DEADLINE: 26 April 2021
Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships are offered for citizens of certain developing Commonwealth countries. These scholarships are funded by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), 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.
Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships enable talented and motivated individuals to gain the knowledge and skills required for sustainable development, and are aimed at those unable to study in the UK for financial and other reasons.
These scholarships are offered under six themes:
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
ELIGIBILITY
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 an eligible 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
HOW TO APPLY
You must apply to study an eligible master’s course at a UK university that is participating in the Distance Learning scheme.
Please see the full list of participating universities and eligible courses.
You must also apply and secure admission to your university 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 17:00 (BST) on 26 April 2021
Your application must include the following supporting documentation by 17:00 (BST) on 10 May 2021 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 2021-2022 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.