Fully Funded Commonwealth PhD Scholarship

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK, funded by the UK government's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pays for three years of full-time PhD study at a UK university for people from 17 of the Commonwealth's least developed and most vulnerable countries. It is for strong graduates whose research will help their home country's development and who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK. You apply twice: to a nominator in your country, usually your national nominating agency, and to the Commission itself.

What you get:

• Funding for 36 months of full-time doctoral study in the UK
• Full tuition fees, covered by agreement between the CSC and your university, with no part of the fee payable by you
• A stipend of £1,712 a month, or £2,000 a month at universities in the London area (current rates)
• An approved return airfare between your home country and the UK
• Visa costs
• A study travel grant towards study-related travel in the UK or overseas
• One economy return airfare to an overseas fieldwork location, where approved
• A paid mid-term visit home, unless you claim family allowances or have already had a fieldwork airfare home
• Family allowances if your family lives with you in the UK: £313 a month for a spouse (for up to nine months if no children are with you), £313 a month for a first child and £154 a month each for a second and third child under 16, or £622 a month for a first child if you are a single parent, widowed or divorced
• A full assessment of needs and extra financial support for scholars who share that they have a disability

What you'll do:

• Carry out three years of full-time doctoral research at a UK university that has a part-funding agreement with the CSC
• Research a topic under one of the CSC's six development themes: science and technology for development; improving population health, health systems and capacity; promoting innovation and entrepreneurship; strengthening peace, security and governance; strengthening resilience and response to crises; access, inclusion and opportunity
• Work with a UK supervisor who has confirmed in writing that they can host your research and that it can be finished in 36 months
• Return home when the scholarship ends to put your research to work in your country

Key dates:

• Applications for the 2027/28 academic year are open now on CSC Central
• CSC applications close at 16:00 UK time (BST) on Tuesday 20 October 2026, which is 15:00 UTC
• Nominating agencies may close earlier, and nominate their candidates to the CSC in December 2026
• Applicants hear the outcome by July 2027
• Study begins in the UK in September or October 2027

More information:

• How to apply: apply to a nominator by its own deadline, and submit the CSC application on CSC Central by 16:00 UK time on 20 October 2026. The CSC does not accept direct applications
• Contact details for every national nominating agency are on the CSC's nominating agencies page. Each agency sets its own criteria, process and closing date, and some close earlier than the CSC
• The CSC also takes nominations from five NGOs with their own rules: the Canon Collins Educational and Legal Assistance Trust, the Commonwealth Disabled People's Forum for disabled candidates, The Commonwealth Equality Network for study that improves the position of LGBTI+ people, FAWE for women from listed African countries, and the HALI Access Network for candidates affiliated with a member organisation
• The form asks for a 125 word research outline, a 650 word research plan and a 500 word personal statement, and up to three UK universities and supervisors in order of preference. A template of the form is on the programme page
• The CSC warns that an organisation calling itself the Commonwealth Exchange Scholarship Council is not an official partner. Apply only through the CSC's website and CSC Central

• A citizen of, or granted refugee status by, one of 17 eligible countries, or a British Protected Person: Bangladesh, The Gambia, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda and Zambia
• Permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country
• By September 2027, a first degree at upper second class (2:1) honours or above, or a lower second class degree plus a relevant postgraduate qualification, usually a Master's
• Disabled applicants without a 2:1 who can show their potential may be considered for a contextualised nomination through the Commonwealth Disabled People's Forum
• Not registered for a PhD, or an MPhil leading to a PhD, before September/October 2026
• Unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship
• Available to start in the UK by September 2027
• Nominated by your national nominating agency or one of the CSC's NGO nominators. The CSC does not accept direct applications, and each nominator can add its own criteria and an earlier deadline
• Uploaded by the CSC deadline: a passport or national ID, full transcripts for every degree, two references and a supporting statement from a proposed UK supervisor. Any missing document makes the application ineligible
• No age limit
• No IELTS or other English test required by the CSC, though your UK university may require one
• You must commit to returning home after the scholarship; switching to a Graduate or other visa to stay in the UK is not permitted
• Not open to employees of the UK government, the Association of Commonwealth Universities or the British Council, to anyone who left one of them less than three years ago, to relatives of UK government employees, or to current or former CSC Commissioners and their relatives