Scholarship
Commonwealth Scholarship (September 2026)
Closing date
Eligibility
Additional requirements
Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships are for candidates from low and middle income Commonwealth countries, to undertake full-time taught Master’s study at a UK University.
To be considered for these scholarships, applicants 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 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)*. The CSC would not normally fund a second Master’s degree. If applying for a second Master’s degree, applicants must provide justification as to why they 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.
Further information
Funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships enable talented and motivated individuals to gain the knowledge and skills required for sustainable development, and are aimed at those who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK. These scholarships are offered under six 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
For full terms and conditions – including further details of the scholarship themes, tenure and placement, value of the scholarship, and general conditions – see the Commonwealth general conditions.
Documents
Terms and conditions
Key facts
How to Apply
Applications for Commonwealth Master’s scholarships for the 2026/27 academic year are now open. The deadline for submitting an application is 17:00 hours BST (16:00 GMT) on 17 October 2025. The scholarships are for study in the UK beginning in September/October 2026.
Applications to the CSC must be made using the CSC’s online application system.
The CSC is unable to accept any applications or documentation not submitted via the online application system.
Applicants are advised to complete and submit applications as early as possible, as the online application system will be very busy in the days leading up to the application deadline.
As well as applying to the CSC, applicants must apply to a nominating agency.
There are two types of nominating agency for Master’s scholarships:
- National nominating agencies – this is the main route of application
- Selected non-governmental organisations and charitable bodies
Nominating agencies put forward scholarship candidates to the CSC for consideration. The CSC does not accept direct applications for these scholarships.
Each nominating agency oversees its own selection process and may have additional eligibility criteria. Applicants must check with the nominating agency for their specific advice and rules for applying, and their own eligibility criteria.
Nominating agencies may set their own closing dates for applications.
Agencies will nominate scholarship candidates to the CSC by December 2025.
Applicants can expect to hear the outcome by July 2026. All applicants will be contacted by email, and they should ensure all folders of their email accounts are monitored, including junk mail and spam folders. A scholarship offer may be withdrawn if a scholarship candidate is emailed but does not respond within a specified time.