2026 BEST Scholarship Application

2026 BEST Scholarship Application Form

Application deadline - March 12th, 2026
The BEST (BUNAC Educational Scholarship Trust) scholarships provide financial assistance to eligible applicants undertaking postgraduate study in the USA or Canada.

Funded by the independent BEST Scholarship Trust and administered by BUNAC, the programme awards multiple scholarships each year from a £75,000 fund. Individual awards typically range from £5,000 to £15,000 and may include the Christopher J. Harbour Memorial Scholarship (£4,000 for sports-related studies) and the John S. Ball Award (£2,000 for teaching or geography-related careers).

Preference is given to applicants whose proposed studies in North America are most likely to further transatlantic understanding and/or who are required to study in the United States or Canada to pursue a specific course.

Candidates must:
- Hold a UK passport
- Be currently enrolled in, or have completed, a full-time tertiary level course at a university in the United Kingdom
- Have applied for, but not yet started, a postgraduate course in the USA or Canada. The postgraduate qualification must be awarded by a US or Canadian institution. Joint courses already started outside the US or Canada are also not eligible.
- Not be a permanent employee of the JENZA Travel Group.
Please use the provided academic and personal reference templates when submitting your documents. The scholarship application form cannot be saved, so applicants are advised to prepare all responses and supporting documents in advance and submit everything together.

Closing date for submitting completed applications and required supporting documents is 12th March 2026.

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Full Name*

First NameLast Name
Telephone*
E-mail*
Address*

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityPost code

Post code
Nationality*
Current Occupation*
Website Links
How did you hear about BEST?*
Other

COURSE DETAILS AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION
University/College Name*
Please list the college to which you have applied or have been accepted on a course of study
Course Title*
Award to be gained at the end of course*
Start Date*
End Date*
FINANCE

Please list the annual funds needed for your studies. Provide the amount in USD or CAD and specify the currency (e.g. 5,000 USD).
Annual tuition cost*
Annual cost of maintenance*
.
Total annual cost *
Is there a second college to which you have applied or have been accepted on a course of study?*
FURTHER COURSE DETAILS

Please list a second college (if applicable) to which you have applied or have been accepted on a course of study.
University/College Name
Course Title
Award to be gained at the end of course
Start Date
End Date
FINANCE

Please list the annual funds needed for your studies for your second College (if applicable). Provide the amount in USD or CAD and specify the currency (e.g. 5,000 USD).
Annual tuition cost
Annual cost of maintenance
Total annual cost
ADDITIONAL FUNDING

Please provide information on any other scholarships or financial assistance available to you.
Have you applied to or been awarded any other scholarships or financial assistance?*

YesNo

PERSONAL FUNDING

Please provide details of the personal funds you plan to contribute towards your course. List the amount in GBP.
Will you be contributing from your own personal funds?*

YesNo
Amount from personal funds in GBP
Funding still needed (at the time of application) in GBP*
Amount requested from BEST in GBP*

MOTIVATION AND GOALS
AI tools may be used to improve the efficiency of your application writing process; however, they can also increase the risk of inaccurate or misleading information due to “hallucinations.”Have you used any AI or machine-learning tools, including large language models, to assist with any part of your application (for example, drafting responses to award questions)?*

YesNo
If Yes, please provide details below.
Where AI or machine-learning tools have been used to assist in generating responses, please confirm that the content has been checked and verified for accuracy.*

YesNoNot applicable
1. Why do you feel you should be awarded a BEST Scholarship?*
Max 250
2. What factors influenced your decision to choose North America for your course of study?*
Max 250
3. What do you think are the demands of living & studying in North America? How do you feel you will respond to them?*
Max 250
4. What are your immediate post-graduation plans and longer-term career intentions? How will the experience of studying in North America help you?*
Max 250
5. How do you feel your time in North America will contribute to transatlantic understanding in both the short and long term?*
Max 250
6. What will you do if you are not successful in your efforts to obtain adequate funding for your proposed course in North America?*
Max 250

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
Please upload the following documents in PDF format:
1. Personal reference. Use the pre-set template.
2. Academic reference. Use the pre-set template.
3. Recent CV. Maximum 4 pages.
All files must be typed (not handwritten), use the provided templates, and include your name in the file name.

Important: applictions missing any of the required documents will be considered ineligible.
Personal Reference*

Cancelof
Professional Reference*

Cancelof
Recent CV*

Cancelof
Should be Empty:

	Scholarship/Financial Assistance Name	Decision Date	Award Amount	Award Currency	Award Granted (Y/N)
1
2
3
4

2026 BEST Scholarship Application Form

FINANCE

FURTHER COURSE DETAILS

FINANCE

ADDITIONAL FUNDING

PERSONAL FUNDING