2021 Commonwealth Shared Scholarships – Fully Funded: (Deadline Deadline 9 April 2021)

The 2021 Commonwealth Shared Scholarships and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) is one of the largest and most prestigious international scholarship schemes in the world. Since it was established in 1959, over 30,000 individuals have held a Commonwealth Scholarship or Fellowship – 28,500 of them were
funded by the UK government, through the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom (CSC).

The CSC awards around 700 scholarships and fellowships for postgraduate study and professional development to Commonwealth citizens each year.

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships are for candidates from least developed, low, 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 & Development Office (FCDO), Commonwealth Shared Scholarships 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 UK.

Purpose: To contribute to the development needs of Commonwealth countries by providing training for skilled and qualified professionals and academics and to contribute to UK higher education and foreign policy aims by encouraging collaboration and links.

Intended beneficiaries: High-quality postgraduate students who have not studied extensively overseas before, and who have the potential to enhance the development of their home countries with the knowledge and leadership skills they acquire.

Benefits of 2021 Commonwealth Shared Scholarships

Shared Scholarships are jointly funded by the CSC and participating UK universities.
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 dependents, nor the cost of journeys made before your award is confirmed) – arranged by the university; funded by the CSC
• Approved tuition fees – funded by the CSC
• Stipend (living allowance) at the rate of £1,116 per month, or £1,369 per month for those studying at universities in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at 2020-2021 levels) – paid and funded by the university
• Warm clothing allowance, where applicable – paid and funded by the university
• Thesis grant towards the cost of preparing a thesis or dissertation, where applicable
  – claimed from and paid by the university; funded by the CSC
• Study travel grant towards the costs of study-related travel within the UK or overseas
  – claimed from and paid by the university; funded by the CSC
• Excess baggage allowance, up to an annual approved limit, when returning home
  – claimed from and paid by the university; funded by the CSC
• Reimbursement of the cost of a mandatory tuberculosis (TB) test, where required for a visa application (receipts must be supplied) – claimed from and paid by the university; funded by the CSC
• If you are widowed, divorced, or a single parent, child allowance of £478 per month for the first child, and £118 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 2020-2021 levels)

Eligibility

To apply for these 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, or remotely if required, by the start of the UK academic year in September/October 2021.
• By September 2020, hold a first degree of at least upper second class (2:1) standard, or a second class degree 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
• Be unable to afford to study at a UK university without this scholarship
• Have provided all supporting documentation in the required format

Documents Required for 2021 Commonwealth Shared Scholarships

Your application must include the following supporting documentation in order to be eligible for consideration:

• Proof of citizenship or refugee status – uploaded to the online application system
• Full transcripts detailing all your higher education qualifications (with certified translations if not in English – uploaded to the online application system
• References from at least two individuals – you must submit referee details on the online application system. We will request references from those stated on your application form only if you are nominated or a reserve candidate at the nomination stage.

Supporting documentation uploaded to the online application system must be uploaded as files that are no more than 5 MB in size and must be in one of the following formats: PDF, .doc, .docx, .odt, .jpg, .jpeg. Files submitted in any other format (including Zip files and PDF Portfolios) will NOT be accepted.

The CSC will not accept any applications that are not submitted via the online application system, or any applications directly from individuals; such applications will not be acknowledged.