Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme

Level of study
Postgraduate taught masters
Subject area
Arts and Law, African Studies, Medical and Dental Sciences, International Development
Nationality
Bangladesh, Belize, Botswana, Cameroon, Dominica, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, The, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia
Type of Award
External, University
Deadline for applying
Closed 13/12/2022 (Note: competition closed for this year)

Award Description

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

The University of Birmingham is offering two Commonwealth Shared Scholarship for the 2023/24 academic year.

Value of Award

The award is financed jointly by the University and the DFID. The award will cover:

  • Full tuition fees
  • Maintenance stipend
  • Air fare to and from the United Kingdom
  • Immigration Health Surcharge costs 
  • A one-off arrival allowance payment 
  • Thesis expenses 
  • Study travel grant

Full details of the award are listed on the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship website. 

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates should be commencing a course in September 2023.

Candidates must also certify that they:

  • are nationals of a Commonwealth developing country, and not at present living or studying in a developed country;
  • have not undertaken studies lasting one year or more in a developed country;
  • are themselves, or through their families, unable to pay to study in the United Kingdom;
  • agree to return to their own country to work or study as soon as the award ends. The commission will only consider requests to extend leave to remain in the UK post-award for those wishing to move from Masters to PhD study. Strict conditions will apply.
  • DFID requires that the University certifies when submitting its shortlist of candidates that they are sufficiently proficient in the English language to cope with the course for which they have applied. This will normally mean that you will have to have satisfied any requirements concerning competence in the English language which are a condition of your offer of admission.

You can read more about the eligibility criteria by visiting the Commonwealth Scholarship Comission's website.

Candidates must also have been offered a place at the University of Birmingham on one of the following postgraduate programme:

  • MA Africa and Development
  • MA Social Research (African Studies)
  • MSc Clinical Oncology
  • MSc Respiratory Medicine

How to Apply

In order to apply for this scholarship, you must

  • Make an application on the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship website  by the deadline of 4pm on 13 December 2022. 
  • Have made an application to study one of the approved programmes at the Univerity of Birmingham

Contact

Funding, Graduation & Awards
fga@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Website
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/csss