Student Scholarship

Index:

WAVEZ Student Scholarships for the GS UK Annual Conference 2025
Why Attend the GS UK Annual Conference?
What the WAVEZ Scholarship Covers
Application Details
Ready to Apply

WAVEZ Student Scholarships for the GS UK Annual Conference 2025

We are pleased to announce that WAVEZ will once again be offering a limited number of fully funded scholarships for students & graduates to attend the GS UK Annual Conference 2025, the UK’s largest technical conference focused on IBM Z and enterprise infrastructure. This opportunity is made possible with the support of our generous sponsors (to be announced soon), who are helping to make mainframe learning more accessible to aspiring early-career technologists.

_{This is a career-defining opportunity to engage directly with experts, attend technical sessions, gain hands-on experience, and build your professional network within one of the most critical and stable areas of enterprise computing.}

Why Attend the GS UK Annual Conference?

_{The GS UK Annual Conference is a major event in the European enterprise IT calendar. It brings together hundreds of professionals from all corners of the IBM Z ecosystem — from systems programmers and infrastructure specialists to security experts and emerging technology leaders.}

_{Whether you're already familiar with mainframes or completely new to the technology, this event will immerse you in a world of ideas, opportunities, and practical knowledge.}

• _{Capture the Flag: Hands-On Challenge
  Take part in an exciting workshop where you'll explore IBM Z environments through real-world challenges. Solve tasks, collaborate with teammates, and get a practical feel for mainframe systems and security.​}

_{Students consistently say the CTF was the highlight of their conference experience.}

• _{Networking & Career Insight
  You’ll meet people at all stages of their mainframe journey — from fellow students to industry veterans. The conference is a rare chance to connect directly with people doing the job day-to-day, explore career paths, and make your mark.}
• _{Specialist Streams & Technical Tracks
  Choose from dozens of talks and sessions across multiple domains — including security, performance tuning, DevOps, cloud integration, and more.}                 

What the WAVEZ Scholarship Covers

If selected for the scholarship, you will receive:

• _{A Full 4 day GS UK Conference pass (provided as a voucher – please do not register independently)}
• _{Hotel accommodation for 3 nights in a shared room: Monday 3rd, Tuesday 4th, and Wednesday 5th November 2025
  (at a nearby hotel, with a shuttle service to and from the conference venue each day)}
• _{Meals included from Monday lunch through to Thursday afternoon}
• _{Full access to all WAVEZ sessions, networking events, and the broader GS UK technical programme}

_{Scholarship recipients will be accommodated at a nearby hotel (not the conference venue itself). Daily shuttle transport will be provided to and from the conference.}

_{You will be placed in twin rooms (separate beds), shared with another student of the same gender. Where possible, we will group students from the same educational institution together.}

_{However, you may be paired with someone from a different university. While sharing a room with someone unfamiliar may feel unusual, this is also a great opportunity to build early connections. We encourage you to embrace this part of the experience — many long-term friendships and professional connections begin right here.}

_{If you have specific concerns regarding room sharing, there will be an opportunity to discuss these if selected.}

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Eligibility Criteria

_{The scholarship is open to:}

• _{Current students enrolled in a recognised higher education institution (university, college, or equivalent). Applicants will be authenticated via their official educational email address during application.}
• _{Recent graduates who have completed their degree within the last 2 years. If selected, you will be required to provide documentation (such as a degree certificate or official transcript) to verify your eligibility.}

_{Applicants must be able to demonstrate genuine interest and commitment to exploring a potential career path in the mainframe or enterprise IT industry.}

Application Details

• Applications Open: 6th August 2025 (during The WAVEZ Summer Surf)
• Application Deadline: 23:59 on Sunday 28th September 2025
• Scholarship Award Notifications for Visa-Requiring Applicants: Monday 15 September 2025
• Scholarship Award Notifications: Monday 6th October 2025

Please do not register for the GS UK Conference independently. If selected, you will receive a voucher to register at no cost. We cannot reimburse fees if you book separately.

If all places are allocated and you are not initially selected, you may be added to our waitlist. Should spaces become available, waitlisted students will be notified by Monday 20th October 2025 (two weeks after initial award notifications).

For Applicants Outside the UK

Non-Visa Applicants

Applicants who do not require a visa will be awarded scholarships as part of the normal award process on 6 October 2025. These awards are provisional until applicants confirm their travel arrangements.

This is to ensure that the scholarship is allocated to participants who are able to attend. Travel to the conference can involve significant cost, and if travel confirmation is not received before the waitlist closes, the scholarship will be reallocated to another applicant on the waitlist. Full instructions on how to confirm travel will be provided in the award letter.

Visa Applicants

Applicants who require a visa to enter the UK will receive provisional awards on 15 September 2025—six weeks before the conference—to allow time for visa applications to be processed. The provisional award includes a support letter to assist with the visa application. Travel costs, including visa fees, are not covered by the scholarship.

Applicants must provide confirmation of visa approval and travel arrangements before the waitlist closes. This ensures the scholarship is allocated to someone who can attend the conference, and avoids the scenario where an applicant receives a visa too late to participate. If the visa is not approved in time, the award will be reallocated to the waitlist.

Applications requiring a visa submitted after 15 September will only be considered if the applicant explicitly accepts in writing that they understand their application will follow the normal scholarship process, and that their award may be reallocated if visa and travel confirmation are not provided by the waitlist close date. This confirmation should be sent to students@gse.org.uk, and full instructions will be included in the provisional award letter.

For visa information and applications, see the UK Standard Visitor Visa page.

Authenticity Matters

This opportunity has the potential to change your career path and introduce you to a field you may not have previously considered. The mainframe industry offers long-term, high-impact careers — and this scholarship could be your first step into it.

We value genuine, thoughtful applications. Tell us why this interests you, what you hope to gain, and how it fits into your current aspirations. Please do not use AI-generated content in your responses. We are looking for authentic voices and real motivation. Applications containing AI-generated or copied content will be disqualified.

Strengthen Your Application

We strongly encourage you to explore the _{IBM Skills Depot before submitting your application. This free platform offers bite-sized, introductory learning about mainframes and related technologies. Engaging with these resources will both support your understanding and demonstrate your commitment — helping you stand out as a serious applicant.}

Stay Informed

Follow WAVEZ on LinkedIn to stay up to date with scholarship announcements, event news, and career advice: WAVEZ LinkedIn

Look out for updates about the GS UK Conference on the GS UK Website & The GSUK LinkedIn 

Ready to Apply

This is a competitive scholarship — not a random draw or first come, first served. We’re looking for thoughtful, personal applications from students and recent graduates who are genuinely curious about the mainframe industry, even if they’ve never encountered it before.

We don’t expect you to complete a certification or reach a certain level on the IBM Skills Depot — but we do expect you to use it. Whether you’ve just started exploring or tried a few lessons, we want to see that you’ve taken the initiative. That might be watching a couple of videos, completing an activity, or reading up on a mainframe topic that caught your attention.

A strong application shows both interest and effort: tell us what you’ve learned, what sparked your curiosity, and why you want to explore an industry that’s rarely covered in academia.

No matter how far you’ve progressed — even if it’s just breaking the ice — we want to see your self-drive and enthusiasm. Let your passion and curiosity shine through.

Applications will not be reviewed until after the deadline — so take your time, put effort into it, and submit your best possible application.

If you want to improve your application after you’ve submitted, just use the link in your submission confirmation email.

If you’re ready to explore a future in enterprise technology, develop real-world technical skills, and join a welcoming and passionate community — apply for the WAVEZ Scholarship and join us at GS UK 2025.

WAVEZ Scholarship Application Form