Commonwealth Shared Scholarships in the UK, 2024-2025

Applications for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships Program for 2024-2025 academics are now open. The program is for candidates from least developed and lower-middle-income Commonwealth countries, for full-time Master’s study on selected courses, jointly supported by UK universities.

Funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships aims to enable talented and motivated individuals to gain the knowledge and skills required for sustainable development, and are aimed at those who could not otherwise afford to study in the United Kingdom.

Awards are tenable for any approved course offered by a participating UK university. Awards are to obtain one degree and funding will not be extended to enable candidates to complete a qualification in addition to or higher than that for which the selection was made. CSC funds one-year taught Master’s programs only and does not fund MBAs. 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 organizations to nominate candidates.

Program Details

• Scholarships themes: Science and technology for development, strengthening health systems and capacity, promoting global prosperity, strengthening global peace, security and governance, strengthening resilience and response to crises, access, inclusion, and opportunity.
• Host Institution: Eligible United Kingdom universities.
• Number of awards: Not specified.
• Duration: Selected program duration.
• Target group: Open to citizens or persons with refugee status of Bangladesh, Belize, Botswana, Cameroon, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu and Zambia.

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships Benefits

The Commonwealth Shared Scholarships is fully funded provides successful applicants with:

1. Approved airfare from your home country to the UK and return at the end of your award;
2. Approved tuition fees;
3. Stipend (living allowance) at the rate of £1,347 per month, or £1,652 per month for those at universities in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at current levels) – paid and funded by the university;
4. Warm clothing allowance, where applicable;
5. Thesis grant towards the cost of preparing a thesis or dissertation, where applicable;
6. Study travel grant towards the cost of study-related travel within the UK or overseas;
7. Contribution towards the cost of mandatory tuberculosis (TB) test, where required for a visa application (receipts must be supplied);
8. If you are widowed, divorced, or a single parent, a child allowance of £576.61 per month for the first child, and £143 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16, if you are accompanied by your children and they are living with you at the same address in the UK (rates quoted at current levels);
9. If you declare a disability, a full assessment of your needs and eligibility for additional financial support will be offered by the CSC.

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships Eligibility

To qualify for this Europe scholarship, Applicants must be:

• a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person;
• permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country;
• available to start your academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September 2024;
• unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship;
• by September 2024, hold a first degree of at least upper second-class (2:1) honors standard, or a lower second-class degree (2:2) and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree);
• not have studied or worked for one (academic) year or more in a high-income country;
• able to provide all supporting documentation in the required format.

Similar opportunities

1. Mohamed Bin Zayed University Scholarship in Artificial Intelligence.
2. Government of Hungary Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship;
3. French Government Scholarship.

How to Apply for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships?

Those who would like to apply for this government scholarship, must follow the steps below:

1. You should apply to study one of the taught Master’s courses offered in the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship scheme.
2. You must take the necessary steps to secure admission to your course at the same time as applying for a Shared Scholarship. You must check with your chosen university for their specific advice, admission requirements, and rules for applying.
3. You must make your Shared Scholarship application using the CSC’s online application system, in addition to any other application that you are required to complete by your chosen university. The CSC will not accept any applications that are not submitted via the online application system.

Required Documents

1. Proof of citizenship or refugee status – uploaded to the online application system
2. Full transcripts detailing all higher education qualifications, including to-date transcripts for any courses currently being studied (with certified translations if the document is not in English – uploaded to the online application system
3. References from at least two individuals – you must submit referee details on the online application system.

The application deadline for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships is December 14, 2023 at 16:00 (GMT). For more details, please visit the official page. To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.