Commonwealth Scholarships For International Students are ongoing. As an international student, it is worth taking a look at Commonwealth Scholarships. These scholarships are funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the funds are dispersed by the Commonwealth Scholarship Committee (CSC). Scholarships are awarded to applicants who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to the betterment of their home country. Applicants from one of the eligible Commonwealth countries who need financial assistance to obtain a Masters or Doctorate are considered for Commonwealth Scholarships.
The CSC discerned six development themes under the umbrella of the Commonwealth Fellowships. They are Science and Technology for Development, strengthening health systems and capacities, promoting global prosperity, strengthening peace, security and global governance, strengthening resilience and crisis response, and access, inclusion and opportunity.
Candidates are free to apply to UK universities of their choice. Potential students are no longer limited by geographic, financial or intellectual constraints.
Benefits for Commonwealth Masters and Doctoral Scholarships
- With the rising cost of higher education, scholarships have become a lifeline for many low-income students. Students can decide which scholarship program to apply for based on the package each scholarship offers. Those who reimburse tuition and have allowances for follow-up expenses have become much in demand.
- More than 30,000 people have received a Commonwealth Scholarship since its inception in 1959. Each scholarship covers the cost of big-ticket items such as airfare from their home country to the UK and vice versa, the price of tuition and a stipend. . of at least £1,116 per month. In addition, recipients receive a thesis grant and a study travel grant.
- Some countries require mandatory tuberculosis testing as part of the visa process. If you are from a country with this requirement, this scholarship will refund the cost of the test once a receipt is produced. Upon returning home, an excess baggage allowance is granted (within a certain limit). Funds are also contributed towards the purchase of clothes!
- An admirable aspect of this Commonwealth Masters and Doctoral Scholarship is the consideration it offers to the recipient’s family. Single, divorced or widowed students will receive a child benefit. The fee is £478 per month for the first child and £118 per month for the second and third children under the age of 16. However, there is a stipulation; children must be living with the recipient at the same address in the UK. The CSC encourages keeping a realistic budget, as the cost of living can be higher than the children’s allowance allows each month.
Eligibility Criteria for Commonwealth Scholarships
- There are basic eligibility criteria that must be met in order to receive a Commonwealth Scholarship. Please keep in mind that if you do not meet all of the specified requirements, your application will not be approved. That said, let’s look at the eligibility guidelines established by the CSC.
- The first, and most obvious, concerns income. Being unable to pay the tuition and expenses necessary to study at a university in the UK is mandatory. Speaking of income, if you have lived or worked in a high-income country (such as the United States or Germany) for an academic year or more, you will not qualify.
- Living in a Commonwealth country does not automatically mean that you can apply for a Commonwealth Scholarship.
- There are academic requirements as well. Firstly, recipients must be available to begin their academic studies at the beginning of the academic year in the UK. Second, the student must possess an upper second-class undergraduate standard or a second-class degree and a relevant graduate qualification prior to the start of the semester.
- For example, if you want to get a Commonwealth Masters Scholarship, you will need to have an undergraduate degree. If you want to get a Commonwealth Doctoral Scholarship, you will need to have a Masters degree.
- As mentioned earlier, not all countries are eligible for the Commonwealth Scholarship. However, if you identify as a person from one of the four groups mentioned above and live in one of the countries mentioned below, you are well on your way to qualifying!
Eligible Countries for Commonwealth Scholarships include: Bangladesh, Cameroon, Eswatini, Ghana, India, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Gambia, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu and Zambia .
How to Apply for Commonwealth Scholarships?
- All applications must be submitted online. The earlier you apply, the better your chances of being chosen. The CSC is also convinced that applications sent in person or by mail will not be accepted.
Simply applying for this Commonwealth Scholarship is not enough.
There are two applications that must be submitted:
One application for the university or universities of your choice and one for the scholarship.
You can select more than one course to study; however, you can only select one offer. For example, if you win scholarships for both universities you applied to, you can choose only one university and its single scholarship package.
There are also additional documents that must be uploaded along with the scholarship application. Proof of citizenship or refugee status, complete academic record (with sworn English translation) and references from two people. All documentation must be in the following formats and no more than 5 MB in size: PDF, .doc, .docx, .odt, .jpg and .jpeg.
Documents submitted in a format not listed above will be rejected.
For a complete list of eligible courses and more information on the application process, visit the official Commonwealth Scholarships website by clicking here.
Application Deadline for Commonwealth Scholarships
Deadlines for Commonwealth fellowships have not yet been announced. Open enrollment dates for some of the programs for the upcoming school year have been announced.
Applications for Commonwealth Doctoral Scholarships (Low Income Countries) and Commonwealth Masters Scholarships will open in September each year. Applications for Shared Scholarships will open in October each year and Commonwealth Distance Scholarships will open in February each year.
See more UK scholarships here
