Applications are invited for Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships to study for a UK Master’s degree while living and working in the home country. Students from developing Commonwealth countries can apply for these scholarships.

Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarship aims to contribute to the development needs of Commonwealth countries by providing training for skilled and qualified professionals in key development areas.

Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarship is one of the world’s largest and most prestigious scholarship schemes for international study. These scholarships are funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) to contribute to the UK’s international development aims and wider overseas interests, supporting excellence in UK higher education and sustaining the principles of the Commonwealth.

Application Deadline: By July next year.

Brief Description:

• Course Level: Masters’s Degree courses
• Scholarship Award:  Full tuition fees
• Number of Scholarships: Not given
• Nationality: Developing Commonwealth countries
• Scholarships can be taken in Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships for individuals to study for a UK Master’s degree while living and working in their home country.

Eligibility

• Eligible Countries: Students from the following 25 eligible countries, such as Bangladesh, Belize, Cameroon, Eswatini, Gabon, Ghana, India, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, The Gambia, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia.
• Acceptable Course or Subjects: You should apply to study an eligible Master’s course at a UK university participating in the Distance Learning scheme. Click here for a list of participating universities and eligible courses.
• Admissible Criteria: To be eligible for a Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarship, candidates should:
  • Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person
  • Be permanently resident in a low-middle-income Commonwealth country
  • Hold a first degree of at least upper second class (2:1) standard. A lower qualification and sufficient relevant experience may be considered in certain cases.
  • Be unable to afford to study the programme without this scholarship.
    

Distance Learning Scholarships

How to Apply:

Applicants must also apply and secure admission to your university course in addition to applying for a Distance Learning Scholarship. Applicants must check with their chosen university for specific advice on when to apply, admission requirements, and rules for applying.

• How to Apply: To participate in the scholarship, applicants must submit an online application form through the given link: https://fs29.formsite.com/m3nCYq/form43/form_login.html
• Supporting Documents: Copy of your valid passport or national ID card showing your photograph, date of birth, and country of citizenship – uploaded to the online application system
• At least one reference – submitted directly by the referee to the online application system. Referees will be sent an email request. However, applicants are responsible for seeking permission from their referees in advance of submitting their application; to ensure that their referees are available to complete the reference by the deadline; and that the referees have received the reference request email.
• An offer letter to start your chosen course of study in the 2022-2023 academic year – uploaded to the online application system
• Full transcripts detailing all your higher education qualifications (with certified translations if not in English) – uploaded to the online application system
• The CSC will not accept supporting documentation submitted outside the online application system. Supporting documentation uploaded to the online application system must be uploaded as files that are no more than 5 MB in size and one of the following formats: PDF, .doc, .docx, .odt, .jpg, .jpeg. Files submitted in any other format (including Zip files and PDF Portfolios) will not be accepted.

• English Language Requirements: Candidates may be required to take the Academic IELTS English language test as a condition of eligibility. It is the candidate’s responsibility to check with their UK university whether this requirement applies to them. If selected, the candidate must provide a certificate confirming an overall score of at least 6.5, with no less than 5.5 in each band. An IELTS test will be considered valid only if it is taken up to one year before the course’s start date.

Benefits

Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships provide full tuition fees and all other compulsory costs of studying
a UK Master’s programme in distance learning. This includes the full cost of any residential components of a course.

Scholarship Link