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About Scholarship
Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships are offered for citizens of certain developing Commonwealth countries. These scholarships are funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), with the aim of contributing to the UK’s international development aims and wider overseas interests, supporting excellence in UK higher education, and sustaining the principles of the Commonwealth.
Purpose: To contribute to development needs of Commonwealth countries by providing training for skilled and qualified professionals in key development areas.
Intended beneficiaries: High-quality postgraduate students who wish to access training not available in their home countries, who wish or need to remain in their home country while they study, and who have the potential to enhance the development of their home countries with the knowledge and leadership skills they acquire.
Host Institution(s) and Online Courses offered: See the list of eligible distance learning Master’s courses offered by participating UK institutions for 2020
Number of Scholarships: Not specified.
Target group: Nationals of Commonwealth Developing Countries:
Bangladesh, Cameroon, Eswatini, The Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, India, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia
Scholarship value and Inclusions
The scholarships provide full tuition fees and all other compulsory costs of studying a UK Master’s course by distance learning. This includes the full cost of any residential components of a course.
Eligibility
To apply for the scholarship, you must:
- 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 developing 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 your chosen course without this scholarship.
Application Instructions
You must apply to study an eligible Master’s course at a UK university that is participating in the Distance Learning scheme. See list of participating universities and eligible courses.
You must also secure admission to your course in addition to applying for a Distance Learning Scholarship. You must check with your chosen university for their specific advice on when to apply, admission requirements, and rules for applying. You must make your application using the CSC’s online application system, in addition to any other application that you are required to complete by your chosen university. The CSC will not accept any applications that are not submitted via the online application system.
You can apply for more than one course and/or to more than one university, but you may only accept one offer of a Distance Learning Scholarship.
All applications must be submitted by 16.00 (GMT) on 13 April 2020 at the latest.
Your application must include the following supporting documentation by 16:00 (GMT) on 04 May 2020 in order for your application to be eligible for consideration:
- At least one reference– submitted directly by the referee to the online application system (referees will be sent an email request)
- An offer letter to start their chosen course of study in the 2020-2021 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 must be in 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.
Applicants are responsible for seeking permission from their referees in advance of submitting their application; for ensuring that their referees are available to complete the reference by the deadline and have received the reference request email from the online application system.
The CSC’s online application form is now open. Click the link to view the online portal.
Visit the official website (link found below) for detailed information on how to apply for this scholarship. All enquiries about these scholarships should be directed to the university to which you wish to apply.
Application Deadline
13 April 2020 (annual). Supporting documents must be submitted before 4 May 2020.
Course starts: September 2020
Official Scholarship Website: http://cscuk.dfid.gov.uk/apply/distance-learning/