Apply for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Program

Name of the Event: Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Program

Last Date of Application: 9 December 2025

Link to Apply:

Apply Here

The Commonwealth Shared Scholarship programme is one of three Master’s programmes offered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission.

Intended beneficiaries:

High-quality postgraduate students from Least Developed and middle-income countries (including fragile and conflict affected states), who have not studied for a year or more in a high-income country before, who would not otherwise afford to study in the UK, and who have the potential to enhance the development of their home countries with the knowledge and leadership skills they acquire.

Eligibility:

• Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country.

• 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 2026.

• By September 2026, hold a first degree of at least upper second-class (2:1) honours standard, or a lower second-class degree and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree).

• Not have studied or worked for more than one (academic) year or more in a high income country

• Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship.

• Have provided all supporting documentation in the required format.

Benefits:

Each scholarship provides-

• Approved airfare from the Scholar’s home country to the UK and return at the end of the award (the CSC will not reimburse the cost of fares for dependants, nor the cost of journeys made before the award is confirmed) – funded by the CSC.

• Approved tuition fees: full fees are covered by 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 £1,452 per month, or £1,781 per month for those at universities in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at current levels) – paid and funded by the university.

• Warm clothing allowance, where applicable – paid and funded by the university.

• Thesis grant towards the cost of preparing a thesis or dissertation, where applicable – paid by the university, funded by the CSC.

• Study travel grant towards the cost of study-related travel within the UK or overseas – paid by the university, funded by the CSC.

• Contribution towards the cost of a mandatory tuberculosis (TB) test, where required for a visa application (receipts must be supplied) – paid by the university, funded by the CSC.

• If a Scholar has children and is widowed, divorced, or a single parent, child allowance of child allowance of £622 per month for the first child, and £154 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16, if their children are living with them at the same address in the UK.

We are not the official organisers of the program. If you have any queries regarding it, kindly contact the organisers at info@cscuk.org.uk