Nautilus Slater Memorial Fund

 

Are you an  experienced seafarer looking to progress your career?

 

The Nautilus Slater Memorial Fund established in 1977 in memory of former MNAOA General Secretary John William Slater provides training grants of up to £18,000 depending on the course pathway or certification. The Fund helps experienced seafarers obtain their first or higher Certificate of Competency (CoC). Details of the eligibility and documentary requirements are given below.

 

Who is eligible for this fund?

Any Merchant Navy rating, Electro Technical Officer (ETO), Workboat, Tug or Yacht crewmember that wishes to study for the STCW Officer of the Watch, deck or engine qualifications recognised by MCA in the UK.

To be eligible you must have completed the majority of the seagoing service required for the Certificate of Competency being applied for. This is to ensure you are able to complete all courses and Orals within the timeframe of the fund award. You will need to provide official evidence of your sea time like RYA sea service record, NoE, Nautilus sea service testimonial. Copies of your Discharge Book alone will not be sufficient proof.

 Prior to applying, ensure to check the MCA requirements on their website for the applied CoC and qualify the sea service time and pre-requisite qualifications for its completion.

Please note that you do NOT need to have completed all your courses before applying for your NOE. Exception will be given to a certificate where additional sea service is required as part of the training e.g. Small Vessels EOOW route.

The fund also supports those Fishers who want to achieve their Class 1 or Class 2 Fishing CoC or convert to OOW unlimited.

Please note the fund does not support those aiming for Chief Mate Unlimited or any Master certificate if you already hold an OOW Unlimited.

You must be a resident of the UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands and aged 18 years old or older.

Your application will only be reviewed if we receive all the supporting documents and certificates required to be eligible for the Slater fund. Please ensure that you have checked the list at the end of the application form.

It Is also a compulsory pre-requisite to complete our Maths@Sea and Writing@Sea online courses and submit the completion certificates with your application. These courses can be accessed via our Learn@Sea page.

How can I use it?

In addition to covering the cost of the courses required for achieving your certification, the Fund provides a fixed expense allowance whilst you are studying. Further details will be provided once your application has been approved and you are enrolled onto the programme.

Pre-requisites of the application

• Applicants who have received any Marine Society bursaries within the past 24 months are not eligible to apply.
• In addition, applicants cannot reapply for any grant they have previously been awarded.
• Funds are only available for a maximum of two years depending on the applied course pathway, from the award date and you are expected to complete your studies and achieve your CoC within the time allotted to the specific course pathway Please see below FAQ for more details.
• You must start studying within 3 months from the award date so only apply if you are ready to commence your studies within that period.
• You cannot apply for funding retrospectively to cover the cost of any courses started, completed or paid for prior to submitting your application.
• Please check the FAQ section below for further vital information on applying for the Nautilus Slater Scholarship.
• Approval for the scholarship is subject to status checks, satisfactory documentary support and dependent upon the availability of funds.
• Applicants must use a Slater Fund Approved Provider for their training. Click on link to view full list: See Approved Providers 

 

Prepare before you apply

To make your application process smoother, we have created a preview document that lists all the questions in the online application form.

Download the Application Preview Document Here

Please note:

• The online form does not have a save and continue feature, so we recommend reviewing the questions in advance.
• This document is for preparation only. Completing or submitting it will not count as an official application.

How do I apply?

Click on the link here. Applications are accepted throughout the year. Once submitted, you will receive an automated response to confirm receipt. You will receive further emails to inform of its success or decline with a reason in due course.

We aim to process all applications within 28 working days of receipt of your application provided all supporting documents are correctly and completely submitted.

Approved Provider Recognition Scheme                                                                   

The Scheme recognises maritime college and training providers that work with us to provide training for Slater scholars  working towards their certificates of competency. Approved Providers are those that have agreed favourable terms that provide better value for the Slater Fund, including discounts on course bookings.  

Slater scholars are instructed to only use Approved Providers when booking their courses except where their preferred location and availability of the course is not available. Approved providers are listed below and recognised by displaying an Approved Provider logo.

AstroNav UK Ltd

Blackpool and the Fylde College - Fleetwood Nautical Campus

Captain Barry Sadler Maritime Training

Chieftain Training

City of Glasgow College

CM Marine

DDRC Professional Services

East Coast College

Fire-Aid Academy Ltd

Flying Colours Maritime Ltd

Fred Wilson Marine LLP

Glasgow Maritime Academy

JPMA/Hoylake Sailing School Ltd

Maritime Skills Academy

Navigation & Stability with Philip Ashton

North Kent College

Rob Burton Maritime Training

Scottish Maritime Academy at North East Scotland College

SeaRegs Training Ltd

Seascope Maritime Training

Seafood Cornwall Training

Small Vessel Engineer Tutor Ltd

Southampton Solent University

South Shields Marine School at Tyne Coast College

South West Maritime Academy

STCW Training UK Ltd

Stream Marine Training

UK Sailing Academy - UKSA

Western Maritime Training

Whitehorse Maritime Academy

You & Sea Ltd

 

If you are a training provider and want to become an Approved Provider, please email Slater@ms-sc.org

 

Testimonial from Nautilus Slater Scholarship Students

I always had the motivation to become an Officer, however I never felt it was possible due to the cost of all the courses. This is where the Scholarship came in. Without the monetary support from the Slater Fund I would never have been able to continue toward my Officers ticket and achieve my goals. Not only that, but the constant guidance and support from the team have really helped me develop over the last couple of years. I would not be in the position I am today without them.

Slater Student (June 2026)

The slater fund has helped shape an incredible experience for me, not only the direct support with costs from the fund but also the incredible level of communication and assistance that was invaluable during the process. I would advise anyone following a similar route to investigate the fund and what they stand for.

The scholarship enabled me to bolster my initial knowledge by attending Warsash maritime academy to complete my OOW Unlimited certification and with this let me have a far greater depth of understanding both theoretically and practically of being a qualified seafarer.

Slater Student (July 2026)

• Slater Scholarship FAQs
  • How old do I have to be apply for the scholarship?

    You have to be a minimum of 18 years of age to be eligible to apply for this scholarship.

  • Am I too old to apply for the scholarship?

    There is no upper age limit, however, it is expected that you are fit enough to work at sea (hold an ENG1 medical certificate) and plan to do so for the foreseeable future.

  • How much sea service do I need?

    This funding is for an ‘experienced seafarer’ who want to gain their first certificate of competency or move up the career ladder. You are expected to have completed the sea service required for the certificate you are aiming for, e.g. OOW unlimited requires 36 months sea service on vessels over 24m or 80GT with bridge watch-keeping requirements.

  • Can I apply if I have a European passport?

    If you have been a permanent resident of the UK for the past 3 years or more you can apply for the scholarship. However, we will need proof of this such as home office approval, copies of utility bills, rent agreement.

  • What certificate does the Slater scholarship support with the maximum grant and duration to complete that course pathway?

    CoC Pathway	Maximum Duration	Maximum Grant
    Master Workboats< 500GT	30	£24,000
    OOW Workboats < 500GT	18	£12,000
    OOW Unlimited	24	£18,000
    Master Tugs<500GT	30	£24,000
    OOW Tugs<500GT	18	£12,000
    Master <200GT/OOW Yachts<500GT	12	£8,000
    Master Yachts<500GT	12	£12,000
    OOW Yachts<3000GT	18	£18,000
    Chief Mate Yachts<3000GT	12	£8,000
    OOW Yachts<3000GT with Chief Mates endorsement	18	£18,000
    Class I Fishing & OOW Conversion	12	£10,000

  • Can I apply if I do not have all of my sea service?

    No, you are required to have completed all your sea service for the certificate you are aiming for and be able to demonstrate through a Nautilus service record, NoE, PYA record or TRB that will be accepted by MCA. This is so that you can focus on your studies and complete all your courses within the two-year period that the Fund is awarded for.

  • If awarded the scholarship what expenses will be covered?

    The scholarship will pay for all course and exam fees that are required for the CoC you are aiming for. It will also contribute towards temporary accommodation, food, travel, book and stationery. The scholarship will not pay for personal outgoings such as rent or mortgage on your permanent home and  utility bills or expenses such taxis, parking fees or international flights .

  • Why do I need to do Maths@sea & Writing@sea to apply?

    This is to ensure that you have the required level of numeracy and literacy skills to be able to cope with your OOW studies. They are maritime contextualised up-skilling courses that have been designed to support seafarers who may have been out of formal education for a number of years.

  • Useful links

    UK Seafarers Careers : training provision, information and examination syllabuses

    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-seafarer-careers-training-provision-and-information

    Electro-technical Officers

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/msn-1860-m-uk-requirements-for-electro-technical-officers

    Requirements for deck officers on large yachts over 24m

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/msn-1858-mf-uk-requirements-for-deck-officers-on-large-yachts-over-24m

    OOW Master & Deck Officers

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/msn-1856-mf-uk-requirements-for-master-and-deck-officers

    Master and OOW Tugs <500gt

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mgn-495-certificate-of-competency-tug-deck

    Engineer officer small vessel Certificate of Competency - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/min-524-mf-engineer-officer-small-vessel-certificate-of-competency

    Master Workboats <500 unlimited https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/561849/MGN_496.pdf