Commonwealth Shared Scholarships 2024 

Applications are invited for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships 2024. The deadline to apply for Commonwealth Shared Scholarships for 14 December 2023. In 2024, students who wish to pursue higher learning in the United Kingdom may apply for fully funded Commonwealth Shared Scholarships. Students can apply for Commonwealth Shared Scholarships in the UK if they have strong academic records from prior coursework and are unable to get admitted to foreign universities because of financial difficulties. Students from underdeveloped, impoverished, and lower-income Commonwealth nations are eligible to apply for the Commonwealth Master’s scholarships.

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, which oversees the administration and distribution of government scholarships, is in charge of the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships Program for 2024 in the United Kingdom. This commission’s goal is to carry out the missions and advance the UK government’s vision to start the Commonwealth countries’ development commitment. Such international scholarship programs have been established with the intention of luring the brightest and most gifted students to UK universities in order to further international development and prosperity as well as safeguard UK national interests.

For other applicants, this fully funded Commonwealth scholarship program represents a significant learning and coordination achievement. It offers the opportunity for interaction between the fellows of current and past Commonwealth Share Scholarship applicants. The program’s fellows acquire the knowledge required to collaborate and conduct research on the various educational problems and potential solutions.

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships Details

• Scholarship Country: United Kingdom (UK)
• Host Institute: Top Universities of the UK
• Course Level: Master’s and PhD Degrees
• Financial Coverage: Fully Funded
• Who is eligible? International Students
• Deadline Date: December 14, 2023

Overview

The Commonwealth Shared Scholarship program is one of three Master’s programs 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 upon 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.

Scholarships and Fellowships

Our work combines sustainable development with the UK national interest, by supporting innovators and leaders of the future from across the Commonwealth and attracting outstanding talent to the UK’s universities. To date, over 30,000 people have taken up a Commonwealth Scholarship since the first group of 175 Scholars arrived in the UK in 1960. During those six decades, the scheme has constantly developed, adapting to the very different world of the 56-nation Commonwealth of today.

Commonwealth Scholarships act as a catalyst for sustainable development by actively supporting candidates of outstanding ability, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, based in low and middle-income countries.

The majority of Scholarships are funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), with the aim of contributing to the UK’s international development aims and wider overseas interests, supporting excellence in UK higher education, and advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals across a modern Commonwealth. The Department for Education has funded our scholarship program for candidates from high-income Commonwealth countries to support postgraduate research excellence and awards at the doctoral level.

Alumni

Over 31,000 Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows have been funded by the UK government through the CSC since 1959. Upon finishing their Scholarship or Fellowship, they join a thriving global community of Commonwealth Alumni, who are working across a range of sectors and fields, effecting real change and development impact at a local, national, and international level.

You are a Commonwealth Scholar for life, and we hope that you will stay involved with the CSC community as an active alumnus. Through the CSC Alumni Network, you will have the opportunity to build contacts with a diverse range of alumni in your home country and across the Commonwealth, to support your work and help you contribute to sustainable development impact goals.

Financial Accountability

To ensure that CSC funds are directed to the aid outcomes or recipients for which they are intended and that effective safeguards are in place to protect and ensure value for money for the UK taxpayer the CSC has a Counter-Aid Diversion Strategy, and accompanying action plan which form part of the CSC’s Risk Management Framework. The Strategy is reviewed annually by the Audit and Risk Management Committee, informed by learning from the previous year’s Counter-Aid Diversion Strategy Action Plan and updates in legislation and best practice.

The CSC publishes details of all financial transactions over £500 on a quarterly basis, divided by month, as part of the UK government’s commitment to transparency in expenditure.

Student Wellbeing

Whether you are a new or continuing Scholar, there is a range of information and resources below to help you adjust to life in the UK and get the right support during your scholarship. If you are a new Scholar, you can read more about culture shock which is common when you first arrive in a new country. There are some helpful tips if you are finding it difficult to adjust to living and studying in a new environment.

UKCISA provides up-to-date advice, guidance, and information about all aspects of the international student experience, including arranging accommodation, opening bank accounts, and accessing healthcare. UKCISA also provides guidance to scholars wishing to bring their families to the UK under the UK immigration system. To find out who counts as a dependant, check the ‘Dependants‘ page on UKICISA.

CSC Mentoring Program

The CSC’s Mentoring Programme connects Commonwealth Scholars and Alumni to support knowledge and skills development and a practical understanding of how these can be implemented post-scholarship to achieve development impact.

The CSC Mentoring Programme pairs new Commonwealth Scholars with a Commonwealth Alumnus working in a related or relevant field to their studies to provide individual advice and guidance during their scholarship. Since 2019, over 650 Commonwealth Scholars and Alumni have participated in the program. Mentees and Mentors can choose to be paired by their home country, region, or any Commonwealth country.

“The CSC Mentoring Programme has to a large extent left a hunger for excellence. On a personal level, the programme has met my expectations of fostering personal growth, self-confidence, and the development of crucial life skills. My Mentor provided guidance on goal-setting, decision-making, and work-life balance, which has positively impacted my personal well-being and overall satisfaction.”

2021 Mentee from Nigeria

CSC Research Impact Awards

• The CSC Research Impact Awards (RIA) celebrate the research and publication endeavors of Commonwealth Scholars and Alumni at the early and mid-career researcher stages.
• The annual awards are offered through two streams and promote the important research undertaken by doctoral Commonwealth Scholars and Alumni and its value to international development.
• Offered to current doctoral Scholars and alumni up to 10 years post-thesis submission date, the awards encourage doctoral Scholarship recipients to share their research publications and their application and implementation in a development setting.

Award Benefits

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships in the UK is a Full Free Scholarship program for International Students from all over the world. Details of the covered expenses are given below:

• Full Tuition Fee.
• Free Air Tickets.
• Monthly Stipend of £1,347.
• For the students studying in the London Metropolitan area universities, the Monthly Stipend is £1,652.
• Clothing Allowance.
• The thesis cost if applicable.
• A travel grant in the UK or overseas.
• Costs for the TB test.
• Free Visa.
• Child allowance of £529 per month and £131 per month for a second or third child under the age of 16 years.
• A special disability grant will be provided after a full examination and assessment for disabled candidates.

List Of UK Universities

• Aberystwyth University
• Aston University
• Bangor University
• Bishop Grosseteste University
• Bath Spa University
• Birkbeck, University of London
• Birmingham City University
• Brunel University London
• Cardiff University
• City, University of London
• Coventry University
• Cranfield University
• De Montfort University
• Durham University
• Glasgow Caledonian University
• Goldsmiths, University of London
• Harper Adams University
• Heriot-Watt University
• Imperial College London
• Keele University
• King’s College London
• Kingston University
• Lancaster University
• Leeds Beckett University
• Liverpool Hope University
• Liverpool John Moores University
• Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
• London School of Economics and Political Science

• London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
• London South Bank University
• Loughborough University
• Manchester Metropolitan University
• Newcastle University
• Northumbria University
• Nottingham Trent University
• Open University
• Oxford Brookes University
• Plymouth University
• Queen Mary, University of London
• Queen’s University Belfast
• Robert Gordon University
• Royal Agricultural University
• Royal Holloway, University of London
• Royal Veterinary College
• Sheffield Hallam University
• SOAS, University of London
• St George’s, University of London
• Swansea University
• Teesside University
• Ulster University
• University College London
• University of Aberdeen
• University of Bath
• University of Birmingham
• University of Bradford
• University of Bristol
• University of Cambridge
• University of Central Lancashire

• University of Chester
• University of Dundee
• University of East Anglia
• University of East London
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Essex
• University of Exeter
• University of Glasgow
• University of Greenwich
• University of Hertfordshire
• University of Huddersfield
• University of Hull
• University of Kent
• University of Leeds
• University of Leicester
• University of Lincoln
• University of Liverpool
• University of Manchester
• University of Northampton
• University of Nottingham
• University of Oxford
• University of Portsmouth
• University of Reading
• University of Roehampton
• University of St Andrews
• University of Salford
• University of Sheffield
• University of Southampton
• University of Stirling
• University of Strathclyde
• University of Surrey
• University of Sussex
• University of the West of England
• University of Warwick
• University of Westminster
• University of West London
• University of Wolverhampton
• University of Worcester
• University of York

Eligible Countries

• 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

Eligibility Criteria

• The candidates belonging to Commonwealth countries or have been given refugee status by any of the given Commonwealth countries are eligible.
• The candidates of British Protected Persons can apply.
• The candidate with an honors degree.
• The candidate must have a relevant Master’s degree.
• The candidate can study in the UK from September 2024.
• The candidate must not have studied for one academic year in the UK or any other high-income country.
• The candidate is ineligible to study in a UK university without a Commonwealth grant.

Required Documents

• Master’s degrees require transcripts from bachelor’s degrees.
• It is necessary for foreign students to have a passport.
• A concise curriculum vitae or resume. 
• A motivational letter or a statement of purpose (a document outlining your reasons for wanting to undertake something) 
• A Study Plan for a master’s thesis study.
• It is necessary to provide two recommendation letters. 
• English proficiency certificate from the former school.

Application Deadline

The deadline to apply for Commonwealth Shared Scholarships for 14 December 2023.

How To Apply?

The official website is the best place to go if you want to learn more about Joint Commonwealth Shared Scholarships. There are a ton of other things, such as campus life, student amenities, and the policies and procedures surrounding admissions. Find out more about the faculty, researchers, and community service programs at the university. Student handbooks and academic calendars are also accessible to website users. Whether you’re a prospective or current student, or just curious, Click this link to view the website.

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Frequently Asked Questions