UK government Commonwealth Scholarship 2025-26 (Study Masters and PhD Fully funded) Deadline: 15 October, 2024

Applications are open for the Commonwealth Scholarship 2025-26 to Study in the UK. Commonwealth Scholarship is a UK government Fully funded scholarship program Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). The scholarship awards a one-year master’s degree program and a three-year Ph.D. scholarship to students from low and middle-income commonwealth countries. Commonwealth scholarship counts as one of the most important UK scholarships like Chevening, Gates Cambridge. The scholarships are for studying in the UK beginning in September 2025. The step-by-step application process for the UK Commonwealth Scholarship is given below.

Details About UK Commonwealth Scholarship 2025 (Masters, PhD)

• Host Country: UK
• Scholarship Name: Commonwealth Scholarship Commission
• Who can Apply: For Master, and PhD
• Financial Coverage: Fully Funded
• Deadline for Commonwealth Masters Scholarship: 15th October 20234
• Deadline for Commonwealth PhD Scholarship: 15th October 2024

How to Apply for the UK Commonwealth Scholarship?

Applicants must apply online for the CSC Scholarship as well and applicants must apply to a nominating agency. The Nominating agency will select the applicants and forward them to the commonwealth committee.

There are two stages involved in applying for the Commonwealth Scholarship:

1) Commonwealth Online Application System

Applications to the CSC must be made using the CSC’s online application system. The CSC will not accept applications or documentation not submitted via the online application system.

Applicants are advised to complete the application form as early as possible. Dont wait for the last date, the online application system will be very busy in the last days and it can cause issues.

2) Apply to the Nominating Agency

As well as applying to the CSC, applicants must apply to a nominating agency. The nominating agency is the Higher  education body in your country.

There are two types of nominating agencies for Master’s scholarships. Check your country name in the links below.

• National nominating agencies – this is the main route of application
• Selected non-governmental organisations and charitable bodies

There are three types of nominating agencies for PhD Scholarships:

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

The nominating agency will forward the scholarship candidates to the CSC for consideration. The CSC does not accept direct applications for these scholarships.

Applicants must check the additional eligibility criteria by the nominating agency when they announce the Commonwealth scholarship on their website.

Nominating agencies will announce application dates for the Commonwealth scholarship for 2025. Agencies will nominate scholarship candidates to the CSC by December 2024.

Outcome of Application

Applicants can expect to hear the outcome by July 2025.

Financial Coverage

The Commonwealth Scholarship will provide each scholarship holder:

• Return Air Ticket
• Covers Full Tuition Fee
• Monthly stipend
• Also covers the warm clothes allowance.
• Thesis Allowance
• Additional Study Travel Grants
• If the candidates are widowed, divorced, or single parents, the scholarship pays the child £590 for the first child and £146 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16.
• Additional allowance for a disabled person.

Supporting Documents

Applicants must upload the following documents with the application:

• Proof that they are a citizen of a commonwealth-eligible country.
• A Copy of a Valid Passport
• Full transcripts detailing all higher education qualifications, including to-date transcripts for any courses currently being studied, with certified translations if not in English. Where any transcripts are missing or do not include all pages, the application will be considered ineligible.
• References from at least two individuals, in PDF format, signed and on institutional letterhead or an email clearly showing the sender’s details.

Advice for Applicants

Applicants may find general information for a Commonwealth Scholarship on the advice for applicants page.

Tips for Choosing a University/Course in the UK

Applicants have to choose their choice of University and course. Below are the links that will help choose the university and course for yourself.

• Study UK – British Council website, with guidance for international students and a course and institution search
• Steps to Postgraduate Study – A guide to asking the right questions about taught postgraduate study in the UK
• Postgrad.com – information for postgraduate students, with a course search
• Prospects – information on postgraduate study in the UK
• Research Excellent Framework 2021 results – results of a system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions
• UCAS Postgraduate – guidance on how to find and apply for a postgraduate course
• Discover Uni– the official website for comparing UK higher education course data
• UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) – advice for international students on choosing a course of study

Advice for low CGPA/Academic applicants: If you have a low CGPA then go for the universities that are in smaller cities. You may check our detailed blog on studies in the UK With Low CGPA

Eligible countries for the Commonwealth UK Scholarship

• Bangladesh
• Belize
• Botswana
• Cameroon
• Dominica
• Eswatini
• Fiji
• Gabon
• 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
• The Gambia
• Togo
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Uganda
• Vanuatu
• Zambia

Eligibility Criteria for Applicants

• Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee in the above-mentioned country.
• Permanent resident of one of the above-mentioned countries.
• Be available to start academic studies in September 2025.
• By September 2025, hold a first degree of at least upper second-class (2:1) honors standard, or a lower second-class degree and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree).
• Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship.
• Have provided all supporting documentation in the required format.

Scholarship Tenure

• One Year taught Master’s programmes
• Three Years of full-time study

Application Deadline

Please submit your application to the Commonwealth Scholarship via the CSC online application before 15th October 2024.

Commonwealth Scholarship Website Link

• To Apply for the Commonwealth Master Scholarship: https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/scholarships/commonwealth-masters-scholarships/
• To Apply for the Commonwealth Ph.D. Scholarship: https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/scholarships/commonwealth-phd-scholarships-for-least-developed-countries-and-fragile-states/