COMMONWEALTH MASTER’S SCHOLARSHIPS 2023-2024. The agency-nominated Master’s programme is one of three Master’s programmes offered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission.

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC) provides the UK
government scholarship scheme led by international development objectives. It
operates within the framework of the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) and offers a vivid demonstration of the UK’s enduring commitment to the Commonwealth. By attracting individuals with outstanding talent and identifiable potential from all backgrounds and supporting them to become leaders and innovators on returning to their home countries, the CSC’s work combines sustainable development with the UK national interest and provides opportunities for international partnerships and collaboration.

Purpose: Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), 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.

Intended Beneficiaries: Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships are for candidates from eligible low and middle-income Commonwealth countries, to undertake full-time taught Master’s study at a UK university.

These scholarships are offered under the six CSC development themes.

Selection process

Applications will be considered according to the following selection criteria:

Academic merit of the candidate
Quality of the plan of study
Potential impact on the development of the candidate’s home country

For further details, see the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships 2023 selection criteria.

Eligible countries

Please note that only candidates from the eligible countries listed below can apply for Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships in 2023/24.

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

COMMONWEALTH MASTER’S SCHOLARSHIPS 2023-2024 – Candidate eligibility

To apply for these scholarships, candidates 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 2023
By September 2023, hold a first degree of at least upper second class (2:1) honours standard, or a second class degree (2:2) and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree)*. The CSC would not normally fund a second UK Master’s degree. If you are applying for a second UK Master’s degree, you will need to provide justification as to why you 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

The CSC aims to identify talented individuals who have the potential to make a change. We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and non-discrimination, and encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates. For further information on the support available to candidates with a disability, see the CSC disability support statement.

*The CSC recognises that disabled people have often faced and overcome challenges or barriers in their education journey which have prevented them from achieving the academic requirement for a Commonwealth Scholarship. Disabled candidates who can demonstrate their potential to contribute to international development but who do not hold a 2:1 Undergraduate degree may be considered for a contextualised nomination through the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum nominator. For more information, please contact CDPF directly using the details on our NGOs and Charitable Body Nominators page.

The CSC is committed to administering and managing its scholarships and fellowships in a fair and transparent manner. For further information, see the CSC anti-fraud policy and the guidance on reporting fraud.

The CSC is committed proactively to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our beneficiaries, and to protecting its staff, Commissioners, beneficiaries and all those with whom the CSC comes into contact. The CSC requires staff, members of the Commission, applicants for and recipients of CSC awards and suppliers to act consistently with its requirements for safeguarding. Applicants should note the CSC’s Safeguarding Policy which sets out the obligation for staff, members of the Commission, applicants for and recipients of CSC awards and suppliers to act consistently with its requirements for safeguarding. Any safeguarding concerns should be reported to the Commission at: [email protected]

How to apply

Applications for Commonwealth Master’s scholarships for the 2023/24 academic year are now open.

The closing date for applications (including all supporting documentation) is 18 October 2022 at 16:00 GMT.

Applications must be made using the CSC’s online application system.

Candidates must apply to one of the below-nominating agencies as well as to the CSC. Nominating agencies will then put forward candidates to the CSC. The CSC does not accept direct applications for these scholarships.

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

Each nominating agency oversees its own selection process and may have additional eligibility criteria. Candidates 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 date for applications.

Candidates must complete an application using the CSC’s online application system, in addition to any other application required to be completed by the nominating agency. The CSC is unable to accept any applications that are not submitted via the online application system.

Agencies will nominate candidates to the CSC by December 2022.

Candidates 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.

Supporting documentation

Applications must include supporting documentation to be eligible.

Note that candidates are required to collect references, on institution letterhead or an email clearly showing the sender’s details, from referees and then upload them to the application system in PDF format with their other supporting documentation. This is a change from previous years when referees would receive a separate email requesting their statements.

The references must be uploaded to the application system by the deadline for applications and we are unable to accept references any other way or after this date.

Candidates must upload the following documents with the application:

Proof that the applicant is a citizen or has refugee status 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
Full transcripts detailing all higher education qualifications, including to-date transcripts for any courses currently being studied, with certified translations if not in English
References from at least two individuals, on institutional letterhead or an email clearly showing the sender’s details

If any of the required documentation is not provided by the closing date, the application will be considered ineligible.

Candidates can also upload any university admissions letters held for their chosen courses.

The CSC will not accept supporting documentation submitted by nominating agencies or outside the online application system.

Please note that the CSC does not charge candidates to apply for any of its scholarships or fellowships through its online application system and it does not charge organisations to nominate candidates.