Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship 2027/28 in UK | Fully Funded

International students from eligible Commonwealth countries can now apply for the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship 2027/28. This fully funded UK government award supports one year of full-time taught Master’s study. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) funds it, and the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC) runs it. It covers tuition, a monthly stipend, and return airfare. Applications for the 2027/28 cycle are open now, and the CSC deadline falls on 20 October 2026.

This scholarship exists for a specific reason: to support talented applicants from low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries who could not otherwise afford UK study. Because of that, it ties directly to six CSC development themes. In other words, selection favours applicants whose proposed study connects to a real development need at home — not simply strong grades. So unlike a normal university application, you don’t apply to CSC directly. Instead, you go through a national nominating agency first.

The CSC deadline is 16:00 BST on Tuesday 20 October 2026. However, that’s not the only date you need to track. Below, you’ll find everything a Master’s applicant needs: eligibility, the current funding package, required documents, the nominating-agency process, how to choose a UK course, important dates, and answers to the most common application questions.

Quick Answer

The Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship 2027/28 is a fully funded UK government award. It’s open to citizens of eligible low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries who want to complete a one-year taught Master’s degree at a UK university. It covers tuition, a monthly stipend, and return airfare. You don’t apply to CSC directly — instead, your national nominating agency or an approved NGO must nominate you. The CSC deadline is 20 October 2026, but your nominating agency’s deadline usually comes earlier.

Details About the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship 2027/28

• Scholarship Name: Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship
• Funding Body: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
• Administered By: Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC)
• Host Country: United Kingdom
• Degree Level: Full-time taught Master’s (one year)
• Application System: CSC Central, plus nomination via a national nominating agency or approved NGO/charitable body
• Study Start: September/October 2027
• Applications Open: 8 September 2026
• Deadline: 16:00 BST, Tuesday 20 October 2026

Also check: Chevening Scholarship 2027/28

Financial Benefits

Here’s what the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship covers for 2027/28, based on the current official CSC terms:

• Tuition fees: CSC pays your full fees directly through its agreement with the UK university, so you pay nothing toward tuition.
• Return airfare: You get approved economy airfare from your home country to the UK and back at the end of your award. Note that this doesn’t cover dependants’ fares or travel made before the award is confirmed.
• Living stipend: You’ll receive £1,712 per month, or £2,000 per month if you study at a university in the London metropolitan area. These rates reflect current levels and may change.
• Study travel grant: CSC contributes toward study-related travel within the UK or overseas.
• Child allowance: If you’re widowed, divorced, or a single parent with children living with you in the UK, you’ll receive £622 per month for your first child and £154 per month for your second and third child under 16.
• Disability support: If you share that you have a disability, CSC assesses your needs and any additional financial support you may need.

Keep in mind that CSC describes its family allowances as only a contribution — the real cost of supporting family in the UK usually runs higher. So if you’re bringing dependants, budget for the gap. Also note that the current official page doesn’t mention a warm-clothing allowance or thesis grant for this programme, so we haven’t included one here.

Also check: Study in UK — Insurab category

Commonwealth Scholarship Development Themes

CSC awards every Commonwealth Scholarship under one of six development themes. Because of this, you’ll need to show how your proposed Master’s study connects to one of these areas and to a development need in your home country:

• Science and technology for development — applying scientific and technical knowledge to your country’s specific challenges.
• Improving population health, health systems and capacity — strengthening health provision, outcomes, and workforce capacity in low- and middle-income countries.
• Promoting innovation and entrepreneurship — building entrepreneurial skills and new economic capacity.
• Strengthening peace, security & governance — supporting transparent governance and reducing the potential for conflict.
• Strengthening resilience & response to crises — building capacity to withstand and recover from shocks like climate events or economic instability.
• Access, inclusion & opportunity — widening access for underrepresented and marginalised groups.

This matters in practice. The CSC Central application requires a Development Impact Statement tied to one of these themes. So identify your theme early, then choose a course and study plan that genuinely supports it — don’t just bolt on a connection after the fact.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship 2027/28, you must meet all of the following:

• Hold citizenship or refugee status in an eligible Commonwealth country, or qualify as a British Protected Person.
• Live permanently in an eligible Commonwealth country.
• Be ready to start your studies in the UK by September 2027.
• Hold, by September 2027, a first degree of at least upper second-class (2:1) honours — or a 2:2 degree plus a relevant postgraduate qualification, usually a Master’s.
• Be unable to afford UK study without this scholarship. This is a specific eligibility condition, not a general statement.
• Submit all required documents in the correct format by the deadline.

If you’re a disabled applicant who doesn’t meet the 2:1 requirement, you may still qualify. CSC considers contextualised nominations through the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum if you can demonstrate development potential. There’s no age limit, and CSC itself doesn’t require an IELTS test.

Who Is NOT Eligible

• Applicants who aren’t citizens or residents of an eligible Commonwealth country
• Applicants who can’t start UK studies by September 2027
• Applicants who already hold a UK Master’s degree, or who previously received a Commonwealth Scholarship at Master’s level
• Applicants seeking a second Master’s without a clear justification for why they need it
• Employees, former employees (within the last three years), or relatives of employees of the UK Government, the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the British Council, or current/former Commonwealth Scholarship Commissioners
• Anyone convicted of bribery under the UK Bribery Act 2010 (banned from reapplying for up to five years)

Required Documents

You’ll need to upload the following to CSC Central by the deadline:

• Proof of citizenship or refugee status — a valid passport or national ID showing your photo, date of birth, and country of citizenship
• Full higher-education transcripts, including to-date transcripts for any course you’re currently studying, with certified translations if they’re not in English. If your transcripts are missing or incomplete, CSC will mark your application ineligible.
• References from at least two people (you can name up to three), submitted as signed PDFs on institutional letterhead or from a verifiable email address. CSC won’t accept references by any other method, or after the deadline.

CSC doesn’t accept documents by email or outside the Central system, so plan accordingly.

Also check: Oxford Pershing Square Scholarships 2027

How to Apply for the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship 2027/28

1. Confirm your eligibility against the citizenship, residency, degree-class, and financial-need criteria above.
2. Identify your national nominating agency or eligible NGO nominator. You can’t apply to CSC directly, so check the CSC’s national nominating agencies list for your country’s contact and process.
3. Check your nominating agency’s own deadline and criteria. Agencies often close earlier than 20 October 2026 and may add extra requirements. If a date isn’t published, contact them directly.
4. Research and shortlist a UK Master’s course. You’ll list three universities/courses in order of preference, and CSC won’t normally change your placement afterward. So choose carefully, and apply for admission early since courses run their own deadlines.
5. Prepare your documents — transcripts, references, and your Development Impact Statement linking your study to a CSC theme.
6. Complete the CSC Central application. Register with two-factor authentication and save your progress regularly, because the form locks once you submit it.
7. Submit before 16:00 BST on 20 October 2026. Try to finish well ahead of time, since the system gets busy in the final days.
8. Complete any remaining steps with your nominating agency, and keep pursuing university admission at the same time.

Here’s how the three parties fit together: you submit the CSC Central form yourself, but your country’s agency must also nominate you, and you’re separately responsible for securing university admission. CSC doesn’t guarantee a place, so your scholarship can’t proceed if a university hasn’t accepted you.

Nominating Agencies

Most applicants get this part wrong, so pay close attention. CSC doesn’t accept applications directly. Every Master’s applicant needs a nominator — either:

• A national nominating agency (usually a government ministry), the main route, or
• A selected NGO or charitable body, for specific eligible groups

Each nominator runs its own selection process and may add eligibility criteria on top of CSC’s own rules. Because of this, nominators also set their own internal deadlines, which often fall weeks before CSC’s 20 October date. A nomination doesn’t guarantee selection either — CSC makes the final call. Since agency processes differ by country, check your specific national nominating agency’s page directly rather than assume every country follows the same timeline.

Also check: Gates Cambridge Scholarship 2026/27

Choosing a UK University and Master’s Course

CSC doesn’t restrict your subject choice, but choose your course carefully:

• Development-theme alignment: pick a course that genuinely supports your Development Impact Statement, not one chosen for prestige alone.
• Course type: CSC only funds one-year, full-time taught Master’s programmes — not MBAs or part-time study.
• University eligibility: the scholarship only applies at UK institutions with a funding agreement with CSC, so check the approved-university list first.
• Admission deadlines: universities set their own admissions timelines, separate from the CSC deadline. Apply early, because your scholarship can’t proceed without a confirmed place.
• English-language requirements: CSC itself skips IELTS, but your university might still require it.
• Order of preference: rank three course/university choices on your application, since CSC won’t normally change this after provisional selection.

Important Dates

Remember, your nominating agency deadline usually comes earlier than 20 October 2026, and it varies by country. So always confirm your agency’s own date directly rather than relying on the CSC deadline alone.

Frequently Asked Questions