2016 Commonwealth Shared Scholarships for Students from Developing Countries to study in the United Kingdom

Application Deadline: April 1st 2016

The Commonwealth Shared Scholarships is offered by the CSC for citizens of developing Commonwealth countries in 2016. These scholarships are funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), with the aim of contributing to the UK’s international development aims and wider overseas interests, supporting excellence in UK higher education, and sustaining the principles of the Commonwealth

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships are offered for selected taught Master’s courses, and are usually tenable for one year only. These scholarships do not cover undergraduate courses, PhD study, or any pre-sessional English language teaching.

Eligibility

To apply for these scholarships, you must:

• Be a Commonwealth citizen, refugee, or British protected person
• Be permanently resident in a developing Commonwealth country
• Be available to start your academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September/October 2016
• By August 2016, hold a first degree of at least upper second class (2:1) honours standard
• Not have studied or worked for one (academic) year or more in a developed country
• Be unable, either yourself or through your family, to pay to study in the UK

• High-quality postgraduate students who have not studied extensively overseas before, who would not otherwise have the opportunity to study in the UK, and who have the potential to enhance the development of their home countries with the knowledge and leadership skills they acquire.

Scholarship Worth:

• Approved airfare from your home country to the UK and return at the end of your award (arranged by the university; funded by the CSC)
• Approved tuition and examination fees (funded by the CSC)
• Stipend (living allowance) at the rate of £1,034 per month, or £1,268 per month for those studying at universities in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at 2015-2016 levels) (paid and funded by the university)
• Thesis grant towards the cost of preparing a dissertation, where applicable (claimed from and paid by the university; funded by the CSC)
• Warm clothing allowance and visa reimbursement, where applicable (paid and funded by the university)
• Study travel grant towards the costs of study-related travel within the UK or overseas (claimed from and paid by the university; funded by the CSC)
• Excess baggage allowance, up to an annual approved limit, when returning home (claimed from and paid by the university; funded by the CSC)
• No additional allowances are available for spouses or other dependants.

How to Apply

• You should apply to study an eligible Master’s course at a UK university that is participating in the Shared Scholarship scheme. Here is a list of participating universities and eligible courses.
• You must make your application using the CSC’s Electronic Application System (EAS) – information on how to use the EAS, including detailed guides, is available at http://bit.ly/cscuk-shared-scholarship
• Before applying, you must check with your UK university for their specific advice and rules for applying, and for their own closing date for applications. Here is a list of contact details
• You can apply for more than one course and/or to more than one university, but you may only accept one offer of a Shared Scholarship. The CSC will not accept any applications that are not submitted via the EAS to your UK university or applications directly from individuals.
• All applications must be submitted by 23.59 (BST) on 1 April 2016 at the latest. Each university has its own closing date for applications, and most fall before 1 April 2016. You must submit your application by the date advised by your UK university.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the 2016 Commonwealth Shared Scholarships