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Posted June 2, 2026

How the Chevening Scholarship gave me more than a degree

Chevening Scholar Roaa Ahmed UCL School of Management

I am Roaa Ahmed, an Egyptian Chevening Scholar, currently in my final term of the MSc in Entrepreneurship at UCL School of Management, after 10 years spent working across startups and ecosystem development in the MENA region.

Chevening is the UK Government’s flagship international scholarship, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. It is fully funded, covering tuition fees, a monthly living allowance, flights, and an arrival allowance. But the financial package, as significant as it is, turned out to be only part of the story as I will share with you in this article.

World-class education with real application

Chevening enabled me to get into UCL, consistently ranked among the top 10 universities in the world, where I joined the MSc Entrepreneurship programme at the School of Management.

What I loved most about the programme experience was how it was not only academic. The faculty are not only researchers. They are practitioners, investors, and entrepreneurs who bring lived market experience into the classroom. One section of the Entrepreneurial Finance module, for example, was taught by a General Partner at a leading global venture capitalist firm. 

The course itself functions more like a structured one-year accelerator than a conventional masters degree. Each term builds on the last, moving from foundational venture thinking in term one, through scaling and electives focus in term two, to a dissertation in term three, where you can focus entirely on your own startup idea (or dissertation topic of your choice), and the opportunity it addresses. For anyone serious about building something, the combination of academic rigour and practical application is genuinely rare.

Opportunities that extend beyond campus

One of the most meaningful moments of my first weeks in London was being welcomed by the Egyptian Ambassador, himself a Chevening Alumnus, at a reception for newly arrived Egyptian Chevening Scholars. It was a reminder that Chevening is not just a scholarship but also a bridge between countries.

Another highlight was the Chevening Annual Conference, themed “Intellectual Leadership for Global Good”. I had the opportunity to speak at the conference on self-awareness for entrepreneurial leaders. Being in a room with scholars from over 160 countries, all working across different sectors and geographies, was one of the most energising professional experiences I have had. The conversations, collaborations and connections that came out of that event alone made the year feel larger than any single university experience could.

Friendships that feel like home

My fellow Chevening Scholars from other UK universities within the same scholarship cohort, have become some of my closest friends. There is something about sharing this particular experience, the ambition, the distance from home, the weight of what the scholarship represents, that builds genuine bonds quickly.

Together, we have explored more of the UK than I expected to in a single year. Bath, Canterbury, Oxford, Wales and Scotland each offered something different, and every trip became a memory worth keeping. The friendships I’ve built through Chevening have had a positive impact on my experience in this journey; they are definitely the kind that shall continue beyond graduation.

Thinking about applying? A few honest tips

1. Start with your WHY and prepare for the four essays early 

The application centres on four essential pillars: leadership, networking, your choice of UK study, and your career plan. Each section needs specific evidence within a set word count. Always begin with identifying your WHY: a sense of purpose and a well-defined motive for seeking this award, then prepare the essays early on. 

2. Use the STAR technique for your examples 

This was the most useful framework I applied across both the essays and the interview. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result. For every experience you reference, structure it around these four elements. What was the context? What was required of you specifically? What did you do and why? What was the measurable outcome? This keeps your writing grounded in evidence and it makes your examples convincing.

3. Be specific about your career plan and structure it in phases

A common weakness in Chevening applications is a career plan that reads as a wish list rather than a roadmap. Structure yours into short, medium and long-term goals. Show how each phase builds on the previous one, and explain clearly how the UK, the university, and the specific programme you have chosen connect directly to that trajectory. The more logical and intentional your plan reads, the more credible your application becomes overall.

4. Prepare for the interview the same way you prepared your essays

The interview panel typically includes the in-country Chevening Programme Manager, a UK representative, and a technical expert in your chosen field, often a Chevening alumnus. They will probe your essays, so your spoken answers need to be consistent with what you wrote. Prepare three to five strong STAR examples in advance that can flex across different question types. Practise out loud, not just in your head. Two to three focused rehearsals before the interview make a significant difference to how polished and natural you come across.

5. Apply to your universities in parallel, do not wait

After results are announced in mid-June, you have until early July to submit at least one unconditional offer from a UK university. If you have not already applied to your chosen universities, you risk losing the award entirely. Submit your university applications during the Chevening review period, even if you have not yet heard back.

6. Do not assume Chevening is out of reach

While the process is very selective, Chevening seeks individuals with genuine leadership backgrounds, a well-defined path forward, and a compelling narrative. In my experience, the time and effort invested in the application are truly rewarding!

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Chevening Scholar Roaa UCLAuthor’s bio: Roaa Ahmed is an Egyptian Chevening Scholar, currently in her final term of the MSc in Entrepreneurship at UCL School of Management.

Previous to undertaking her studies, Roaa spent 10 years working across startups and ecosystem development in the MENA region.

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