Bursaries and scholarships

Anna Freud are committed to training a new generation of researchers and practitioners who wish to pursue a career in the field of child mental health.

Funding opportunities available for students studying in 2026/27

In line with our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) ambitions, we are pleased to offer a number of bursaries and scholarships to encourage applications from prospective candidates from underrepresented backgrounds, and from those who might otherwise be unable to pursue a career in children’s mental health.

Supporting access to Postgraduate study

Anna Freud is committed to training a new and diverse generation of researchers and practitioners in child mental health. We recognise that our profession does not yet reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, and that the cost and time involved in postgraduate study can deter many prospective candidates.

Please note, applicants must be applying to a UCL postgraduate programme based at Anna Freud. All bursaries and scholarships are subject to the availability of funds for the relevant academic year.

We also welcome applications from candidates with care experience. For the definition used by The Care Experience Movement, please see this page.

Application process

Candidates interested in applying to one or more of the bursaries and scholarships listed here should read the guidance notes provided before completing the application form. You should apply for any relevant bursaries or scholarships by the deadline specified. All applications received will be reviewed by a panel after the deadline has passed.

For your bursary/scholarship application to be considered, all candidates should ensure they have also formally applied for a place on the relevant programme by the Admissions deadline specified on the UCL Prospectus pages here. If you have not applied for a place on the relevant programme, the Bursary and Scholarships Panel will be unable to process your application.

Please read through all information carefully including our full guidance notes for eligibility criteria and note the various deadlines for applications. Details on how to apply, along with the application form and guidance notes are available here.

For enquiries, please email us.

Funding your Masters

We recognise that funding for postgraduate study at Masters level is limited. Most UCL students bring together different funding sources to help cover their costs. Find out about the options available here.

NHSE funding

For candidates interested in applying to the MSc Early Child Development and Clinical Applications, funding may be available to improve equity of access and inclusion for Black, Asian and minority ethnic entrants and financially disadvantaged candidates. This is different from the bursaries and scholarships process indicated below; for more information on availability and eligibility please contact us.

Application forms

Application form

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Application form

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Application deadline for entry in 2026/27: Tuesday 3 February, 5pm (UK time)
Eligible Programme(/s): MSc in Developmental Psychology and Clinical Practice
This Scholarship has been established to commemorate the significant contribution Dr Alex Holder made to the field of psychology and aims to support others to follow in his footsteps. Dr Alex Holder (1931-2018) dedicated his working life to child and adult psychoanalysis. Alex trained at Anna Freud, where he worked for almost 30 years helping children and families.
This Scholarship is available to those individuals who might otherwise be deterred from applying due to financial restrictions and limited their ability to cover the costs of further studies. The funding offered will cover UCL tuition fees in their entirety and will provide a contribution to living costs across the complete duration of this two-year programme.
Value: Full tuition fees as advertised for the programme in 2026/27 plus 50% of estimated living costs (over a two-year period).
Application deadline for entry in 2026/27: Tuesday 3 February, 5pm (UK time)
Eligible Programme(/s):
- MRes Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology
- MSc Developmental Psychology and Clinical Practice
- MSc Early Child Development and Clinical Applications
This scholarship is specifically aimed at supporting Black students who are seeking to undertake Masters-level study. Note that applying for this scholarship does not preclude application to any of the other bursaries for which you may be eligible.
Value: £4,500 per year of study (total of £9,000 over a two-year period).
Application deadline for entry in 2026/27: Tuesday 3 February, 5pm (UK time)
Eligible Programme(/s):
- Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology, MRes
- Early Child Development and Clinical Applications, MSc
Up to a maximum of two bursaries will be awarded each year – one allocated to each of the above two Masters programmes.
Value: £4,500 per year of study (total of £9,000 over a two-year period) for each of the two available bursaries.
Application deadline for entry in 2026/27: Tuesday 3 February, 5pm (UK time)
Eligible Programme(/s): MSc Early Child Development and Clinical Applications
This scholarship has been established in memory of Barbara Ann Throckmorton Drinka (1943-2020), a practicing psychoanalyst and psychotherapist.
Barbara was born in Kansas City and attended Iowa State University from 1961-1965, earning a degree in Child Development. During that time, she took a practicum at the Merrill-Palmer Institute in Detroit, Michigan. She channelled her love of working with children into teaching sixth grade students in suburban Chicago before moving to Portland, Oregon. She obtained her Master's in Clinical Social Work in 1976 from Portland State University.
In 1982, she completed a fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital, Boston MA, where she met her husband, George Drinka. In the following years, she was enrolled in a doctoral program at Smith College and continued clinical training at Boston Children's. She and George relocated to Portland, where she began a private practice in psychotherapy with children, but later expanded her practice to focus on deeper work with adults.
She completed advanced training in psychoanalysis in 2006 at Oregon Psychoanalytic Center. She was the first graduate of the Center to become nationally certified in psychoanalysis. This scholarship is applicable to candidates applying to the MSc in Early Child Development and Clinical Applications programme, where the curriculum is primarily orientated towards psychoanalytic education and training.
Value: £2,250 per year of study (total of £4,500 over a two-year period)

Bursaries and scholarships

Funding opportunities available for students studying in 2026/27

Supporting access to Postgraduate study

Application process

Funding your Masters

NHSE funding

Application forms

Application form

Application form

Bursaries and Scholarships information

Dr Alex Holder Scholarship – MSc in Developmental Psychology and Clinical Practice

Future in Mind Scholarship for Black UK Students

Masters Bursaries - Academic Research

The Barbara Throckmorton Drinka Scholarship

Asquith Mature Student Bursary