UK Commonwealth Masters Scholarships for Developing Countries - COMING SOON

Eligibility Criteria

Masters: To apply for UK Commonwealth Scholarships, you must:

• Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person
• Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country
• Be available to start your academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September 2022
• By September 2022, hold a first degree of at least upper second class (2:1) honours standard, or a second class degree (2:2) and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree). The CSC would not normally fund a second UK Master’s degree. If you are applying for a second UK Master’s degree, you will need to provide justification as to why you wish to undertake this study
• NOT be registered for a PhD, or an MPhil leading to a PhD, at a UK university or in your home country before September 2022
• Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship
• Have provided all supporting documentation in the required format

The CSC promotes equal opportunity, gender equity, and cultural exchange. Applications are encouraged from a diverse range of candidates.

Offered Benefits

Each scholarship provides:

• Approved airfare from your home country to the UK and return at the end of your award (the CSC will not reimburse the cost of fares for dependants, nor usually the cost of journeys made before your award is finally confirmed)
• Approved tuition and examination fees
• Stipend (living allowance)
• Thesis grant towards the cost of preparing a thesis or dissertation, where applicable
• Warm clothing allowance, where applicable
• Study travel grant towards the costs of study-related travel within the UK or overseas
• For PhD Scholars, fieldwork grant towards the cost of fieldwork undertaken overseas (usually the cost of one economy class return airfare to your fieldwork location), where approved
• For UK Commonwealth Scholarships PhD Scholars, paid mid-term visit (airfare) to your home country (unless you have claimed (or intend to claim) spouse and/or child allowances during your scholarship, or have received a return airfare to your home country for fieldwork)
• Family allowances, as follows (rates quoted at 2021-2022 levels):
  • If you are accompanied by your spouse but no children: spouse allowance of £244 per month

Application Process

Candidates must apply to one of the following nominating agencies as well as to the CSC. Nominating agencies will then put forward candidates to the CSC. The CSC does not accept direct applications for these scholarships:

• National nominating agencies – this is the main route of application
• Selected universities/university bodies, which can nominate their own academic staff
• Selected non-governmental organisations and charitable bodies

Each nominating agency oversees its own selection process and may have additional eligibility criteria. Candidates must check with the nominating agency for their specific advice and rules for applying, and their own eligibility criteria. Nominating agencies may set their own closing date for applications.

Candidates must complete an application using the CSC’s online application system, in addition to any other application required to be completed by the nominating agency. The CSC is unable to accept any applications that are not submitted via the online application system.

Applications for Commonwealth PhD scholarships for the 2023/24 academic year are expected to open in September 2022.

Agencies will nominate candidates to the CSC by December 2022.

Candidates are advised to complete and submit applications as early as possible, as the online application system will be very busy in the days leading up to the application deadline.

Required Documents:

Applications must include supporting documentation to be eligible.

Candidates must upload the following documents with the application:

• Proof that the applicant is a citizen or has refugee status in an eligible Commonwealth country: a copy of a valid passport (or national ID card) showing a photograph, date of birth, and country of citizenship
• Full transcripts detailing all higher education qualifications, including to-date transcripts for any courses currently being studied, with certified translations if not in English
• References from at least two individuals on institutional letterhead
• Supporting statement on institutional letterhead from a proposed supervisor in the UK from at least one of the institutions named on the application form

If any of the required documentation is not provided by the closing date, the application will be considered ineligible.

Candidates can also upload any university admissions letter held for their chosen courses.

The CSC will not accept supporting documentation submitted by nominating agencies or outside the online application system.

Please note that the CSC does not charge candidates to apply for any of its scholarships or fellowships through its online application system and it does not charge organisations to nominate candidates.