Commonwealth Scholarships
Get full details on eligibility, benefits, and application deadlines below.
Application Status
Country
United Kingdom
Program Level
Masters, PhD
Start Date
Sep 02, 2025
Deadline
Oct 14, 2025
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be a citizen, refugee, or permanent resident of an eligible Commonwealth country
- Must be living in that country
- Academic Requirements:
- For Master’s → at least an Upper Second Class (2:1) Bachelor’s degree, or a 2:2 with a relevant postgraduate qualification
- For PhD → must not already hold or be registered for a PhD/MPhil
- Must be able to start in September/October 2026
- Must demonstrate financial need (unable to afford study in the UK without scholarship)
Required Documents
- Passport/ID (photo page)
- Academic transcripts & degree certificates
- At least two academic references
- Development Impact Statement (how your study will help your country)
- For PhD: Supervisor statement from a UK university professor
- Proof of English language ability (if required by host university)
- Admission/conditional offer letter (in some cases, especially PhD)
- No GRE/GMAT required by CSC
- Some UK universities may require IELTS/English proficiency depending on course requirements
Scholarship Benefits
- Full tuition fees (covered by CSC & UK universities)
- Return airfare (home country ↔ UK)
- Monthly stipend:
- £1,452/month (outside London)
- £1,781/month (London)
- Warm clothing allowance (if applicable)
- Study travel grant
- Thesis/dissertation grant
- Mid-term airfare for PhD (in some cases)
- Child & spousal allowances (for eligible scholars with dependents)
Application Process
- Check eligibility & confirm your country’s nominating agency (HEC, British Council, etc.)
- Choose a UK course/university aligned with CSC themes
- For PhD: contact potential UK supervisor for support
- Prepare documents (transcripts, references, impact statement, etc.)
- Submit application via CSC Online Application System
- Apply through your country’s nominating agency (deadlines may be earlier than CSC’s)
- Nominating agency forwards shortlisted applications to CSC
- CSC selection based on academic merit, development impact, and references
- If selected, accept offer → get UK admission & visa → travel in Sept/Oct 2026