Commonwealth Shared Scholarships 2027/28 - United Kingdom

Applications are open for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships 2027/28, administered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC) with participating universities. The awards support approved, full-time Master’s courses beginning in September/October 2027.

Nigeria is an eligible country, but nationality alone does not establish eligibility. You must also meet the residence, academic, financial-need and other conditions. Plan for two separate processes: applying for the scholarship through CSC Central and securing admission to an approved university course.

Opportunity Summary

About the Opportunity

The programme supports applicants who could not otherwise afford UK study and have the potential to contribute to development in their home countries. Only approved courses at participating universities qualify; an unrelated UK admission offer is not enough.

Universities make the initial selection and nominate candidates to the CSC in March 2027. Assessment considers candidate merit, quality of the research proposal and potential development impact. The CSC then checks eligibility. You may apply to multiple courses and universities, but can accept only one Commonwealth Shared Scholarship.

Funding and Benefits

• Full approved tuition fees are covered by agreement between the CSC and the university; scholars do not pay any part of those tuition fees.
• Approved airfare from your home country to the UK and return at the end of the award is covered. Dependant fares and journeys made before award confirmation are excluded.
• The monthly living allowance is £1,712, or £2,000 at universities in the London metropolitan area, at current rates. Rates and award conditions may change.
• Additional support includes a thesis grant where applicable, a study travel grant and a contribution towards a mandatory TB test where required for a visa application, with receipts.
• Conditional child allowances apply to eligible widowed, divorced or single-parent scholars whose qualifying children live with them in the UK. Family allowances are contributions, not full family-cost coverage. Scholars declaring a disability can receive an assessment for additional support.
• The CSC charges no fee for its online scholarship application. This does not establish whether a university has a separate admission application fee; check directly.

Who Can Apply?

• You must be a citizen of, or have refugee status granted by, an eligible Commonwealth country, and be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country.
• You must be available to begin academic studies in the UK by September 2027.
• By September 2027, you must hold at least an upper second-class honours first degree, or a lower second-class degree plus a relevant postgraduate qualification, usually a Master’s.
• You must be unable to afford UK study without the scholarship and provide all required supporting documentation in the correct format.
• Previous high-income-country study or work requires careful checking. The eligibility wording refers to more than one academic year, while a later declaration says applicants must declare that they have not studied in a high-income country. Seek clarification before applying if affected; do not assume a shorter period is acceptable.
• There is no CSC application age limit. Separate exclusions concern specified UK Government, Association of Commonwealth Universities, British Council and CSC employment or family connections. Check the full conditions if relevant; the stated waiting period for eligible former employees is three years.

What Nigerian Applicants Should Know

• Nigeria is explicitly eligible. Being physically present in Nigeria does not replace the citizenship or refugee-status requirement, and permanent residence in an eligible country is also required.
• This is UK-based study, not a remote scholarship from Nigeria. Previous distance learning with a high-income-country university while resident in your home country is explicitly permitted, but you must identify it as remote study.
• The CSC does not require IELTS, but your university may require English-language proficiency evidence. Confirm its requirements rather than assuming the scholarship waives them.
• The scholarship does not establish unrestricted UK work permission. CSC approval is required before paid employment during the award, and relevant immigration requirements remain separate.
• Professional recognition in Nigeria is not specified. If your intended career requires regulated recognition, verify the course’s suitability with the relevant professional body before accepting.

Required Documents

• A valid passport or national ID card showing your photograph, date of birth and country of citizenship, as required evidence of eligible citizenship or refugee status.
• Full transcripts for all higher education qualifications, including to-date transcripts for current studies. Include every page and certified translations where documents are not in English.
• Signed references from at least two individuals, uploaded as PDFs. They must be on institutional letterhead or in an email clearly showing the sender’s details.
• A Health and Disability Form is required later, before the Confirmation of Award can be issued; it is not listed as an initial application upload.

How to Apply

1. 1. Check eligibility and course approval. Read the Shared Scholarships eligibility checklist and confirm that your exact course and university participate in this cycle.
2. 2. Contact your chosen university about admission. Verify entry requirements, English-language evidence and its deadline, then complete its separate admission process. You must secure admission as well as apply for funding.
3. 3. Prepare the scholarship information. The form requests qualifications, employment history, study plans, award objectives, personal background, leadership and career plans. It asks for three referees’ names and positions, including your current employer where applicable, although the upload requirement is at least two references.
4. 4. Register with CSC Central. You need access to a smartphone or second email account for two-factor authentication. Keep the application reference and passcode email safe for subsequent access.
5. 5. Complete the form and upload all required documents through CSC Central by 8 December 2026 at 16:00 GMT. References must also arrive through your application by this deadline; documents sent outside the system are not accepted.
6. 6. Retain your submission copy and monitor communications. Direct nomination enquiries to the university. Provisional selection is not the final award: the CSC must complete its checks and agree admission terms before issuing formal confirmation.

Visit the official application page

Application Tips

Preparation advice: use the application template and guidance to draft your answers outside CSC Central. Explain your study objectives, relevant employment, leadership, voluntary activities and career plans using specific evidence rather than broad ambitions.

Hypothetical example: if your goal is to improve water services in Nigeria, identify the problem you have worked on, the skills the approved course would develop and how you would use those skills after returning. This is a writing approach, not an additional eligibility rule.

Ask referees early and let them write in their own words. Share your course choice and development plans so they can comment meaningfully on your academic ability and potential impact.

Final submission check: confirm the approved course, separate admission deadline, complete transcript pages, readable identity document and signed references. Check every answer before submitting because applications cannot be edited afterwards. Save regularly, avoid refreshing the browser and retain a copy of your submitted application. Submit early rather than relying on last-minute access.

Information checked 12 November 2026.