About these scholarships
The provides the UK government’s scholarship scheme led by international development objectives. It supports the co-creation of research, innovation, and solutions to enact sustainable development priorities across the Commonwealth and beyond.
Commonwealth scholarships provide talented and motivated individuals from Commonwealth countries with the opportunity to enhance knowledge and skills in their given sector, in order to contribute to sustainable development in their home countries.
Commonwealth scholarships have been running since 1960, and there are several different types of postgraduate scholarship/funding available.
These scholarships are designed to actively support candidates of outstanding ability, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, based in low and middle income countries.
Who can apply?
To apply for a Commonwealth Scholarship, you must:
- Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person.
- Be a permanent resident in an eligible Commonwealth country.
- 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 masters degree).
- Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship.
There are several different types of postgraduate commonwealth scholarships, each with different eligibility criteria. To find out if you're eligible, you will need to check the specific criteria for each scholarship on the .
Please also read the .
How to apply
To find out how to apply for these scholarships, please visit the .
You can filter by country to see which commonwealth scholarships are available to you.
Deadline to apply
The deadline for applications for the 2027/28 academic year is 20 October 2026 at 16:00 BST.