How does it work?
Register your interest and after you’ve applied for an Optometry course at your chosen university, we’ll invite you to join us for The Bright Room. This is an exclusive selection event, which you’ll need to attend with a parent/guardian. To be considered for the event, you’ll need a letter of endorsement from a teacher or parent/guardian. Following the event, we hope to match you with a local practice where you can work part-time and begin to learn more about Optometry. Then, when you start university, you’ll receive £2500 (or €2,500 in the Republic or Ireland) each year, over the 4 years of your optometry course. When you finish university, you’ll be a fully qualified Optometrist, ready to see where a career at Specsavers could take you.
Find out moreA future career in optometry
The eyes are incredible organs, that help us to see what’s around us and offer clues to our overall health. Optometrists are the ones looking after the health of our eyes. Every day, they examine the eyes, offer clinical advice and make diagnoses. They’re fighting the battle against glaucoma. They’re screening more people for diabetes. And they’re helping to detect high blood pressure. At Specsavers, our optometrists work with cutting-edge technology to care for patients, young and old, and make a real difference to people’s lives. And if you choose to become an Optometrist, at Specsavers the potential for development is huge. You could specialise in a certain area, gain Higher qualifications or see patients in the community and their own homes. With us, you could even own and run your own practice as a partner.
More than a university scholarship
Financial help - Get £2,500 (or €2,500 in the Republic or Ireland) each year, across four years, to help towards the costs of university. You’ll also benefit from paid part-time work in one of our practices.
Store experience - With your part-time work, you’ll build a working understanding of optometry, gain real business experience and get clinical exposure before you even do your final year CLiP placement.
Team support - Both our practice teams and the Early Careers team will be there for anything you need. You’ll have support and mentorship throughout to help you get the most out of your experience.
Events and networking - We organise social events for both Year 1 and 2 of your course, as well as offering a community event (working with Big Issue or Crisis for example) for Year 2 students. In year 3, the top 25% of students on the programme will gain a place on an exclusive event, likely to be overseas.
Bright Stars in Ireland!
Did you know that you can now study optometry at TU Dublin and SETU in Waterford will be opening a new optometry course in 2026? The Bright Stars Scholarship will be available annually and this exclusive university scholarship offers future Optometry students the chance to receive €10,000 over four years, towards the cost of your university experience, a paid PT role in a local practice and a whole host of exclusive social and CPD events. Want to find out more? Register your interest below.
Register your interest
Know a bright STEM student?
If you’re a teacher with a student who you think has the potential to go far, we’d love to hear from you. For each successful student that enrols with us on the Bright Stars Scholarship, we’re offering £100 (or €100 in the Republic or Ireland) worth of vouchers to spend in school with your class. It’s our way of saying thanks for helping to shape the future of Optometry.
Let us know