Scholarship details
The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, CSC, is inviting applications for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme for Masters students from Commonwealth countries to study at UK universities in 2023.
The Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme is for delivering Masters courses only. All courses taken must be relevant to the economic, social, or technological development of the candidate’s country of origin. Check out the complete list of courses in the 2023 CSS prospectus.
About the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme:
Established by the Department for International Development (DFID) in 1986, Commonwealth Shared Scholarships represent a unique partnership between the UK government and UK universities.
To date, more than 3,500 students from developing Commonwealth countries have received matching scholarships. Without these awards, they would not have been able to benefit from UK higher education.
UK universities have offered to support the scholarships by providing the stipend for students from their own resources, or from those that the university has been able to generate from elsewhere. See the list of 2016 Prospective CSS participating universities below.
Sponsors: UK Department for International Development (DFID), as part of the UK International Development Program for developing countries and participating institutions in the UK. The scheme is administered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC).
What you need to know about the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme
Who is eligible to apply for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Program?
To apply for a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship scheme, candidates must:
- Be a Commonwealth citizen, refugee, or British-protected person
- Be a permanent resident of a Commonwealth developing country (for a full list of eligible countries, see the terms and conditions at the link below)
- Be available to start your academic studies in the UK at the start of the UK academic year in September/October 2023
- By August 2023 you have a first or second-class rank first degree (2:1) or a second-class rank (2:2) plus a relevant postgraduate qualification (normally a master’s degree)
- Not having studied or worked for one (academic) year or more in a developed country
- You or your family cannot afford to study in the UK.
The CSC promotes equal opportunities, gender equity, and cultural exchange. Applications are encouraged from a wide range of candidates. The CSC is committed to administering and administering its scholarships and fellowships in a fair and transparent manner.
Level/field of study
This scholarship can normally be sustained for one year only by teaching postgraduate courses.
Host nationality
The scholarship is taken in the UK at various UK universities.
Download the CSS prospectus below for a full list of participating universities and respective deadlines
Eligible Nationalities
Eligible Maori Countries
Anguilla, Antigua, and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Cameroon, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Fiji*, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tristan da Cunha, Turks and Caicos, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Western Samoa, Zambia, Zimbabwe *
Number of scholarships: Up to 227 scholarship positions
Scholarship Worth
The CSC funds the cost of tuition fees (at the overseas rate), return airfares, and other allowances. Participating universities are required to support the student stipend for the prize winner (at the rate set by the UK government).
How to apply for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme
- You must apply to study an eligible Master’s course at a UK university that is participating in the shared scholarship program.
- You must apply using the CSC’s Electronic Application System (EAS). Click here for complete information on how to use the EAS, including detailed guides.
- Before you apply, you should: Check with your UK university for specific advice, admission requirements, and application rules. Some universities may require you to also complete your own admission application form, which may have a separate closing date. You must take the necessary steps to secure admission to your chosen courses at your preferred college/university at the same time as you apply for a shared scholarship.
- You can apply to more than one course and/or to more than one university, but you can only accept one offer of a shared scholarship. The CSC will not accept any applications that are not sent via EAS to your UK university or applications directly from individuals.
Selection: Each participating UK university will carry out its own recruitment process to select a specific number of candidates for Matching Scholarships. Universities must submit their successful candidates to the CSC by 26 April 2023. The CSC will confirm that these candidates meet the eligibility criteria for this scheme. The universities will inform the candidates of their results before July 2023.
Selection criteria include:
- Academic merit of the candidate
- The potential impact of the job on the development of the candidate’s home country
Last application delivery date:
The application deadline is around March of each year. Each university has its own closing date for applications, and most are before March 29.
All inquiries about the Commonwealth Matching Scholarship scheme should be directed to the university to which you wish to apply.
Please visit the scholarship webpage below for more information.
