Are you looking for a scholarship to pursue your masters in the UK?

Look no further! This blog will tell you everything about the Commonwealth Scholarship for studying in the UK. We will discuss eligibility criteria, the application process, the list of eligible countries for this scholarship in the UK, the financial assistance this scholarship provides, and more.

What is the Commonwealth Scholarship?

The Commonwealth Scholarship is a prestigious international program that offers financial assistance to international students from low and middle-income Commonwealth countries to pursue their masters in the United Kingdom.

This program is managed by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC), and most scholarships are funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

According to a report by FCDO, more than 30,000 students have taken up Commonwealth Scholarships since the first group of 175 scholars arrived in the UK in 1960.

Over the past six decades, the program has continuously evolved, adapting to the diverse and changing landscape of the 53-nation Commonwealth in 2019.

There are over four types of Commonwealth Scholarships for Indian students for different courses. Here they are:

Commonwealth Masters Scholarship
Commonwealth Distance Learning Masters Scholarships
Commonwealth Shared Scholarship
Commonwealth Split-Site Scholarships(for low and middle-income countries)

Commonwealth Masters Scholarship

This scholarship allows international students from eligible low—and middle-income Commonwealth countries to undertake a full-time master’s program taught at a UK university.

How to apply for this scholarship?

To apply for this scholarship, you must fill out and submit your application form on the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission (CSC) website.

If you don’t apply through CSC’s online application system, then CSC won’t be able to accept and evaluate any documentation or application of any candidate. So, applying for admission through CSC’s website as early as possible is essential.

You must also apply through CSC to nominating agencies.

There are two types of nominating agencies for Master’s programs:

National nominating agencies– this is the main route of application.
Selected non-governmental organisations and charitable bodies.

These nominating agencies put forward candidates to the CSC for consideration. The CSC does not accept direct applications for these scholarships.

Each nominating agency manages its selection process and might have extra eligibility criteria. Applicants should check with their nominating agency for specific advice, application rules, and eligibility requirements.

Documents required

To apply for this scholarship, you have to submit the required documents to be eligible:

You must submit proof that you are a citizen or refugee 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.
Complete transcripts of all higher education qualifications, including current course transcripts, with certified translations if they are outside of English. The application will be deemed eligible if any transcripts need to be included or completed.
At least two individuals’ references, in PDF format, signed and on institutional letterhead, or sent as an email clearly showing the sender’s details.

Applicants must gather references on institution letterhead or emails with the sender’s details. These references should then be uploaded to the application system in PDF format, along with other supporting documents.

Eligibility

To apply for Commonwealth Masters Scholarships, you must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

Be a citizen of an eligible Commonwealth country, have refugee status in one, or be a British Protected Person.
Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country.
Be ready to begin your studies in the UK by September, the start of the academic year.
By September, you must have a first degree with at least an upper second-class (2:1) honours or a lower second-class degree and a relevant postgraduate qualification (typically a Master’s degree)*. The CSC generally does not fund a second Master’s degree. If you are applying for a second Master’s, you must explain why you want to pursue this additional study.
You can only afford to study in the UK with this scholarship.
Have submitted all necessary documents in the specified format.

Selection process and criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on the following selection criteria:

Academic merit
Quality of research proposal
Potential impact on the development of the applicant’s home country

For more details, you can visit the Commonwealth Scholarships selection criteria.

This Scholarship covers a 12-month study period at any UK university or higher education institution approved by the CSC through a partial funding agreement for a specific research program.

Commonwealth Split-Site Scholarship

The Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships are available for international students from low and middle-income countries within the Commonwealth, as determined by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC). With the help of this scholarship, you can conduct research at a UK university for 12 months.

Scholarship duration: 12 months or one year, which can be taken as a single 12-month period or separated into two six-month periods.

How to apply for this scholarship?

To apply for this scholarship, you must fill out and submit your application form on the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission (CSC) website.

Documents required

To apply for this scholarship, you have to submit the required documents to be eligible:

You must submit proof that you are a citizen or refugee 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.
Complete transcripts of all higher education qualifications, including current course transcripts, with certified translations if they are outside of English. The application will be deemed eligible if any transcripts need to be included or completed.
At least two individuals’ references, in PDF format, signed and on institutional letterhead, or sent as an email clearly showing the sender’s details.

Eligibility

To apply for Commonwealth Masters Scholarships, you must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

Be a citizen of an eligible Commonwealth country, have refugee status in one, or be a British Protected Person.
Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country.
Be ready to begin your studies in the UK by September, the start of the academic year.
By September, you must have a first degree with at least an upper second-class (2:1) honours or a lower second-class degree and a relevant postgraduate qualification (typically a Master’s degree)*. The CSC generally does not fund a second Master’s degree. If you are applying for a second Master’s, you must explain why you want to pursue this additional study.
You can only afford to study in the UK with this scholarship.
Have submitted all necessary documents in the specified format.

Selection process and criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on the following selection criteria:

Academic merit
Quality of research proposal
Potential impact on the development of the applicant’s home country

For more details, you can visit the Commonwealth Scholarships selection criteria.

Commonwealth Distance Learning Masters Scholarship

Commonwealth distance-learning scholarship

The Commonwealth Distance Learning program is among the three Master’s programs the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission provides.

This scholarship is for international students from low and middle-income eligible Commonwealth countries who want to pursue part-time taught master’s study with UK universities from their home countries.

How to apply for this scholarship?

To apply for this scholarship, you must fill out and submit your application form on the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission (CSC) website.

You can see the complete list of approved courses and participating UK universities.

You can apply for more than one course and to more than one university, but you may accept only one offer of a Commonwealth Distance Learning master’s scholarship.

Documents required

To apply for this scholarship, you have to submit the required documents to be eligible:

You must submit proof that you are a citizen or refugee 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.
Complete transcripts of all higher education qualifications, including current course transcripts, with certified translations if they are outside of English. The application will be deemed eligible if any transcripts need to be included or completed.
At least two individuals’ references, in PDF format, signed and on institutional letterhead, or sent as an email clearly showing the sender’s details.

Eligibility

To apply for Commonwealth Masters Scholarships, you must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

Be a citizen of an eligible Commonwealth country, have refugee status in one, or be a British Protected Person.
Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country.
A bachelor’s degree with at least an upper second-class (2:1) standard is required. However, lower qualifications with enough relevant experience might also be considered in some cases.
I cannot afford to pursue the program with this scholarship.

Selection process and criteria

Each eligible UK university will conduct its recruitment process to select a specified number of students for the Distance Learning Scholarship.

Applications will be evaluated based on the following selection criteria:

Academic merit
Quality of research proposal
Potential impact on the development of the applicant’s home country

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship

This scholarship is for high-quality postgraduate students from the least developed and middle-income countries who have not studied for a year or more in a high-income country before, who would not afford to study in the UK, and who, with the knowledge and leadership skills they acquire, have the potential to contribute to the development of their home countries.

How to apply for this scholarship?

To apply for this scholarship, you must fill out and submit your application form on the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission (CSC) website.

You must apply for an approved master’s course at a participating UK university.

You can view the full list of approved courses
You can view the details of participating universities in the UK.

You can apply for more than one course and at more than one university; however, you may only accept one offer of a shared scholarship.

Documents required

To apply for this scholarship, you have to submit the required documents to be eligible:

You must submit proof that you are a citizen or refugee 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.
Complete transcripts of all higher education qualifications, including current course transcripts, with certified translations if they are not in English. The application will be deemed ineligible if any transcripts are missing or incomplete.
At least two individuals’ references, in PDF format, signed and on institutional letterhead, or sent as an email clearly showing the sender’s details.

Eligibility

To apply for Commonwealth Masters Scholarships, you must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

Be a citizen of an eligible Commonwealth country, have refugee status in one, or be a British Protected Person.
Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country.
Be ready to begin your studies in the UK by September, the start of the academic year.
By September, you must have a first degree with at least an upper second-class (2:1) honours or a lower second-class degree and a relevant postgraduate qualification (typically a Master’s degree).
You must not have studied or worked in a high-income country for more than one academic year.
You can’t afford to study in the UK without this scholarship.
Have submitted all necessary documents in the specified format.

Selection process and criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on the following selection criteria:

Academic merit
Quality of research proposal
Potential impact on the development of the applicant’s home country

For more details, you can visit the Commonwealth Scholarships selection criteria.

Value of Commonwealth Scholarships

Each of the Commonwealth Scholarship provides:

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) covers the cost of airfare from your home country to the UK and back at the end of the award. Please note that the CSC doesn’t reimburse travel expenses for dependents or journeys made before the award confirmation.
Tuition fees approved: The CSC and the UK university have an agreement covering your full tuition fees, meaning you don’t have to pay any part of the tuition fee.
The stipend, or living allowance, is £1,347 per month, or £1,652 per month if you’re studying at universities in the London metropolitan area (current rates).
If needed, an allowance for warm clothing.
A grant for study-related travel expenses, whether within the UK or abroad.
If a Scholar is a single parent due to being widowed or divorced or raising children alone, they are eligible for a child allowance. This allowance amounts to £576.61 monthly for the first child and £143 monthly for the second and third child under 16, provided that all children reside with the Scholar at the same UK address.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Commonwealth Scholarships in the UK offer invaluable opportunities for postgraduate students from low—and middle-income Commonwealth countries. With comprehensive financial support covering tuition fees, living expenses, and travel, these scholarships promote academic excellence and cross-cultural exchange.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity – contact our team of experts today for guidance and support in pursuing your Commonwealth Scholarship journey.