Commonwealth Master's Scholarships 2026 for Low and Middle Income Countries

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 on 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.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Interview Process
• Application Documents
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineNot Specified
• Study LevelMasters
• SponsorCommonwealth Scholarships
• Eligible CountryBangladesh , Belize , Botswana , Cameroon , Dominica , Fiji , Gabon , Gambia , Ghana , Grenada , Guyana , India , Jamaica , Kenya , Kiribati , Lesotho , Malawi , Malaysia , Maldives , Mauritius , Montserrat , Mozambique , Namibia , Nauru , Nigeria , Pakistan , Papua New Guinea , Rwanda , Saint Lucia , Samoa , Sierra Leone , Solomon Islands , South Africa , Tanzania , Togo , Tonga , Tuvalu , Uganda , Vanuatu , Zambia

Benefits

Each scholarship provides:

• 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, nor the cost of journeys made before the award is confirmed).
• Approved tuition fees: full fees are covered by 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 £1,452 per month, or £1,781 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, child allowance of child allowance of £622 per month for the first child, and £154 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, a full assessment of their needs and eligibility for additional financial support will be offered by the CSC.

Requirements

To be considered for these scholarships, applicants must:

• 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 2026.
• By September 2026, 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)*.
• Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship.
• Have provided all supporting documentation in the required format.

Selection Process

Applications will be considered according to the following selection criteria:

• Candidate merit (including academic experience)
• Quality of research proposal
• Potential impact on the development of the candidate’s home country

Application Documents

Applicants must upload the following documents with the application:

• Proof that they are a citizen or have refugee status in an eligible Commonwealth country: a copy of a valid passport (or national ID card) showing a photograph, date of birth, and country of citizenship.
• Full transcripts detailing all higher education qualifications, including to-date transcripts for any courses currently being studied, with certified translations if not in English. Where any transcripts are missing or do not include all pages, the application will be considered ineligible.
• References from at least two individuals, in PDF format, signed and either on institutional letterhead or an email clearly showing the sender’s details.

Applications will be considered ineligible if any of the required documentation is not included by the closing date.

Application Deadline

How To Apply

Applications for Commonwealth Master’s scholarships for the 2026/27 academic year will open on 2 September. The scholarships are for study in the UK beginning in September/October 2026. 

Applications to the CSC must be made using the application system, CSC Central. 

The CSC is unable to accept any applications or documentation not submitted via CSC Central.  

They are launching a new application system for this round and the form will look and feel different to that of previous years. If you experience any issues, please contact [email protected]. 

For more details, visit Commonwealth Master's Scholarships webpage