Commonwealth shared scholarships

The Shared Scholarship Scheme is a joint initiative between the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission with funding from the UK Department for International Development (DFID), and UK universities, to support scholarships for students from developing Commonwealth countries who would not otherwise be able to study in the United Kingdom.

To apply for these scholarships, 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 an eligible Commonwealth country.
• Be available to start your academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September 2025.
• Not have studied or worked for one (academic) year or more in a high income country.
• Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship.
• By September 2025, hold a first degree of at least upper second-class (2:1) honours standard, or a lower second-class degree (2:2) and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a master’s degree). 

Eligible Commonwealth countries are: Bangladesh, Belize, Botswana, Cameroon, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia.

The scholarship covers:

• Tuition fees
• Maintenance/Living cost stipend
• Approved airfare to and from UK
• Thesis grant if applicable
• Study travel grant if applicable
• A one off warm clothes allowance

• MSc Food Technology – Quality Assurance 
• MA Conflict and International Security
• MA International Relations and Diplomacy

You must apply for one of the eligible courses at the University of Reading by submitting an online application.

You must also apply for the scholarship on the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission’s online application form.

Applications for this scholarship are now open and close on 12 December 2024 at 16:00 GMT.

Please visit the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission website for more information on eligibility, terms and conditions, application and selection process.