Written by Christian Chinonso
Founder, LearnViaHub | Academic Credential & International Student Research
✓ Last checked: 21 October 2026Official CSC sources cited
Quick answer
The Commonwealth Shared Scholarship is a CSC Master’s scholarship for selected one-year courses at participating UK universities, which share the cost with the CSC. You apply through the university, not a national nominating agency (CSC Shared Scholarships page).
For 2027/28, applications open on 10 November 2026 and close at 16:00 GMT on Tuesday 8 December 2026. You submit the scholarship application on CSC Central and must also secure admission to your course (CSC).
You must be from one of 43 eligible countries and must not have studied or worked in a high-income country for a year or more. The award covers full tuition, a return flight and £1,712 a month (£2,000 in London).
It is for Master’s courses only, not undergraduate or PhD study.
This guide covers the Shared Scholarship only. For all CSC awards, see our Commonwealth Scholarship overview. For the baseline rules, see our eligibility guide, and for the Development Impact statement and documents, our application guide.
Key dates for 2027/28
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications open | Tuesday 10 November 2026 |
| Applications close | 16:00 GMT on Tuesday 8 December 2026 |
| Study starts | September/October 2027 |
| 2027 courses and universities | The CSC says it will publish them before the opening date. The list online on 21 October 2026 was still the 2026 list. |
| Results date | The CSC’s page gives no results date for Shared Scholarships. Ask your university. |
Source: CSC Shared Scholarships page. The CSC advises applying early because CSC Central is very busy in the days before the deadline. University admission deadlines can be earlier than 8 December, so check your university’s own page too.
Shared Scholarship vs Master’s Scholarship
Both are CSC Master’s awards, but the route and the selectors differ (Shared page, Master’s page).
| Shared Scholarship | Master’s Scholarship | |
|---|---|---|
| How you apply | Through the university course (admission) and CSC Central. No nominator. | Through a nominator, usually a national nominating agency, and CSC Central. |
| Who selects | Each university selects its candidates. The CSC then confirms they meet the eligibility rules. | Nominators put forward candidates and the CSC selects from that pool. |
| Courses | Selected courses on the CSC’s approved list at participating universities. | One-year taught Master’s at approved UK universities. MBA excluded. |
| Eligible countries | 43 countries (same list). | 43 countries (same list). |
| Extra rule | Not studied or worked in a high-income country for a year or more. | No UK Master’s study or earlier CSC Master’s award. A second Master’s needs justification. |
| Who pays the stipend | The university. | See the CSC Master’s page. |
| 2027/28 dates | Opens 10 Nov 2026, closes 16:00 GMT on 8 Dec 2026. | Closed at 16:00 BST on 20 Oct 2026. |
If you have studied or worked in a high-income country for a year or more, you cannot apply for the Shared Scholarship. The CSC says you may still be able to apply for other awards, so check each award’s rules.
Who can apply
The CSC says Shared Scholarships are for high-quality postgraduate students from least developed and middle-income countries, including fragile and conflict-affected states. To qualify you must (CSC Shared Scholarships page):
- Be a citizen of an eligible Commonwealth country or have refugee status there.
- Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country.
- Be able to start study in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September 2027.
- Hold, by September 2027, a first degree of at least upper second-class (2:1) honours standard, or a lower second-class degree plus a relevant postgraduate qualification, usually a Master’s.
- Not have studied or worked in a high-income country for one academic year or more. The CSC’s wording is slightly inconsistent (“more than one (academic) year or more”), so confirm borderline cases with your university.
- Be unable to afford UK study without the scholarship.
- Provide all supporting documents in the required format.
You declare at the end of the form that you have not studied in a high-income country. The CSC allows distance study at a university in a high-income country while living in your home country, but you must say on the form if any earlier study was remote. There is no age limit. The CSC does not require an IELTS test, but universities may ask for evidence of English proficiency as a condition of the award. To check your degree against the 2:1 standard, use our GPA to percentage converter. The CSC also publishes an eligibility checklist to complete before you submit.
The 43 eligible countries
Only applicants from these countries can apply (CSC Shared Scholarships page). The list is the same as for the CSC Master’s Scholarship.
- Bangladesh
- Belize
- Botswana
- 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
- Zambia
Lists can change between rounds, so check the CSC page when the 2027/28 round opens.
Plan to 8 December: two applications
The CSC treats the university application and the scholarship application as separate. Missing either means the CSC will not consider you (CSC Shared Scholarships page).
- Before 10 November: choose courses. The CSC says it will publish the 2027 courses and universities before the opening date. Check the approved courses list and the participating universities page. You can apply to more than one course and more than one university.
- Apply for admission and read your university’s Shared Scholarship advice. Many courses have strict admission deadlines. Ask your university when to apply and how to state your interest in the scholarship.
- Prepare your answers outside the system. The CSC recommends drafting them in a separate document and pasting them in. Use the CSC’s template application form to see every question. Line up three referees now.
- From 10 November: submit on CSC Central. The CSC cannot accept applications or documents sent any other way. Registration uses two-factor authentication, so have a smartphone or second email account ready. You cannot edit an application once you submit it.
- Submit before 16:00 GMT on 8 December 2026. Upload your passport or ID, full transcripts and at least two references in PDF by the deadline. Missing documents make the application ineligible.
- Wait for selection. Universities choose their candidates and the CSC confirms eligibility. If you are successful you are provisionally selected, then receive a Confirmation of Award once you meet the admission terms and other conditions. You may accept only one Shared Scholarship offer.
What the application form asks
The CSC form asks you to provide (CSC Shared Scholarships page):
- All undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications, and up to 10 publications and prizes.
- Your employment history and how it supports the programme you plan to study.
- Three referees who can speak about your capacity to benefit and your ability to deliver development impact. You must upload at least two references, and one referee must be a current employer if you have one.
- A Development Impact statement in four parts: how the scholarship relates to development issues and your chosen theme, how you will apply your skills afterwards, what change you expect (outcomes, timeframe, beneficiaries), and how you could measure your impact.
- Your award objectives, your career plans for the five years after the scholarship, and your long-term career plans.
- A detailed plan of study, a personal statement on how your background motivates you to make an impact at home, and your voluntary and leadership activities.
For the six development themes, see the CSC development themes page.
Choosing a course
Only approved courses carry the scholarship. The CSC’s list groups them under its six development themes, and each entry names the university and the course. Before you commit to a course, confirm it is on the current list and read that university’s own Shared Scholarship page for extra admission requirements (CSC eligible courses).
Courses and participating universities change each year because universities bid for places. We have not reproduced the 2026 list here because the 2027 list is due before 10 November.
What the scholarship pays
The CSC and the university jointly fund the award, and the university must agree to fund the living-cost part (CSC Shared Scholarships page). The normal duration is 12 months.
| Item | What is provided | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition fees | The CSC and the university cover full fees by agreement, so you pay no part of them. | CSC and university |
| Airfare | Approved return flight from your home country. The CSC does not reimburse dependants’ fares. | CSC |
| Monthly stipend | £1,712 a month, or £2,000 a month at universities in the London area (rates quoted at current levels). | University |
| Warm clothing allowance | Where applicable. | University |
| Thesis grant | Towards preparing a thesis or dissertation, where applicable. | Paid by the university, funded by the CSC |
| Study travel grant | Towards study-related travel in the UK or overseas. | Paid by the university, funded by the CSC |
| TB test | A contribution towards a mandatory tuberculosis test required for a visa. Keep receipts. | Paid by the university, funded by the CSC |
| Family allowance | £622 a month for the first child and £154 a month for the second and third child under 16, for scholars who are widowed, divorced or single parents with children living with them in the UK. | CSC |
| Disability support | A full needs assessment and any additional financial support, if you tell the CSC about a disability. | CSC |
The CSC says family allowances are only a contribution and that real costs are likely to be higher. Check the Handbook for Commonwealth Scholars for current conditions.
How selection works
Each participating university runs its own recruitment and puts forward a set number of candidates. The CSC then confirms they meet the eligibility criteria. The CSC’s criteria are academic merit, quality of the research proposal and potential impact on your home country’s development, and it asks you to link your answers to each point (CSC Shared Scholarships page; CSC selection criteria). All enquiries about nomination go to the university. Scholars sign an undertaking to return home after the award, study full-time for one degree, and may not hold another award covering the same costs.
Frequently asked questions
Do I apply to the CSC or the university first?
You need both, and they are separate. Apply and secure admission to your course at the university, and also submit the scholarship application on CSC Central by the deadline (CSC Shared Scholarships page).
When does the 2027/28 Shared Scholarship open and close?
It opens on 10 November 2026 and closes at 16:00 GMT on 8 December 2026 (CSC Shared Scholarships page).
How many courses can I apply for?
The CSC says you can apply for more than one course and to more than one university, and its page states no maximum. You may accept only one Shared Scholarship offer.
Can I apply if I have studied abroad before?
It depends where. If you studied or worked in a high-income country for a year or more, you are not eligible. The CSC allows distance study at a high-income-country university while living at home if you say so on the form (CSC Shared Scholarships page).
Is the Shared Scholarship available for PhD study?
No. It is for Master’s courses only. For PhD funding see our PhD Scholarship guide.
Do I need IELTS?
The CSC does not require IELTS. Universities may ask for evidence of English proficiency as a condition of the award, so check your university’s policy (CSC Shared Scholarships page).
What is CSC Central?
It is the CSC’s online application system. The CSC cannot accept applications or documents submitted any other way, and registration uses two-factor authentication (CSC Shared Scholarships page).
Continue your Commonwealth Scholarship research
About the author
Christian Chinonso is the founder of LearnViaHub, where he researches academic credentials and the practical questions international students face, such as scholarships, grade conversion and admissions requirements.
How we researched this
Last checked: 21 October 2026. We read the CSC’s Shared Scholarships page, its eligible courses page, its Master’s Scholarships page and its Scholarships and Fellowships page. Every date, country, rule and rate above comes from those pages unless another source is linked. We left out figures we could not match to an official CSC page, including per-university award numbers.
Dates, rates, courses and country lists change between rounds, so confirm them on the CSC website and with your university before you apply.
Christian Chinonso is the founder of LearnViaHub, with 6+ years of research experience in international education — including GPA systems, scholarships, student financing, and study-abroad guidance — for students worldwide.