Commonwealth Shared Scholarships 2027: Fully Funded UK Master's, Applications Open 10 November

The Commonwealth Shared Scholarships 2027 round opens on Tuesday 10 November 2026 and closes at 16:00 GMT on Tuesday 8 December 2026, according to the Commission's official scholarship page. The award pays full tuition for a one-year taught master's degree at a participating UK university, a monthly stipend of £1,712 (£2,000 in the London area), return flights and several smaller allowances.

That leaves a window of four weeks to submit the scholarship form, and the university admission application has to be done separately. If you want to apply, the useful work starts now, before the portal opens.

What the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships 2027 cover

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC) funds these awards jointly with UK universities, which is where the word "shared" comes from. According to the CSC, the package for students starting in September or October 2027 includes:

• Tuition fees, paid in full under an agreement between the CSC and the university.
• A living allowance of £1,712 a month, or £2,000 a month for universities in the London metropolitan area, paid by the university.
• An approved return airfare from your home country to the UK, funded by the CSC.
• A warm clothing allowance, a thesis grant and a study travel grant.
• A contribution towards the cost of a TB test, which the UK requires from many visa applicants.
• Child allowances for scholars who are widowed, divorced or single parents.

Fares for dependants are not covered. Accommodation is not paid separately, so rent comes out of the monthly stipend.

Who can apply

This is a scholarship for people from lower- and middle-income Commonwealth countries who could not otherwise afford to study in Britain. The CSC lists 43 eligible countries for the 2027 round. In Africa they are Botswana, Eswatini, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, The Gambia, Togo, Uganda and Zambia. The list also includes Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, several Caribbean states and a group of Pacific island nations.

Cameroon is a Commonwealth member but does not appear on this year's eligible list, so Cameroonian applicants should look at other UK routes.

The CSC sets these conditions. You must:

1. Be a citizen of, or have refugee status in, an eligible country, and be permanently resident there.
2. Be able to start your UK course by September 2027.
3. Hold, by that date, at least an upper second-class (2:1) first degree, or a lower second-class degree plus a relevant postgraduate qualification.
4. Not have studied or worked for more than one academic year in a high-income country. Distance learning taken from home does not count against you.
5. Be unable to afford UK study without the scholarship.

The catch: you need a course and a university place

You cannot simply apply to "the UK". Each award is tied to a specific approved master's course at a participating university, and you have to win admission to that course through the university's own process. Universities have their own deadlines, some earlier than the CSC's.

The CSC says the 2027 lists of participating universities and approved courses will be published before the portal opens. The versions on its site today still show the 2026 programme. Expect most of the same institutions to return, but check the new list before you commit to a course.

The Development Impact statement

The form includes a four-part Development Impact statement. This is where most applications are won or lost, because the programme exists to fund people whose study will benefit their home country. Write about a concrete problem you have worked on, what the master's will add, and what you plan to do when you return. Name the institution, sector or community involved.

The CSC warns that refreshing the browser can wipe unsaved answers and that a submitted application cannot be edited. Draft everything in a separate document first.

How to apply, step by step

1. This week: shortlist two or three courses from the participating universities and read each one's entry requirements.
2. Before 10 November: ask at least two referees for signed references in PDF, and gather your full transcripts for all higher education, with certified English translations where needed.
3. Apply for admission directly to the university, meeting its deadline.
4. From 10 November: open your application on the CSC's online system and fill in the form.
5. Upload your passport or national ID, transcripts and references.
6. Submit before 16:00 GMT on 8 December 2026. The CSC does not accept applications or documents sent any other way.

Is it worth it?

For someone from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya or Uganda, a funded UK master's with flights and a London-rate stipend is one of the more generous awards on offer. The trade-off is the one-year format and the requirement to show financial need, which rules out applicants who can pay their own way.

If your profile is stronger for a research degree, compare this with the Clarendon Scholarship at Oxford, which also funds DPhil study and does not restrict by country.

Key dates

• Applications open: 10 November 2026
• Applications close: 16:00 GMT, 8 December 2026
• Course starts: September or October 2027

All details here come from the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission's official Commonwealth Shared Scholarships page. Check that page for changes before you submit.