Fully Funded Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships 2025

Applicants from eligible low and middle-income Commonwealth countries looking to undertake a full-time taught Master’s study at a UK university for the 2025/2026 academic session are invited to apply for the Fully Funded Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships 2025.

The Fully Funded Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to 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. The agency-nominated Master’s programme is one of three Master’s programmes offered 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 offers a vivid demonstration of the UK’s enduring commitment to the Commonwealth.

Scholarship Summary:

Scholarship Sponsor(s): UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)

Host Institution(s): UK University

Scholarship Worth: Fully Funded

Number of Awards: Several

Study Level: Master’s

Nationality: Commonwealth Countries

Eligibility for the Fully Funded Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships 2025:

Applicants must be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person.
Applicants must be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country.
Applicants must 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 provide justification as to why they wish to undertake this study.
Applicants must be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship.
Applicants must have provided all supporting documentation in the required format.

Scholarship Benefits:

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 £1,378 per month, or £1,690 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 £590 per month for the first child, and £146 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.

Method of Application for the Fully Funded Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships 2025:

Interested and eligible applicants are to complete and submit applications before the deadline. Applicants must also apply as a nominator to the CSC.

There are two types of nominator invited to participate in the Master’s scholarship programme:

National nominating agencies – this is the main route of application.
Selected non-governmental organisations and charitable bodies.

Required Documents:

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.

In the application form, applicants are asked to:

List all undergraduate and postgraduate university qualifications obtained.
List up to 10 publications and prizes.
Provide details of employment history and explain how the experience gained supports and is relevant to the programme to be undertaken in the UK.
List names and positions of three referees who are qualified to comment on both their capacity to benefit from the proposed Scholarship in the UK and their ability to deliver development impact afterwards. One of the referees must be a current employer (if applicable) and at least two references must be included with the application.
Provide a Development Impact statement in four parts.

Application Deadline: October 15, 2024

For more information about this opportunity, Visit the Official Website.

Fully Funded Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships 2025