The ACU Global Grants are administered by the Association of Commonwealth Universities. They support registered undergraduates at ACU member institutions who plan to attend a short-term summer or winter school related to their studies.
The host must be an ACU member institution in a different Commonwealth country, and the chosen programme must start between 1 December 2026 and 31 August 2027. The scheme supports academic development, international experience, and knowledge exchange across the Commonwealth.
Benefits & funding
- Ten awards of up to GBP 5,000 are available.
- Five awards funded through the HW Paxton Trust are allocated to United Kingdom citizens.
- Five awards are allocated to citizens of, or people holding refugee status in, Commonwealth countries other than the United Kingdom.
- The grant may cover programme fees, flights, accommodation, food, visa fees, and other costs related to attending the programme.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be registered undergraduate students at an ACU member institution.
- Each applicant must either be a citizen of a Commonwealth country or hold refugee status in one.
- The chosen summer or winter school must relate to the applicant’s studies and be hosted by an ACU member institution in a different Commonwealth country.
- The programme must have an official start date from 1 December 2026 through 31 August 2027.
- Applicants from any academic discipline may apply for a programme aligned with their studies.
- A signed letter on official headed paper is required from a departmental head or academic or course supervisor at the home institution. A letter or formal acceptance from the proposed programme host is also required.
- Each student may submit one application in the grant call.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
Antigua and Barbuda · Australia · Bahamas · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belize · Botswana · Brunei · Cameroon · Canada · Cyprus · Dominica
+ 44 more
Eswatini · Fiji · Gabon · Gambia · Ghana · Grenada · Guyana · India · Jamaica · Kenya · Kiribati · Lesotho · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Malta · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Nauru · New Zealand · Nigeria · Pakistan · Papua New Guinea · Rwanda · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Samoa · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Solomon Islands · South Africa · Sri Lanka · Tanzania · Togo · Tonga · Trinidad and Tobago · Tuvalu · Uganda · UK · Vanuatu · Zambia
Education required
Bachelor Enrolled
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Application process
- 1Identify a relevant summer or winter school at an ACU member institution in another Commonwealth country.
- 2Obtain support from the home institution and confirmation from the proposed programme host.
- 3Create or access a MyACU account and open the Global Grants 2026/27 application form.
- 4Complete the eligibility section, cost breakdown, and three statements covering programme fit, expected contribution and gains, and plans to share the knowledge gained.
- 5Upload the two supporting letters and submit the online application by 25 August 2026 at 15:00 UTC.
Program timeline
Applications open.
14 July 2026
Applications close.
25 August 2026 at 15:00 UTC
Eligible window for the chosen programme’s official start date.
1 December 2026 to 31 August 2027