We recently provided you with a preparation checklist for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship 2026. Alas! The application opens today.
jointly funded by the Commonwealth and UK universities, cover approved airfare, full tuition fees, and provide a £1,781 monthly stipend, as well as study and clothing grants.
In this post, we will provide you with the details of the scholarship, its requirements, benefits, and step-by-step application procedure.
Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Summary
- Host: UK Government | UK Universities
- Study Abroad: Study in UK
- Category: Postgraduate Scholarships | Masters Scholarships
- Eligible Countries: Commonwealth Countries
- Reward: Full Scholarship | £21,372 per year Stipends | Accommodation | Airfare Tickets
- Deadline: December 9, 2025
Commonwealth Shared Scholarship 2026 Details:
The Commonwealth Shared Scholarship is part of the UK’s international development efforts, offering Master’s programs to postgraduate students from Least Developed and middle-income countries.
The program addresses development needs by providing training to skilled professionals and academics, contributing to sustainable development and fostering international partnerships.
A Commonwealth Shared Scholarship covers fees, approved fares, and personal maintenance. Other scholarships, awards, or bursaries that cover the same costs may not be held concurrently.
For the CSC to administer the application effectively and efficiently after submission, it will be necessary to create a record in the applicant’s name.
If they apply for an award to the CSC, their details will be kept on file. Basic anonymised demographic data for all applicants will be kept for analytical research.
Eligibility Requirements for Commonwealth Shared Scholarship 2026
To be considered for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, you must:
- Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country.
- 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).
- Not have studied or worked for more than one (academic) year or more in a high-income country
- Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship.
- Have provided all supporting documentation in the required format.
Benefits of 2026 Commonwealth Shared Scholarship
Commonwealth Shared Scholarship are jointly funded by the CSC and participating UK universities.
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) – funded by the CSC.
- 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) – paid and funded by the university.
- Warm clothing allowance, where applicable – paid and funded by the university.
- Thesis grant towards the cost of preparing a thesis or dissertation, where applicable – paid by the university, funded by the CSC.
- Study travel grant towards the cost of study-related travel within the UK or overseas – paid by the university, funded by the CSC.
- Contribution towards the cost of a mandatory tuberculosis (TB) test, where required for a visa application (receipts must be supplied) – paid by the university, funded by the CSC.
- 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.
Selection process for Commonwealth Shared Scholarship
Each participating UK university will conduct its own recruitment process to select a specified number of candidates to be awarded Commonwealth Shared Scholarships and put these forward to the CSC. The CSC will then confirm that these candidates meet the eligibility criteria for the programme.
Applications will be considered according to the following selection criteria:
- Academic merit
- Quality of research proposal
- Potential impact on the development of the candidate’s come country
- For further details, see the Commonwealth Scholarships selection criteria.
Applicants should note the criteria carefully and link their answers in the application form to each point listed.