Commonwealth Scholarship Scheme - Commonwealth Scholarships

What you get

You will be offered a fully-funded one-year Master’s programme in the UK, which usually lasts 12 months. Your UK university will cover all tuition fees as well as a monthly living allowance of approximately 1,700 euros (£1,452). This increases to approximately 2,100 euros (£1,781) if you are studying in the Greater London area. The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) will also cover your return economy-class flight from your home country to the UK, a settlement allowance, an allowance for winter clothing if required, a grant for your dissertation, and funding for study-related travel. The CSC administers the programme. It is jointly funded by the UK Government and the participating universities.

Who can apply

• Where you go: You will be studying a one-year on-campus Master’s degree programme in the UK – one of over 150 accredited programmes at more than 40 UK universities.
• Subject: Your course must relate to one of the six development themes, such as public health, innovation and entrepreneurship, science and technology, peace and governance, or crisis resilience.
• Nationality: You are a national or recognised refugee from one of the 45 eligible Commonwealth countries (e.g. India, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Africa or Jamaica) and live permanently in your home country.
• Grades: By September 2026, you must hold at least a bachelor’s degree with an ‘Upper Second Class’ grade (2:1) or a degree with a grade of 2:2, as well as a relevant postgraduate qualification.
• Financial need: Without this scholarship, you wouldn’t have been able to afford to study in the UK.
• Limited time abroad: You have not studied or worked in a high-income country for more than one year.
• Age: No age limit.

How to apply

You are applying for two things at the same time: admission to your chosen degree programme at a UK university and the scholarship via the CSC’s online system, ‘CSC Central’. Each university submits its shortlisted candidates to the CSC, which makes the final decision. You can therefore only receive the scholarship if a university nominates you. You may apply for several degree programmes, but you may only accept one offer. The application deadline for 2026/27 has passed, and the next application deadline has not yet been announced.

How realistic are your chances?

Places are strictly limited. Each university awards only a handful of these scholarships, and you must succeed on two counts: first, to secure a nomination from your university; and second, to compete against other nominated candidates at the CSC. Your chances will improve if you clearly meet the criteria regarding country of origin, academic grades and financial need, choose an approved degree programme and convincingly demonstrate how your studies will contribute to development. Apply right at the start of the application round, as places are limited.