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Commonwealth Scholarships

Commonwealth Students

The Commonwealth Scholarships are a postgraduate scholarship scheme that enables outstanding postgraduate students from countries in the Commonwealth to study at UK universities, reflecting the UK’s commitment to the Commonwealth. This UK Government funding scheme is run by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC), an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

The aim of the Commonwealth Scholarships is to educate future leaders and innovators from Commonwealth countries, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, by funding them to study at British universities enabling them to return home with skills they can apply for development impact.

The first group of Commonwealth Scholars (of which there were a total of 175) arrived in the UK in 1960, and since then more than 38,000 people have benefitted from Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships. The CSC says it currently expects to allocate around 180 new Commonwealth Shared Scholarships for 2026/27.

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Promoting international cooperation

In a similar way to the Chevening Scholarships and Marshall Scholarships, one of the purposes of the Commonwealth Scholarships is to encourage better international cooperation between the UK and eligible Commonwealth countries. Scholars are funded to study a postgraduate qualification at a British university, where they can build academic networks and develop specialist knowledge before returning home to contribute to development in their own countries.

Invaluable university resource

Commonwealth Scholarships help to attract bright and dynamic international students from Commonwealth countries to UK universities, providing them with a world-class education. As well as benefiting the scholars themselves, the scheme also supports UK universities by bringing high-calibre students into classrooms, laboratories and research projects, strengthening academic and cultural exchange.

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Who is eligible for a Commonwealth Scholarship?

Commonwealth Scholarships are for outstanding students and future leaders from low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries. These scholarships are for students who feel they could make a difference as a result of postgraduate study, but who are unable to afford the associated costs. As well as demonstrating strong academic ability, applicants must normally hold at least a 2:1 bachelor’s degree or a 2:2 degree plus a relevant postgraduate qualification.

Eligible applicants also need to be:

✓ Be a citizen of an eligible Commonwealth country/granted refugee status of an eligible Commonwealth country/or be a British Protected Person.

✓ Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country.

✓ Be unable to afford to study in the UK without the Commonwealth Scholarship.

Applying for a Commonwealth Scholarship

The CSC does not accept direct applications for the Commonwealth Scholarships; eligible applicants must apply through a national nominating agency or, for some awards, through a selected non-governmental organisation or charitable body. Each nominating body runs its own selection process, so applicants should check for any additional eligibility criteria and closing dates. For Commonwealth Masters and PhD routes, applications are made through CSC Central, and the CSC says it cannot accept documents submitted outside the online system.

Documents that you are likely to need when applying for a Commonwealth Scholarship include:

Copy of your valid passport (or national ID card) showing your photograph, date of birth, and country of citizenship.
Full transcripts detailing all your higher education qualifications including transcripts for any qualifications you are currently studying (with certified translations if not in English).
At least two references.

The CSC does not charge applicants to apply for its scholarships or fellowships.

Further information on applying for a Commonwealth Scholarship can be found here.

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What types of Commonwealth Scholarship are there?

There are several different categories of Commonwealth Scholarship for potential postgraduate students to apply for, and all of them are offered under six development themes:

Science and technology for development
Strengthening health systems and capacity
Promoting global prosperity
Strengthening global peace, security and governance
Strengthening resilience and response to crises
Access, inclusion and opportunity

There is no restriction on what you can study at postgraduate level, but the CSC gives priority to applicants whose studies are most relevant to their development criteria.

Commonwealth PhD Scholarships

Commonwealth PhD Scholarships enable applicants from least developed countries and fragile states in the Commonwealth to study a PhD full time at a UK university. Here are the countries of the Commonwealth currently eligible to apply for a PhD Scholarship.

Bangladesh	Rwanda
Cameroon	Sierra Leone
The Gambia	Solomon Islands
Kenya	Sri Lanka
Kiribati	Tanzania
Lesotho	Togo
Malawi	Tuvalu
Mozambique	Uganda
Nigeria	Zambia
Pakistan

Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships

Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships are for PhD candidates from low and middle income Commonwealth countries. These scholarships enable the candidate to spend up to 12 months studying their PhD at a UK university as part of their doctoral studies in their home country. Applicants listed in this table can apply for a Split-site Scholarship 2024/25.

Bangladesh	Kiribati	Saint Lucia
Belize	Lesotho	Saint Vincent and The Grenadines
Botswana	Malawi	Samoa
Cameroon	Malaysia	Sierra Leone
Dominica	Maldives	Solomon Islands
Eswatini	Mauritius	South Africa
Fiji	Montserrat	Sri Lanka
Gabon	Mozambique	Tanzania
The Gambia	Namibia	Togo
Ghana	Nauru	Tonga
Grenada	Nigeria	Tuvalu
Guyana	Pakistan	Uganda
India	Papua New Guinea	Vanuatu
Jamaica	Rwanda	Zambia
Kenya	Saint Helena

Commonwealth Masters Scholarships

Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships are for candidates from eligible low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries to study a full-time taught masters program at a UK university.

For 2026/27, the list of eligible countries is: Bangladesh, Botswana, Cameroon, Eswatini, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zambia.

In addition, applications from Small Island Developing States may be considered under the current Time Limited Programme for the following eligible countries:

Belize, Dominica, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Kiribati, Maldives, Mauritius, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships are for candidates from low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries to study a full-time masters program on selected one-year courses, with the awards jointly supported by UK universities. The CSC says shared scholarships are for taught Master’s study only and not for research degrees or undergraduate study.

Only applicants from the eligible countries listed below can apply for Commonwealth Shared Scholarships:

Bangladesh	Kiribati	Saint Lucia
Belize	Lesotho	Saint Vincent and The Grenadines
Botswana	Malawi	Samoa
Cameroon	Malaysia	Sierra Leone
Dominica	Maldives	Solomon Islands
Eswatini	Mauritius	South Africa
Fiji	Montserrat	Sri Lanka
Gabon	Mozambique	Tanzania
The Gambia	Namibia	Togo
Ghana	Nauru	Tonga
Grenada	Nigeria	Tuvalu
Guyana	Pakistan	Uganda
India	Papua New Guinea	Vanuatu
Jamaica	Rwanda	Zambia
Kenya	Saint Helena

Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships

Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships are offered for citizens of certain developing Commonwealth countries to study a masters program via distance learning at a UK university. The CSC’s current country lists should be checked carefully when the scheme opens, as eligibility can vary slightly by award round.

Currently, applicants for these awards should come from the following countries:

Bangladesh	Kiribati	Saint Lucia
Belize	Lesotho	Saint Vincent and The Grenadines
Botswana	Malawi	Samoa
Cameroon	Malaysia	Sierra Leone
Dominica	Maldives	Solomon Islands
Eswatini	Mauritius	South Africa
Fiji	Montserrat	Sri Lanka
Gabon	Mozambique	Tanzania
The Gambia	Namibia	Togo
Ghana	Nauru	Tonga
Grenada	Nigeria	Tuvalu
Guyana	Pakistan	Uganda
India	Papua New Guinea	Vanuatu
Jamaica	Rwanda	Zambia
Kenya	Saint Helena

Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (for high income Commonwealth Countries)

The Commonwealth PhD Scholarships programme for high-income countries has now ceased and will not be offered in future years. However, the CSC is currently developing its new Commonwealth-wide Academic Fellowship program. It is expected to release more details later in 2026.

Commonwealth Professional Fellowships

Commonwealth Professional Fellowships are for mid-career professionals from low and middle income Commonwealth countries to spend between six weeks and three months at a UK Host organisation working in their sector on a program of professional development. The current eligible-country list should be checked against the CSC’s live guidance before publication or application.

Currently, applicants for these awards should come from the following countries:

Bangladesh	Kiribati	Saint Lucia
Belize	Lesotho	Saint Vincent and The Grenadines
Botswana	Malawi	Samoa
Cameroon	Malaysia	Sierra Leone
Dominica	Maldives	Solomon Islands
Eswatini	Mauritius	South Africa
Fiji	Montserrat	Sri Lanka
Gabon	Mozambique	Tanzania
The Gambia	Namibia	Togo
Ghana	Nauru	Tonga
Grenada	Nigeria	Tuvalu
Guyana	Pakistan	Uganda
India	Papua New Guinea	Vanuatu
Jamaica	Rwanda	Zambia
Kenya	Saint Helena

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Universities participating in Commonwealth Shared Scholarships

Eligible candidates can apply for Commonwealth Shared Scholarships at participating UK universities to help fund their postgraduate program. The CSC currently expects around 180 new Commonwealth Shared Scholarships for 2026/27.

Over 100 UK universities have agreed to part-fund Commonwealth Scholarships, here the universities contribute 20% of the overseas tuition fee, thereby enabling the CSC to increase the number of awards available to citizens of least developed and middle-income countries. Participating UK universities include many world-class institutions, and they will all have information about this opportunity on their funding pages.

Here is a list of all the universities participating in the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme currently:

* Not available for Commonwealth PhD Scholarships

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Outstanding alumni

Since its launch in 1959 over 38,000 Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows have been funded by the UK government through the CSC. This prestigious funding scheme has produced many exceptional alumni, including Nobel Prize winners, Prime Ministers, business leaders and eminent academics. This table illustrates just a small example of some of the trailblazing individuals who have studied at a UK university with the help of a Commonwealth Scholarship, showing what they studied and where, as well as what they went on to achieve.

Commonwealth Alumnus	Postgraduate Program	University	Career Achievement
Charles Krauthammer	Masters in Politics	University of Oxford	Pulitzer Prize-winning Journalist
Kenny Anthony	PhD in Law	University of Birmingham	Prime Minister of St Lucia
George W Kanyeihamba	PhD in Law	University of Warwick	Judge of the Supreme Court of Uganda
Shirani Bandaranayake	PhD in Law	SOAS, University of London	Chief Justice of Sri Lanka
Stephen Toope	PhD in Law	University of Cambridge	President & Vice Chancellor of the University of British Columbia