Does anybody know some sources of funding for overseas research students which can cover the entire tuition fee, apart from the British Chevening and Ford foundation which I do not qualify without work experience, ORS which is only a fee waiver? A majority of universities do have their own funding schemes, but they are indeed very competitive and I failed to get one. The application for a place of study and for funding are separate processes, and I am out of odds on the latter. Help!!!!

i think the first place to look is in your home country. there might be support for studying abroad available, for example from government.

then you could look out for topic related things, f.e. wenner gren foundation if you are doing ethnographical work. or private organisations that fit your individual situation (like government funding for further education for women with children, or charities that are aimed for marginal people/minorities). IFUW if you are a woman.

or you can look for a job and go part-time.

Thanks, Shani. Actually I've tried the options you mentioned. Chevening scholarship/Ford foundation are targeted at mid-career professionals,Wenner Gren foundation is for applicants with quals in their home country rather than abroad, IFUW is for women doctoral students in second and subsequent years of study. I want to start the MPhil/PhD this Sept, but it seems all the major funding deadlines have passed. The job I am doing is very tedious, I just hate working from 9am to 6pm 5 days a week. That is a big drive behind my strong desire to complete a phd. Really don't know what to do...Still im limbo

keep looking up the scholarship offers on jobs.ac.uk, sometimes departments wake up quite late and discover that after all the still have money to spend on a student bursary for September/October starting date (I know that this is what happened in my department last year). Also, another place to look for "last-minute offers" - some of which are addressed at overseas students - are academic mailing lists.Go to www.jiscmail.ac.uk and sign up for the lists that are relevant to your field, the lists that I am on periodically advertise studentships.good luck!

'The job I am doing is very tedious, I just hate working from 9am to 6pm 5 days a week. That is a big drive behind my strong desire to complete a phd.'

None of my business, but not sure thats the best motivation for a PhD.

I did mean the 'best' motivation, but one big motivation. I was actually writing in reponse to Shani's suggestion that I get a job and do it part-time. Hope this clarifies.

I didn't mean the 'best' motivation, but one big motivation. I was actually writing in reponse to Shani's suggestion that I get a job and do it part-time. Hope this clarifies.