The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) has set the dates for its 2027–28 Commonwealth Shared Scholarships. Applications open on CSC Central on Tuesday 10 November 2026 and close at 16:00 GMT on Tuesday 8 December 2026, for master's courses starting in the UK in September 2027.
The scholarships are funded jointly by the CSC and UK universities, for students from lower-income Commonwealth countries who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK. They cover tuition fees in full, an approved return flight and a stipend of £1,712 a month, or £2,000 at universities in the London area, at current rates.
43 countries are eligible, among them Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Applicants need at least an upper second-class degree, or a lower second plus a relevant postgraduate qualification, by September 2027, and must not have studied or worked for more than a year in a high-income country. There is no age limit.
Only approved master's courses at participating universities qualify, and the CSC publishes the 2027 list before applications open. You apply for admission to the course, and for the scholarship on CSC Central; the CSC accepts applications no other way. Each university then runs its own selection and nominates its chosen candidates to the CSC.
Our Commonwealth Shared Scholarships page has the costs and documents. The CSC's Commonwealth Master's Scholarships, which go through national nominating agencies, closed for 2027–28 on 20 October.
