Commonwealth scholarships 2024-2025 for Masters (MS) and doctoral (PhD) degrees are an approach to provide education and encourage researchers and scholars. The commonwealth scholarship works toward allowing exceptional students to get into UK’s best colleges and become the upcoming game changers. More so, this initiative provides sustainable growth for the country’s national benefit.Â
Sponsored by the Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office (FCDO), these scholarships are given to students who want to pursue further education in master’s and Ph.D. This initiative is mainly focused on students who have limited financial means.
The goal here is to help Commonwealth countries meet their development requirements through funding academic work that has a positive contribution. These scholarships would also improve independent teaching and empirical potential, resulting in increased systemic capability in education as well as other areas of the economy in Commonwealth countries. Moreover, commonwealth scholarships add value to UK’s higher education and research by garnering strong international aspirants and working collaboratively.
Subject Areas Under Commonwealth Scholarships for Postgrads
Aimed at students from low and middle-income countries, the CW scholarships support full-time studies in Masters’s and Ph.D. programs in the United Kingdom. Divided into 6 categories, you can choose among the following areas of the commonwealth scholarship:
- Science and technology for development
- Improving healthcare systems and capabilities
- Encouraging worldwide welfare
- Improving worldwide peace, security, and governance
- Improving resilience and crisis response
- Access, inclusion, and opportunity
Commonwealth Scholarship Package for Postgrads
The CW scholarships provide the following benefits to the selected candidates:Â
- Fully-funded tuition fee
- Travel expenses, to and from the candidate’s home country, are coveredÂ
- If relevant, an allowance for clothing is provided as well
- Monthly living stipends are provided as per the property rate of the year and the area. This amount ranges from £1,133 to 1,390Â
- If relevant, allowances for thesis and dissertations are providedÂ
- Child allowances are provided as well, in the case, the candidate is widowed, divorced, or a single parent. Monthly coverage is separately allotted to such cases.Â
- In case the candidate communicates a disability, a comprehensive evaluation will be undertaken for the candidate’s needs. Furthermore, once admissible for added financial support, coverage will be provided as required.Â
- In-country travel costsÂ
- Fieldwork costsÂ
- Family and spouse allowances are also provided for as per the candidate’s specific situation
CW Scholarships Eligibility Criteria:
The CSC’s mission is to find remarkable people who have the capability to contribute significantly. These scholarships are dedicated to fair access and anti-discrimination policies, and they welcome entries from a wide spectrum of individuals. To be qualified to apply for the Commonwealth scholarships, the candidate must tick off all the following:Â
- The candidate must be from a Commonwealth country, have refugee status, or be a British Protected PersonÂ
- The candidate has to be a residing citizen in a qualified Commonwealth countryÂ
- The candidate must be ready to begin their studies by UK’s academic year, i.e., September 2024
- For eligibility, the candidate must have a bachelor’s degree or a recognized equivalent of it in order to qualify for a scholarship for a Master’s. For eligibility for Ph.D., the candidate must have a Master’s degree as of September 2024.Â
- In the case that the candidate is opting for a second Master’s degree, then they will be mandated to submit a justification for their desire to carry out this study.Â
- The candidate must have no means of affording education in the UKÂ
- The candidate has submitted a complete application with all the documents asked for
- The candidate cannot be admitted elsewhere for a Master’s or a Ph.D.
Which Countries Are Eligible for CW Scholarships?
Below are the approved countries for the Commonwealth scholarships for Masters and Ph.D. in 2024:Â
- Rwanda
- Dominica
- South Africa
- Samoa
- Mauritius
- Vanuatu
- Namibia
- Tanzania
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Cameroon
- Bangladesh
- Lesotho
- Grenada
- Zambia
- Sierra Leone
- The Gambia
- Guyana
- St Helena
- Sri Lanka
- Tuvalu
- Nigeria
- Tonga
- Uganda
- Solomon Islands
- Fiji
- Eswatini
- Montserrat
- Mozambique
- Pakistan
- Kenya
- India
- Nauru
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Jamaica
- Malawi
- Papua New Guinea
- Kiribati
- Maldives
- Ghana
- Belize
- St Lucia
- Botswana
How to Apply for CW Scholarships:
The application process for the Commonwealth scholarships is all online and requires no charges for sending in the application. The CSC does not welcome direct submissions for these scholarships, thus applicants need to initially apply to one of the below qualifying bodies:
- National Nominated Organizations – this is the most common way for students to apply.
- Designated non-governmental and philanthropic entities
Each qualifying authority is in charge of its respective shortlisting, which might include extra qualifying conditions. Applicants should verify with the nominating body for particular application guidance and restrictions, as well as their own qualifying criteria and application deadlines.
In addition to any other application requested from the nominating authority, applicants need to apply through the CSC’s online application system. Those entries that are not uploaded through the online application system will be rejected by the CSC.
List of Required Documents for CW Scholarship Package:
The candidate is mandated to submit the required documentation to make sure that their application is complete. Following is an overview of the essential documents needed for the commonwealth scholarship application package:Â
- National Identification CardÂ
- Clean scan of a valid passport
- All educational transcripts
- Transcripts must be translated into the English languageÂ
- References from two individuals at minimum. Referrals could be uploaded directly by the referee through the online portal. References could come from previous teachers or employers
- Supporting statement from one or two of the candidate’s supervisors. This is only applicable to Ph.D. applicants.
It is vital to note that any supporting documents submitted through nominated organizations or via third parties will not be accepted. The above documentation must be uploaded to the online portal.Â
More so, in the case that required documents are not uploaded before the given dates, the candidate’s application will not be deemed eligible.
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