Commonwealth Masters Scholarships 2027/28: Fully Funded UK Study

The Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships 2027/28 are open now, and the window is short. The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK will accept applications until 16:00 BST on Tuesday 20 October 2026, for one-year taught Master’s study beginning in September or October 2027. For candidates from eligible low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries who cannot fund a UK degree on their own, this is one of the few awards that pays the full approved tuition fee, the flight, and a monthly living allowance.

That combination is why the scheme draws heavy search traffic every autumn. It is also why incomplete applications fail. The Commission does not accept a direct application on its own. You must apply on CSC Central and through an approved nominator, and a nomination is not a place.

Scholarship Summary

• Host Country: UK
• Host University: Any approved UK university or higher education institution
• Scholarship Category: Masters Scholarships
• Eligible Country: All Countries
• Scholarship Benefits: Full Tuition Fee, Living Stipend, etc.
• Scholarship Deadline: 16:00 BST on Tuesday 20 October 2026

What the Commonwealth Masters Scholarships 2027/28 actually are

These awards are funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and administered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC). They exist for a development purpose, not as a general merit prize. The stated aim is to give talented people the knowledge and skills needed for sustainable development in their home countries, aimed at those who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK.

A few boundaries matter before you invest time in the form.

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• The award is for a full-time taught Master’s only, not a research Master’s and not a PhD.
• It funds one degree. It will not be extended so you can add a second qualification.
• You may not study another course at the same time.
• Scholars are expected to return home after the award. Switching to a Graduate visa, or any other route to remain in the UK, is not permitted.
• The CSC does not charge an application fee.

The Commission has a preference for applicants who have already finished a first degree, and it does not normally fund a second Master’s. If you are applying for a second Master’s, you must justify why. Anyone who has already studied at Master’s level in the UK, or who has already held a Commonwealth Scholarship at Master’s level, is not eligible.

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Who Can Apply for Commonwealth Masters Scholarships 2027/28

Eligibility is strict, and the nationality rule is the first filter. To be considered, you must:

• Be a citizen of an eligible Commonwealth country, 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 in the UK by the start of the 2027 academic year in September 2027.
• By September 2027, hold a first degree of at least upper second-class (2:1) honours standard, or a lower second-class degree plus a relevant postgraduate qualification, usually a Master’s.
• Be unable to afford UK study without this scholarship.
• Provide all supporting documents in the required format.

There is no age limit on the CSC application. Employers may still restrict study leave by age, so check that separately.

Disabled applicants who can show development potential but do not hold a 2:1 may be considered for a contextualised nomination through the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum. That route is separate. Contact the Forum using the details on the CSC’s NGOs and charitable body nominators page.

Eligible Countries for Commonwealth Masters Scholarships 2027/28

Only candidates from the countries listed by the CSC can apply. The current list is:

Bangladesh, Belize, Botswana, 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, and Zambia.

Following commitments at the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the Commission particularly welcomes applications from Small Island Developing States. Confirm the live list on the official Master’s page before you apply, because country eligibility can change with the official development-assistance list.

What The Scholarship Pays

This is a fully funded award for the costs the CSC agrees to cover. It is not a partial fee waiver.

• Approved return airfare from your home country to the UK and back at the end of the award. Fares for dependants are not reimbursed, and journeys made before the award is confirmed are not covered.
• Full approved tuition fees, paid under an agreement between the CSC and the UK university. Scholars are not liable for any part of that tuition fee.
• A monthly stipend of £1,712, or £2,000 per month at universities in the London metropolitan area. These are the rates quoted at current levels and can be revised.
• A study travel grant towards approved study-related travel in the UK or overseas.
• If you are widowed, divorced, or a single parent, a child allowance of £622 per month for the first child and £154 per month for the second and third child under 16, provided the children live with you at the same UK address.
• A needs assessment and possible extra financial support if you share that you have a disability.

The family allowance is a contribution, not the full cost of bringing children to the UK. The CSC is clear that real costs are likely to be higher, and scholars must be able to supplement the allowance. You also cannot hold another award that covers the same costs, and paid work during the scholarship needs CSC approval.

Where You Can Study

There is no single host university. Scholarships are tenable at any approved UK university or higher education institution with which the CSC has a part-funding agreement for the specific programme. The current list of participating institutions is on the CSC UK universities page.

University admission and the scholarship are separate. A CSC application does not admit you. A university offer does not award you the scholarship. Track both deadlines. English language scores are not required to submit the CSC form, but the university you choose may still demand IELTS, PTE, or an equivalent.

Your course should sit under one of the six CSC development themes. The themes used across the scheme are science and technology for development; strengthening health systems and capacity; promoting global prosperity; strengthening global peace, security and governance; strengthening resilience and response to crises; and access, inclusion and opportunity. Read the current theme definitions on the CSC site and name the Sustainable Development Goals your plan serves. A proposal that never connects to a theme is easy for selectors to set aside.

How Selection Works

Applications are assessed on candidate merit, including academic record and experience; the quality of the study plan; and the potential impact on development in your home country. The CSC publishes the full selection criteria. Map every answer in the form to those points. Vague claims about “giving back” do not score. A named problem, a realistic use of the degree, and a five-year plan that could only be delivered if you return home do.

The Development Impact statement is the section that separates funded candidates from the rest. Strong statements usually do four things:

• Name a development problem at local, national, or sector level, and tie it to the chosen theme.
• Show why this exact Master’s, at this type of UK department, is the missing skill.
• Use work, voluntary, or leadership evidence, not only grades.
• Set out what you will do in the first five years after return, with institutions you could realistically work with.

How to Apply for Commonwealth Masters Scholarships 2027/28 Before the Deadline

The CSC deadline is 16:00 BST on Tuesday 20 October 2026. Applications opened on 8 September 2026. Nominators submit their chosen candidates to the Commission by December 2026. Outcomes are expected by July 2027. Late CSC applications are not accepted, and the portal is slow in the final days.

You need two submissions.

1. Apply on CSC Central. The Commission will not take applications or documents sent any other way.
2. Apply to a nominator. The main route is your national nominating agency. A smaller route runs through selected NGOs and charitable bodies.

Each nominator runs its own selection and may add rules or an earlier closing date. Check that date first. In several countries it is the date that actually decides whether your file is ever seen.

Practical points from the CSC guidance:

• The form uses two-factor authentication. You need a smartphone or a second email account, and you must pass 2FA every time you log in.
• Keep the application reference email. Returning to a saved form requires the reference and a 22-character passcode.
• Draft answers outside the system. A template application form and an applicant guidance document are on the CSC site.
• Use the save function. Refreshing the browser can wipe unsaved answers. Use the system’s own back buttons.
• You cannot edit an application after submission.

A Realistic Timeline

• Now to mid-October 2026: confirm your nominator deadline, shortlist approved UK courses, and collect references and transcripts.
• 20 October 2026, 16:00 BST: CSC Central closes.
• By December 2026: nominators send candidates to the CSC.
• By July 2027: applicants are told the outcome. Check junk mail.
• September or October 2027: selected scholars start in the UK, after meeting conditions such as admission and the health and disability form.

Questions Applicants Ask

Do I need a UK offer before I apply to the CSC? You should be working towards admission, but the scholarship and the university application are separate processes. Do not wait for an unconditional offer if that means missing the nominator deadline.

Is a 2:2 enough? Only with a relevant postgraduate qualification, usually a Master’s, unless you are being considered through the disability contextual route.

Can I stay in the UK after the degree? No. Scholars commit to returning home. A switch to a Graduate visa or another stay route is not allowed under the award.

Are dependants funded? Airfare for dependants is not paid. A limited child allowance exists only for widowed, divorced, or single-parent scholars whose children live with them in the UK.

What To Do This Week

If you meet the citizenship, residence, and degree rules, treat the nominator deadline as the real closing date and 20 October 2026 as the hard stop on CSC Central. Read the official Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships page, confirm your country is listed, identify your nominator, and align the course with one development theme before you start the form. The award is fully funded. The application is not optional on any of its steps.

Official details are published by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission.