Master's Scholarship•Remote

Commonwealth Distance Learning Master’s Scholarships

Funding

Fully Funded

Program dates

TBA

The Commonwealth Distance Learning Master’s Scholarships are funded by the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and administered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC). They let talented people from low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries earn a UK master’s degree by part-time distance learning, without leaving home or work. Candidates first secure admission to an approved course at a participating UK university, then apply to the CSC. The scheme runs annually; at the time of writing the 2026/27 round has closed and the next (2027/28) round is expected to open in the coming months. (The University of Edinburgh, one former delivery university, has confirmed it is not offering this scholarship for 2026/27 entry.)

Benefits & funding

  • Full tuition fees for the chosen distance-learning master’s, paid by the CSC.
  • Study grants where required (the CSC states it covers tuition fees and study grants; specific cash amounts are not published).
  • Funding is tenable for up to six years of part-time study, reflecting the modular nature of the courses.
  • Note: because students remain in their home country, there is no living stipend, travel, or airfare — this is tuition-focused support, not a residential package.
  • Other scholarships, awards, or bursaries that cover the same costs may not be held at the same time.

Eligibility

  • 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 a developing Commonwealth country.
  • Eligible countries: Bangladesh, Belize, Botswana, Cameroon, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, Gabon, 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, The Gambia, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, and Zambia.
  • Hold, by September of the entry year, a first degree of at least upper second class (2:1) standard; a lower qualification plus sufficient relevant experience may be considered in certain cases.
  • Be unable to afford to study the programme without the scholarship.
  • Open to all genders and all fields; no age limit.

Application process

  1. 1
    Identify and secure admission to an approved master’s course at a participating UK university (check the CSC’s published list of approved courses and universities).
  2. 2
    Create an account and apply through the CSC’s online system, CSC Central, using two-factor authentication; the CSC accepts applications only through this platform.
  3. 3
    Upload the required documents (a valid passport or national ID, full academic transcripts with certified translations where needed, and two signed references) and complete the development-impact, study-plan, and personal-statement sections before the annual deadline. Applications cannot be edited once submitted.

Program timeline

  1. 2026-03

    Applications for 2026/27 entry close (most-recent cycle; used here as the reopening anchor).

  2. Participating universities nominate candidates to the CSC.

    2026-06

  3. 2026-08

    Universities inform nominated candidates of awards (by August 2026).

  4. 2026-09 / 2026-10

    Studies begin for the 2026/27 cohort.

  5. 2027 (expected)

    Applications open for 2027/28 entry.