The Guardian Scott Trust Bursary

No published policyScott Trust Bursary

Unconfirmed. The Guardian publishes no sponsorship policy for its scott trust bursary, so we cannot state a firm answer. The page names 2026-27 recipients but gives no visa sponsorship or right-to-work statement, and no 2027 application window is yet published.

Sponsors grads?: Not published
Pay vs threshold: Not published
Opportunity: training contract
Pay: at least £7,415 living expenses during the MA
2027 cycle: No published date as of 1 October 2026
Confidence: medium

How The Guardian recruits

Not stated (evergreen FAQ; applications are for the coming academic year). 5 stages, from The Guardian's own careers pages, checked 2026-10-03. Test providers are named only where The Guardian names them.

Application
Application form
Online application listing preferred university courses, with three pieces of work (articles, videos or podcasts). It doubles as the university application.
“All applicants must submit three pieces of work for consideration published or unpublished.”
Source
First stage interview
Other stage
A first-stage interview conducted virtually.
“Candidates will be invited to a first stage interview which will be conducted virtually.”
Source
Written task
Written exercise
A written task completed virtually at a convenient time, at least a week before the final interview.
“Ahead of your second interview you will be asked to submit a written task, completed at a time convenient to the applicant, and is conducted virtually, at least a week before your interview.”
Source
Final interview
Final interview
Final interview, ideally in person, with a Guardian Foundation representative, a Guardian journalist and the university course leader.
“If you successfully pass this interview, you will be invited to attend an in person (ideally) or online final interview by a Guardian Foundation representative, a Guardian journalist, and the course leader from the university you selected in your application.”
Source
Offer
Offer
Outcome usually within a week of the final interview; offers are confirmed after reference checks.
“If you are successful, the offer will be confirmed upon successful reference checks.”
Source

Every programme and stage at The Guardian

“the opportunity to take part in a 9 month fixed term traineeship”

The Guardian, from its own careers pages

The catch: The bursary funds a postgraduate MA before any paid Guardian role begins, so it is a much longer route in than a standard graduate scheme.

The Guardian early careers Verify on gov.uk See the licence record

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What The Guardian publishes about this programme

Checked against The Guardian's own careers pages on 2026-10-01. Anything not published is worth asking the early careers team before you apply.

Visa sponsorship policy: not published
Application dates: not published
Programme description: not published
Duration and start date: not published
Who can apply: not published
Pay: published
Locations: not published
Degree requirement: not published
Recruitment stages: published

Sources

https://theguardianfoundation.org/programmes/scott-trust-bursary

Verdict last checked 2026-09-23. Application dates last checked 2026-10-01. How we check programme verdicts

Common questions

Does The Guardian sponsor visas for its scott trust bursary?

Unconfirmed. The Guardian publishes no sponsorship policy for its scott trust bursary, so we cannot state a firm answer. The Scott Trust Bursary, run through the Guardian Foundation, pays full tuition fees for an MA in journalism at one of six partner universities plus at least £7,415 living expenses, paid London Living Wage placements at the Guardian during the MA, and the opportunity to take part in a nine month fixed term traineeship afterwards. Six bursaries are awarded each year, three reserved for Black aspiring journalists through the Legacies of Enslavement strand and three open to other candidates from backgrounds underrepresented in media. The page names 2026-27 recipients but gives no visa sponsorship or right-to-work statement, and no 2027 application window is yet published.

Does the pay clear the UK Skilled Worker salary threshold?

The pay for this scheme is not published clearly enough to judge against the threshold.

What is the catch international students miss with The Guardian?

The bursary funds a postgraduate MA before any paid Guardian role begins, so it is a much longer route in than a standard graduate scheme.

When do applications open for the The Guardian scott trust bursary?

No published date as of 1 October 2026. Checked on 2026-10-01 against The Guardian's own site.

How should I confirm The Guardian's sponsorship before applying?

Read the specific vacancy on The Guardian's careers site, ask its early-careers team directly, and check the employer on the gov.uk Register of Licensed Sponsors. Policies and thresholds change, so treat this page as a starting point and confirm for the exact role and cycle.

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Sponsorship data: Home Office register + job ad wording. Not immigration advice, verify on gov.uk. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. How we check this data.