Commonwealth Scholarships for International Students | How to Apply | Full Financial Support

Do you want to embark on your educational journey in the United Kingdom? Exciting news! The Commonwealth Scholarship is presently open. In this article, we will comprehensively explain this scholarship, its application advantages, and a step-by-step application procedure.

The Commonwealth Scholarship for 2025 is a fully funded opportunity for international students pursuing master’s and Ph.D. degrees. This scholarship covers university tuition fees, a monthly living allowance of £1,347 per month, an economy class return airfare to the UK, and supplementary grants and allowances to address essential expenses.

The agency-nominated Master’s program is one of the three programs administered 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 vividly demonstrates 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. It provides opportunities for international partnerships and collaboration.

Commonwealth PhD Scholarships are for applicants from least developed countries and fragile states, as classified by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) in the Commonwealth, for full-time doctoral study at a UK university.

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 vividly demonstrates the UK’s enduring commitment to the Commonwealth. The CSC’s work combines sustainable development with the UK national interest 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. It provides opportunities for international partnerships and collaboration.

Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships enable talented and motivated individuals to gain the knowledge and skills required for sustainable development and are aimed at those who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK.

Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Commonwealth PhD scholarships contribute to the development needs of Commonwealth countries by supporting research that will have a developmental impact. They also enhance individual teaching and research capacity, leading to increased institutional capacity in academic and other sectors in Commonwealth countries, and will contribute to UK higher education and research by attracting high-calibre international applicants and encouraging links and collaboration. They are aimed at those who could not afford to study in the UK.

Commonwealth Scholarship Summary

• Level of Study: Masters / Ph.D.
• Institution(s): UK universities. See the List here.
• Study in the UK
• Courses Offered: One-year Full-time taught Masters Degree Program in any subject, and for Ph.D., 36 months of full-time study in a specific programme of research
• Program Period: Depends on the selected program
• Commonwealth Scholarship Deadline: October 17, 2025
  • The deadline for applying is 17:00 hours BST (16:00 GMT) on October 17, 2025. The scholarships are for study in the UK beginning in September or October 2025.

Commonwealth Scholarship Coverage

The Commonwealth Scholarship provides the recipient with the following benefits:

For Masters Applicants:

• Approved airfare from the scholar’s home country to the UK and return at the end of the award (the CSC will not reimburse the cost of fares for dependants or the cost of journeys made before the award is confirmed).
• Approved tuition fees: total fees are covered by the agreement between the CSC and the UK university, and Scholars are not liable to pay for any part of the tuition fee.
• Stipend (living allowance) at the rate of £1,347 per month, or £1,652 per month for those at universities in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at current levels).
• Warm clothing allowance, where applicable.
• Study travel grant towards the cost of study-related travel within the UK or overseas.
• If a scholar has children and is widowed, divorced, or a single parent, the child allowance of £576.61 per month for the first child and £143 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16 if their children are living with them at the same address in the UK.

For Ph.D. applicants:

• Approved airfare from the scholar’s home country to the UK and return at the end of the award (the CSC will not reimburse the cost of fares for dependants or the cost of journeys made before the award is confirmed).
• Approved tuition fees: total fees are covered by the agreement between the CSC and the UK university, and Scholars are not liable to pay for any part of the tuition fee.
• Stipend (living allowance) at the rate of £1,347 per month, or £1,652 per month for those at universities in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at current levels).
• Warm clothing allowance, where applicable.
• Study travel grant towards the cost of study-related travel within the UK or overseas.
• Provision towards the cost of fieldwork undertaken overseas (the cost of one economy class return airfare to the fieldwork location), where approved
• Paid mid-term visit (airfare) to the scholar’s home country unless they have claimed or intend to claim spouse and/or child allowances during their scholarship or have received a return airfare to their home country for fieldwork.
• Family allowances, as follows (rates quoted at current levels):
  • If a scholar is accompanied by their spouse but has no children, they will receive a spouse allowance of £290 per month for a maximum period of nine months if they and their spouse are living together at the same address in the UK (unless the spouse is also in receipt of a scholarship; other conditions also apply).
  • If a Scholar is accompanied by their spouse and children, they will receive a spouse allowance of £290 per month, a child allowance of £290 per month for the first child, and £143 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16, if their spouse and children are living with them at the same address in the UK (unless their spouse is also in receipt of a scholarship; other conditions also apply).
  • If a Scholar is accompanied by their children but no spouse, they will receive a child allowance of £576.61 per month for the first child and £143 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16 if their children are living with them at the same address in the UK.
• If a scholar shares that they have a disability, the CSC will offer a full assessment of their needs and eligibility for additional financial support.
• The CSC’s family allowances are intended to only contribute towards the cost of maintaining a scholar’s family in the UK. The true costs are likely to be considerably higher, and scholars must be able to supplement these allowances to support any family members accompanying them to the UK.

Eligibility Criteria for Commonwealth Scholarship

To be eligible for Commonwealth scholarships, applicants must meet the following criteria:

For Masters Applicants:

• 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 academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September 2025.
• By September 2025, hold a first degree of at least upper second-class (2:1) honours standard or a lower second-class degree and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree)*. The CSC would not normally fund a second Master’s degree. If applying for a second Master’s degree, applicants must justify why they wish to undertake this study.
• Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship.
• Have provided all supporting documentation in the required format.

For Ph.D. Applicants:

• 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 academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September 2025.
• By September 2025, hold a first degree of at least upper second-class (2:1) honours standard or a lower second-class degree and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree)*.
• Not be registered for a PhD or an MPhil leading to a PhD at a UK university or in their home country before September/October 2025.
• Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship.
• Have provided all supporting documentation in the required format.