ELIGIBILITY:

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 ineligible Commonwealth country

Be available to start your academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in the following September/October;

Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship.

You should apply to study at a UK university which has a part funding agreement with the CSC. View a full list of UK universities with part funding agreements.

Applications are typically open for 6 weeks, opening September each year and closing in October. Please check the CSC website for more information.

As well as applying to the CSC, applicants must apply to a nominator.

You must apply to one of the following nominating bodies in the first instance

National nominating agencies – this is the main route of application

Selected non-governmental organisations and charitable bodies

Participating nominators put forward an agreed number of candidates to the CSC for consideration. The CSC does not accept direct applications for these scholarships. 

Each nominator oversees its own selection process and may have additional eligibility criteria. Applicants must check with the nominator for their specific advice and rules for applying, and their own eligibility criteria.  
Nominators may set their own closing dates for applications.
Selections are made from the pool of nominations. Candidates are asked to note that a nomination is no guarantee of selection.  
Applicants can expect to hear the outcome of their applications by July. Full details can be found on the Commonwealth website.

BENEFIT:

Approved airfare from your home country to the UK and return at the end of your award (the CSC will not reimburse the cost of fares for dependants, nor usually the cost of journeys made before your award is finally confirmed).

Approved tuition fees: full fees are covered by agreement between the CSC and the UK university.

Stipend (living allowance) at the rate of £1,378 per month (rates quoted at 2025-2026 levels).

Warm clothing allowance, where applicable.

Study travel grant towards the costs of study-related travel within the UK or overseas.

If a Scholar has children and is widowed, divorced, or a single parent, child allowance of child allowance of £590 per month for the first child, and £146 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16, if their children are living with them at the same address in the UK.

If a Scholar shares that they have a disability, a full assessment of their needs and eligibility for additional financial support will be offered by the CSC.
The CSC’s family allowances are intended to be only a contribution towards the cost of maintaining a Scholar’s family in the UK. The true costs are likely to be considerably higher, and Scholars must be able to supplement these allowances to support any family members who accompany them to the UK.