Description
You may now apply for the Commonwealth Scholarships for Master’s and PhD study in the UK are offered for citizens of developing Commonwealth countries. Scholarships are funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID).
You can apply for a Commonwealth Scholarship for the following levels of study:
- Master’s (one-year courses only)
- PhD
All subject areas are eligible, although the CSC’s selection criteria give priority to applications that demonstrate the strongest relevance to development.
Benefits
Each Scholarship gives you these benefits…
- Airfare to the UK and return at end of your award.
- Tuition and examination fees
- Living allowance of £1,268 per month if you’re attending University in the London Metropolitan area. Otherwise, you get £1,034 per month.
- Where applicable, you get thesis and/or dissertation grants.
- Allowance for warm clothing
- Study travel grants for study-related travel costs, within the UK and overseas
- PhD scholars get fieldwork grants towards cost of fieldwork undertaken overseas. This covers for 1 economy return airfare to fieldwork location)
- PhD Scholars get mid-term airfare to home country.
- If your scholarship is at least 18 months long, you get the following benefits as well:
- Spouse allowance of £222 if you both live at the same address in the UK, unless s/he is also a direct beneficiary of the Scholarship
- Child allowance of £222 for the first child, and £109 for second and third children, if you are accompanied by your spouse and children and you all live in the same address in the UK. Children MUST be under 16 years of age to qualify for the allowance.
- If you are widowed, divorced or a single parent (irrespective of your scholarship length) you get £444 for the first child, and £109 if you all live in the same address in the UK.
Eligibility
- You must be a citizen of a developing Commonwealth countries, or a refugee, or British protected person.
- A permanent resident of a developing Commonwealth county.
- Applicants must be available to start academic studies in the UK by September/October 2016 UK academic year.
- Applicants must hold at least a first degree of at least Second Class Upper. Or at least a Second Class degree and a relevant postgraduate qualification, usually a Master’s Degree.
Applications are considered on the following criteria:
- Academic Merit of the candidate
- Quality of the Proposal
- Potential impact of the work on the development of the applicants home country.
For certain critical information on the selection criteria, please click here to download or view PDF.
Apply
You must apply to one of the following nominating bodies in the first instance – the CSC does not accept direct applications for these scholarships:
- National nominating agencies – this is the main route of application. Click here for a list of national nominating agencies, with contact details
- Selected universities/university bodies, which can nominate their own academic staff. Click here for a list of nominating universities/university bodies
- Selected non-governmental organizations and charitable bodies
For information on how to apply, click here. You may start your application here.
Please NOTE
All applications must be made through your nominating body in your home country. Each nominating body is responsible for its own selection process. You must check with your nominating body for their specific advice and rules for applying, and for their own closing date for applications. The CSC does not impose any age limit on applicants, but nominating bodies may do so in line with their own priorities.
You must make your application using the CSC’s Electronic Application System (EAS). Click here for full information on how to use the EAS, including detailed guides.
Your application must be submitted to and endorsed by one of the approved nominating bodies listed above. The CSC will not accept any applications that are not submitted via the EAS to a nominating body in your home country.
All applications must be submitted by 19 November 2015 at the latest. Please note that this is an earlier deadline than in previous years.
Quick Guide
Before you start your registration, please read one or more of the following guides…
- How to apply for Commonwealth Masters Scholarship (taught masters)
- How to apply to Commonwealth Masters Scholarship (research masters)
- How to apply for Commonwealth PhD Scholarship
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Applicants
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