Winning Students 100

What is Winning Students 100?

Winning Students 100 is a world-leading dual career programme that will support 100 of the most talented student athletes, pursuing academic attainment at a Higher Education or Further Education institution in Scotland. The following benefits will be provided to athletes in the programme:

• Up to £3,000 funding
• Academic flexibility to effectively balance academic and sporting pursuits.
• Additional funding will be available for athletes originating from areas of high deprivation (as determined by the “Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation”)

How is Winning Students 100 supported?

• Winning Students 100 is a three-way partnership between sportscotland, Scottish Funding Council and Scotland’s Tertiary Education sector.
• The programme is governed by an Advisory Board, comprising representatives from the tertiary education sector, Scottish Funding Council, sportscotland and Scottish Student Sport.
• A Management Group, consisting of representatives from the same organisations listed above, provides operational guidance and support to the programme.
• The daily operations and coordination of the programme will be managed by the University of Stirling.

Who is eligible for a Winning Students 100 Scholarship?

• Athletes who are British passport holders, studying at least 60 credits at a college or university in Scotland.
• Athletes from Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth sports* are eligible to apply.
• Athletes should be aged 16 years or older for able-bodied athletes and disabled athletes.

*sports must be included within the 2026 Winter Olympics/Paralympics, within the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, or within the 2028 Summer Olympics/Paralympics,  to be eligible.

General Selection Principles

To be considered for a Winning Students 100 Scholarship, athletes should have attained the following level in their sport (listed in priority order):

1. Olympic/Paralympic representation at a previous games
2. Commonwealth Games representation at Birmingham 2022
3. GB World Class Programme selection (at present)
4. GB/Scotland Senior International selections at a previous major Championships
5. GB Junior Squad Representation at a previous major Championships
6. World University Games representation at a previous Championships
7. Other recent international representation will be considered by the management committee based on merit/strength of competition.  

In addition:

• An athlete must be committed to compete within a governing body’s performance programme for the scholarship award year.
• An athlete must demonstrate excellent conduct as a student, high-performance athlete and role model for the Winning Students 100 Programme.

How will student-athletes apply for the Winning Students 100 Scholarship?

• Student-athletes will apply directly via an online portal.
• The link for applying will be circulated via governing bodies and institutions on Friday 1 August 2025.
• The Winning Students 100 Management Group will consider the applications and make recommendations to the Winning Students 100 Advisory Board for award.

What is the role of the Sports Governing Body in Winning Students 100?

• Encourage eligible athletes to apply for the funding once the online portal opens.
• Endorse athlete nominations in line with the selection criteria.
• Prioritise nominations where multiple athletes meet the criteria.

Priority Sports

Unlike the original Winning Students programme, there won’t be any “core sports” in Winning Students 100, where sports were allocated a guaranteed quota of scholarships to award each year.

A maximum number of six scholarships can be awarded per sport, with the exception of Priority Sports, which can have a maximum number of twenty scholarships per sport, subject to meeting the stipulated criteria.

Priority Sports will be determined by the level of strategic contribution to the HE/FE sector by a Sports Governing Body, over the last five years, and the cash investment value therein.

Apply to be a Priority Sport

Key Dates

Winning Students 100: Timelines 2025 - 2026