Commonwealth Shared Scholarship 2024: Top Universities, Deadlines, Results

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship 2024: Check Top Universities, Deadlines, Results

Edited By Prabhjyot Kaur | Updated on Aug 10, 2024 02:42 PM IST

Common Shared Scholarship is one of the top scholarships in UK. The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) offers it in partnership with UK universities. These need-based financial assistance are offered to talented and motivated candidates with excellent academic calibre from least-developed and middle-income commonwealth countries (India included). The Commonwealth Shared Scholarship India is offered to students seeking full-time master’s study on selected courses in the UK. Moreover, these scholarships are fully funded including tuition fees, travel reimbursements, and living expenses in UK. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) generally funds the awards.

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship 2024: Check Top Universities, Deadlines, Results

To be nominated for Commonwealth Shared Scholarships 2025, Indian students generally must be below 40 years of age, hold an admission letter from a university, and not be financially capable to afford studying in UK without a scholarship. One must also note that the Commonwealth shared scholarship acceptance rate is quite low indicating the selective nature of the concerned authorities. Hence, only a few high-quality postgraduate students who have the potential to enhance the development of India are selected each year. Read the article to learn the entire details about Commonwealth Shared Scholarship 2025 from eligibility, deadlines, and application process to the grants offered!

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships 2025 Key Highlights

Particulars	Details
Funded by	FCDO and universities in the UK jointly
Operated by	Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP)
Benefits	Tuition fees, living costs, flights to the UK
Selection Criteria	Mainly on academic merit
Student type eligibility	International
Awards tenure duration	Generally 1 year
Application deadline	December (tentative)

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Universities

Commonwealth shared scholarships are offered under six disciplines that include the following:

Science and technology for development
Strengthening health systems and capacity
Promoting global prosperity
Strengthening global peace, security and governance
Strengthening resilience and response to crises
Access, inclusion and opportunity

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The universities offering Commonwealth Shared Scholarships 2025 are mentioned below:

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship eligible universities

University	Number of Scholarships available
Aberystwyth University	2
Bangor University	4
Bournemouth University	4
Brunel University London	4
Cranfield University	8
Durham University	8
Goldsmiths, University of London	1
King’s College London	2
Liverpool Hope University	2
London School of Economics and Political Science	4
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine	4
Oxford Brookes University	2
Queen’s University Belfast	2
Robert Gordon University	2
Royal Agricultural University	2
Royal Holloway London	2
Royal Veterinary College	2
School of Advanced Study (Institute of Commonwealth Studies)	2
Sheffield Hallam University	3
St Mary’s University, Twickenham	2
University College London	8
University of Aberdeen	4
University of Birmingham	2
University of Bristol	6
University of Cambridge	8
University of Central Lancashire	2
University of Chester	8
University of Derby	2
University of Dundee	2
University of Edinburgh	3
University of Exeter	2
University of Glasgow	6
University of Hull	3
University of Leeds	3
University of Leicester	6
University of Nottingham	6
University of Oxford	4
University of Portsmouth	1
University of Reading	3
University of Southampton	3
University of St Andrews	4
University of Stirling	7
University of Strathclyde	8
University of Sussex (Institute of Development Studies)	2
University of Warwick	6
University of Wolverhampton	3
University of Worcester	2

Eligible Countries for Commonwealth Shared Scholarships 2025

One must note that students from eligible countries are considered for the scholarship. All the applications received for Commonwealth Shared Scholarships that are not from any of the Commonwealth countries mentioned below are rejected straightly.

Eligible Commonwealth Countries

India	Eswatini	Bangladesh
Belize	Fiji	Guyana
Botswana	Gabon	Jamaica
Cameroon	Ghana	Kenya
Dominica	Grenada	Kiribati
Lesotho	Montserrat	Pakistan
Malawi	Mozambique	Papua New Guinea
Malaysia	Namibia	Rwanda
Maldives	Nauru	Saint Helena
Mauritius	Nigeria	Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and The Grenadines	Sri Lanka	Tuvalu
Samoa	Tanzania	Uganda
Sierra Leone	The Gambia	Vanuatu
Solomon Islands	Togo	Zambia
South Africa	Tonga	–

Eligibility Requirements for Commonwealth Shared Scholarship

Qualification is one of the important factors to be considered for the shared scholarships offered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission. These academic requirements must be met by international students from eligible Commonwealth countries to be considered for the award. Applicants are acceptable as per the mentioned Commonwealth Shared Scholarships eligibility parameters.

Students must be a citizens of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country (India).
Students must be able to prove that they are permanent residents of India (Commonwealth Commonwealth-eligible country)
They must be below 40 years of age.
They must be available for academic studies in the UK at the start of the next UK academic year in September.
They must at least have a bachelor of at least upper second class (2:1) honours standard, or a second class degree (2:2) and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree).
They must not have studied or worked for more than one (academic) year or more in a high-income country.
They must demonstrate that they are not financially capable of affording higher studies in the UK without the scholarship.
They must provide all the supporting documents in the required format.

How to apply for a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship?

Indian students are required to apply for a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship at the official application portal of the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission. All applications and documents that are not submitted via CSC’s online application system are rejected.

Application Process for Commonwealth Shared Scholarships

Visit the official online application portal of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission’s website
Fill out the application form with correct information such as academic records, personal details, intended study details, etc.
Attach all relevant documents with the application form as per the specified format and size.
Submit the application form before the year's Commonwealth Scholarship application deadline.

Indian students can apply for more than one course and to more than one UK university, however, they may only accept one offer of a Shared Scholarship. Moreover, the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship 2024 result is already out in March. This also means that applications for Commonwealth Shared Scholarships for the 2024/25 academic year are now closed.

Documents Checklist for Commonwealth Shared Scholarships

Some of the important documents that are required to be considered for the scholarships as per the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission are mentioned below:

Citizenship Proof (Passport)
Academic transcripts
At least 2 LORs that clearly state the sender’s address
UK university admission letter
Standardised test results (GRE/GMAT)
English test scores (IELTS/TOEFL/DET) (Important for UK universities admission)

Selection Process for Commonwealth Scholarships

There are some of primary and secondary indicators such as academic performance and study plan clarity that are used by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission to select students. The criteria for selecting Indian candidates for the shared awards are mentioned below:

Academic merit
Quality of study plans
Potential impact on the development of India

Academic merit criteria for Commonwealth shared scholarships:

Particulars	Details
Primary Indicators	Marksheets Academic transcripts LORs
Secondary Indicators	Academic prizes or awards Other relevant academic achievements Publications (if applicable with the intended study)

Quality of study plans for Commonwealth shared scholarships India:

Particulars	Details
Primary Indicators	SOPs with clear learning objectives The extent to which the proposed course and institution of study have been well-researched
Secondary Indicators	Existing offer of admission to the course Presentation clarity

Potential impact on the development of India for Commonwealth scholarships 2025:

Particulars	Details
Primary Indicators	How the study/research relates to development in the sector and India. Expected outcomes, the projected timeframe to achieve them and potential beneficiaries. The way and extent to which the candidate proposes to apply new skills and qualifications
Secondary Indicators	Reference to a national development priority or capacity shortage Reference to the selected CSC theme Extent of the benefit: how the impact of the work might be measured Past demonstrable commitment to ‘development’ agendas through voluntary work. Leading or participating in relevant projects or programmes

Selection Process

Indian students must note the following selection process for Commonwealth Scholarship UK:

Only a few candidates who are shortlisted are called for interviews that are undertaken by some notable subject experts.
The selection for the Commonwealth Scholarships 2025 is then decided based on the above criteria.
These nominations (around 20) are sent to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission for final selection.
Nomination of a candidate by the Government of India does not, in any way, guarantee final selection or placement.
The final decision for the recipient of the Commonwealth Scholarship and fellowship plan is then made by the CSC from the overall nominees recommended by all the participating countries in the Programme.

Commonwealth Scholarships: Awards and Grants

Each Commonwealth Shared Scholarship provides some financial assistance to its recipients. Generally, these scholarships are fully funded and include the living expenses in UK as well. The benefits include the following:

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship UK Allowances:

Particulars	Details
Travel	Airfare from India to the UK and return ticket on completion of the course
Tuition fees	Full tuition fees for the intended course
Living Allowances	Generally, GBP 1,347 per month; however, it is GBP 1,652 per month for universities in London metropolitan area
Clothes	Warm clothes allowance if applicable
Thesis grant	If applicable, the cost of preparing a thesis or dissertation is paid by the university but funded by CSC
Study travel	cost of study-related travel within the UK or overseas.
TB test charges	cost of a mandatory tuberculosis test that is required for visa application is paid by the university but funded by the CSC.
Family Allowances	Applicable if a dependent/dependants are going with the student

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is a Commonwealth shared scholarship?

A commonwealth shared scholarship is one of the awards that are offered to economically weak international students from commonwealth countries. These are funded by CSC and the participating UK universities together.

2. What is the amount of the Commonwealth Scholarship?

These are fully funded scholarships that include the cost of studying as well as the living expenses in the UK incurred by international students.

3. What is the Commonwealth shared scholarship allowance?

The allowances provided by Commonwealth shared scholarships include the tuition fees for the intended course of study in the UK, living expenses, travel expenses, clothes, thesis allowances, medical TB test costs, and many more.

4. Can I stay in UK after the Commonwealth shared scholarship?

Yes, one can stay in the UK after receiving a Commonwealth shared scholarship. They need to complete their selected course in the UK and after graduation, they can apply for a post-study work visa in the UK.