Fully-funded Commonwealth Shared Scholarships for Students from Developing Countries

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships

Course(s) Offered: Any field
Course Level: Graduate (masters)
Provider: DFID, UK universities
Country to Study in: UK

Scholarship Description
The Commonwealth Shared Scholarships (CSS) allow students from Developing Commonwealth countries who would not otherwise be able to study in the UK benefit from graduate study at a University in the UK which will help them to contribute toward the development of their home countries.

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships are a joint initiative between the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (with funding from DFID) and UK universities, to support scholarships for students from developing Commonwealth countries who would not otherwise be able to study in the UK.

Shared Scholarships are offered on an annual basis for Master’s study only. Selection criteria of the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships include: Academic merit of the candidate, and Potential impact of the work on the development of the candidate’s home country.

Eligibility
To apply for a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, candidates must:

• Be a Commonwealth citizen, refugee, or British protected person
• Be permanently resident in a developing Commonwealth country
• Be available to start your academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September/October 2018
• By October 2018, hold a first degree of at least upper second class (2:1) classification, or a second class (2:2) classification plus a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree)
• Not have studied or worked for one (academic) year or more in a developed country
• Be unable, either yourself or through your family, to pay to study in the UK

Sponsoring institutions must confirm that candidates are sufficiently fluent in written and oral English to pursue their proposed studies immediately, as no pre-course English Language Teaching is available under these awards.

Eligible groups
Citizens of Developing Commonwealth Countries - see Terms and Conditions for complete list of eligible countries

Participating Institution(s)
Various participating institutions in the UK only - see Terms and Conditions for full list of participating universities.

Fields of study
Awards are for taught Masters courses only. No awards will be made for undergraduate, doctoral study or any pre-sessional English language teaching. All courses undertaken must be demonstrably relevant to the economic, social or technological development of the candidate’s home country.

Number of Awards
Up to 230 scholarship positions

Sponsorship duration
Normally tenable for one-year taught postgraduate courses only

Scholarship benefits
The CSC funds the cost of tuition fees (at overseas rate), return airfares, and other allowances. Participating universities are required to support the student stipend for the award holder (at the rate set by the UK government).

Method of Application
You should apply to study an eligible Master’s course at a UK university that is participating in the Shared Scholarship scheme. And you must make your scholarship application using the CSC’s Electronic Application System (EAS). Before applying, you must check with your UK university for their specific advice and rules for applying, and for their own closing date for applications.

You can apply for more than one course and/or to more than one university, but you may only accept one offer of a Shared Scholarship. The CSC will not accept any applications that are not submitted via the EAS to your UK university or applications directly from individuals.

It is important to read the "Commonwealth Shared Scholarships 2018 Terms and Conditions"(PDF) and visit the official website (link to it is below) for complete information on this scholarship.

DEADLINES:
All applications must be submitted by 23.59 (BST) on 17 April 2018 at the latest. Each university has its own closing date for applications, and most fall before 29 March 2017. You must submit your application by the date advised by your UK university.

PLEASE NOTE:
Candidates should note that although they may apply to more than one institution, only one offer of award may be accepted.

The purpose of Commonwealth Shared Scholarships is to contribute to development needs of Commonwealth countries by providing training for skilled and qualified professionals and academics who would not otherwise have been able to study in the UK.

All enquiries about these scholarships should be directed to the university to which you wish to apply.

Application Deadline: 17 April 2018
Open to International students: Yes

More Scholarship Information and Application

Related: Commonwealth Scholarships for Developing Commonwealth Countries