know that it's not just based on academia. I'm quite an academic person, but I feel as though if you actually really strive to want it, you're confident and you just apply, there's no harm in doing it. I didn't think I was going to get it and now I'm standing in Portsmouth Training Ground