Commonwealth Scholarship for Developing Countries

Commonwealth Scholarship for Developing Countries

The commonwealth scholarship for developing countries is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). It enables talented and motivated individuals to gain the knowledge and skills required for sustainable development and is aimed at those who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK.

Scholarship Summary

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC) provides the UK government scholarship scheme led by international development objectives. The scholarship intends to attract individuals with outstanding talent and identifiable potential from all backgrounds and support them to become leaders and innovators upon returning to their home countries.

Scholarship Worth

The Commonwealth Scholarship for Developing Countries provide 

• 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 dependants, nor the cost of journeys made before your award is confirmed)
• Approved tuition fees: full fees are covered by the agreement between the CSC and the UK university, and scholars are not liable to pay for any part of the tuition fee
• Stipend (living allowance) at the rate of £1,236 per month, or £1,516 per month for those at universities in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at current levels)
• Warm clothing allowance, where applicable
• Thesis grant towards the cost of preparing a thesis or dissertation, where applicable
• Study travel grant towards the cost of study-related travel within the UK or overseas
• If you have children and are widowed, divorced, or a single parent, a child allowance of £529 per month for the first child, and £131 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)
• If you share that you have a disability, a full assessment of your needs and eligibility for additional financial support will be offered by the CSC

Candidate Eligibility

To apply for these scholarships, candidates 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 academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September 2023
• By September 2023, hold a first degree of at least upper second class (2:1) honors standard, or a second class degree (2:2) and relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree)*. 
• The CSC would not normally fund a second UK Master’s degree. If you are applying for a second UK Master’s degree, you will need to provide justification as to why you wish to undertake this study
• Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship
• Have provided all supporting documentation in the required format

Documents to Provide

• Candidates are required to collect references, on institution letterhead or an email clearly showing the sender’s details, from referees and then upload them to the application system in PDF format with their other supporting documentation.
• The references must be uploaded to the application system by the deadline for applications and they are unable to accept references any other way or after the deadline date.

Candidates must upload the following documents with the application:

• Proof that the applicant is a citizen or has refugee status in an eligible Commonwealth country: a copy of a valid passport (or national ID card) showing a photograph, date of birth, and country of citizenship
• Full transcripts detailing all higher education qualifications, including to-date transcripts for any courses currently being studied, with certified translations if not in English
• References from at least two individuals, on institutional letterhead or an email clearly showing the sender’s details
• If the required documentation is not provided by the closing date, the application will be considered ineligible.
• Candidates can also upload any university admissions letters held for their chosen courses.

Note

The CSC’s family allowances are intended to only be used to contribute towards the cost of maintaining your family in the UK.

The CSC recognizes that disabled people have often faced and overcome challenges or barriers in their education journey which have prevented them from achieving the academic requirement for a Commonwealth Scholarship. Disabled candidates who can demonstrate their potential to contribute to international development but who do not hold a 2:1 Undergraduate degree may be considered for a contextualized nomination through the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum nominator. For more information, please contact CDPF directly using the details on their NGOs and Charitable Body Nominators page.