About Us

Winning Students was established in May 2009 as Scotland's national sports scholarships supporting student athletes.

The scholarships are funded by the Scottish Funding Council and governed by the University of Stirling as Scotland's University for Sporting Excellence. An advisory board, comprising representatives from the various sectors, provide guidance on the development of the programme.

Athletes are nominated for a scholarship, up to the value of £5,500, by their sport's governing body across nine core sports: badminton, golf, hockey, judo, orienteering, squash, swimming, triathlon and women’s football. There is also the opportunity for individual awards to athletes competing in other sports, referred to as non-core sports.

The scholarships can be used on a range of support services, and through partnership with the sportscotland Institute of Sport, the support received compliments existing support for each athlete.
Network

A key element of the scholarships is the creation of a network of member colleges and universities. For a student to gain support, their institution must be a member of the network.