Scholarships in UK

UK Commonwealth Scholarship 2024/25 (Masters, PhD)

September 7, 2023

The UK Commonwealth Scholarship 2024 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.

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. The scholarships are for studying in the UK beginning in September/October 2024. The step-by-step application process for the UK Commonwealth Scholarship 2024/25 is given below.

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Details About UK Commonwealth Scholarship 2024/25 (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: 17:00 hours BST (16:00 GMT) on 17 October 2023.
Deadline for Commonwealth PhD Scholarship: 17:00 hours BST (16:00 GMT) on 17 October 2023

How to Apply for the UK Commonwealth Scholarship?

There are two stages involved in applying for the Commonwealth Scholarship 2024:

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 own 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 may set their own closing dates for applications.

Agencies will nominate scholarship candidates to the CSC by December 2023.

Outcome of Application

Applicants can expect to hear the outcome by July 2024.

Financial Coverage

The Commonwealth Scholarship will provide each scholarship holder:

Return Air Ticket
Covers Full Tuition Fee
Monthly stipend of £1,347 per month, or £1,652 per month.
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 £576.61 for the first child and £143 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.

Choosing a University/Course

Applicants have to choose their choice of University and course. Below are the links that will be helpful in choosing 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 study in UK With Low CGPA in 2023.

Eligible countries for the Commonwealth UK Scholarship 2024

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 2024.
By September 2024, 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.

Also Check: Finland Government Scholarships 2024

Scholarship Tenure

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

Application Deadline

Please submit your application to the Commonwealth Scholarship 2024/25 via the CSC online application before 17 October 2023.

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/