Commonwealth Shared Scholarship 2023/24 — Apply Now

The Commonwealth Shared Scholarship is a joint initiative of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) in the United Kingdom and participating governments and institutions in other Commonwealth countries. It is designed to support students from developing Commonwealth countries who wish to study in the United Kingdom. The scholarship provides funding for tuition fees, a living allowance, and travel costs for students to pursue a full-time master’s degree at a UK university.

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Eligible Countries

Eligibility for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship is determined by the CSC and the participating governments and institutions in the recipient’s home country. In general, candidates must be citizens of a developing Commonwealth country, have applied to and been accepted for a full-time master’s degree program at a UK university, and meet any other criteria set by the CSC and the participating government or institution.

Only candidates from the eligible countries listed below can apply for Commonwealth Shared Scholarships in 2023/24.

Bangladesh
Belize
Botswana
Cameroon
Dominica
Eswatini
Fiji
Gabon
The Gambia
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
Togo
Tonga
Tuvalu
Uganda
Vanuatu
Zambia

If you are interested in applying for a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, you should first check the eligibility requirements and application process with the CSC or the relevant government agency or educational institution in your home country. The application process typically involves completing an online application form and submitting other required documents, such as transcripts, letters of recommendation, and a personal statement.

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Deadline

The application deadline for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship varies depending on the country and institution you are applying to. It is important to check the specific application deadlines and requirements with the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) or the relevant government agency or educational institution in your home country.

To apply for a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, you will typically need to complete an online application form and submit other required documents, such as transcripts, letters of recommendation, and a personal statement. The application process may also involve an interview or further assessment as part of the selection process.

It is important to review the application instructions and requirements carefully and to submit all required materials by the deadline to be considered for the scholarship. Missing the deadline or failing to submit the required materials may disqualify you from consideration for the scholarship.

Eligible Courses for Commonwealth Scholarship

The courses that are eligible for a Commonwealth Scholarship depend on the specific scholarship program and the country in which the scholarship is being offered. In general, Commonwealth Scholarships are intended to support students who are pursuing postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom, and are often targeted at specific fields of study or disciplines, including but not limited to the arts, humanities, social sciences, business, education, engineering, law, science, technology, and medicine.

Candidate Eligibility for Commonwealth Shared Scholarship

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 their 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 lower second-class degree (2:2) and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree)
• Not have studied or worked for one (academic) year or more in a high-income country
• Be unable to afford to study in the UK university without this Scholarship
• Have provided all supporting documentation in the required format

Completing the application form for Commonwealth Shared Scholarship

In the application form, candidates will be asked to:

• List all undergraduate and postgraduate university qualifications obtained
• List up to 10 publications and prizes
• Provide details of their employment history and explain how each job is relevant to the programme to be undertaken in the UK
• Provide a statement on the relevance of their previous work experience to the proposed Scholarship
• List names and positions of three referees who are qualified to comment on both the candidate’s capacity to benefit from the proposed Scholarship in the UK and their ability to deliver development impact afterwards. One referee must be a current employer (if applicable)
• Provide a Development Impact statement in 4 parts.

The first part should explain how the candidate’s proposed Scholarship relates to:

1. Development issues at the global, national, and local level
2. Development issues connected to your chosen CSC development theme and the wider sector.

The second part should explain how the candidate intends to apply their new skills and qualification after returning home.

The third part should outline what the candidate expects will change in development terms following the Scholarship, including:

1. The outcomes they aim to achieve
2. The timeframe for their implementation
3. Who the beneficiaries will be

The fourth part should outline how the impact of the candidate’s work could be best measured. It should:

1. Confirm what the candidate’s award objectives are and how each of them will be met by the Scholarship programme
2. Confirm what the candidate’s objectives are for the next five years and how each of them will be met by the Scholarship programme
3. Confirm what the candidate’s objectives are in the longer term and how each of them will be met by the Scholarship programme
4. Provide a personal statement to summarise the ways in which the candidate’s personal background has encouraged them to want to make an impact in their home country. Candidates should indicate areas in which they have already contributed, such as having overcome any personal or community barriers in the chosen career
5. Summarise the ways in which the candidate has engaged in voluntary activities and the opportunities where they have had to demonstrate leadership