Written by Christian Chinonso
Founder, LearnViaHub | Academic Credential & International Student Research
✓ Last checked: 21 October 2026Official CSC sources cited
Quick answer
To be eligible for a Commonwealth Master’s, Shared or PhD Scholarship you must be a citizen (or refugee) of an eligible Commonwealth country and permanently resident in one. You need a first degree of at least 2:1 standard, or a 2:2 plus a relevant postgraduate qualification, and you must be unable to afford UK study without the award (Master’s Scholarships page).
There is no age limit and the CSC does not require IELTS. The CSC does not fund MBA degrees. The PhD Scholarship has a shorter country list, and the Shared Scholarship adds a rule on study or work in high-income countries.
The 2027/28 Master’s and PhD round closed on 20 October 2026. The Shared Scholarship opens on 10 November 2026 and closes on 8 December 2026.
This guide covers who can apply. For the awards, funding and country tables, see our Commonwealth Scholarship overview. To apply, see our application guide.
Eligibility rules by award
| Master’s | Shared Master’s | PhD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Countries | 43 eligible countries | 43 eligible countries | 17 least developed countries and fragile states |
| Study level | Full-time one-year taught Master’s. MBA excluded. | Selected one-year Master’s courses | Full-time PhD, 36 months |
| Degree | 2:1 first degree, or 2:2 plus a relevant postgraduate qualification, by September 2027 | Same | Same |
| Extra rule | No UK Master’s study and no earlier CSC Master’s award. A second Master’s needs justification. | Not studied or worked in a high-income country for a year or more | Not already registered for a PhD or an MPhil leading to a PhD |
| Route | Nominator and CSC Central | University and CSC Central | Nominator, CSC Central and a supervisor’s statement |
| 2027/28 status | Closed 20 Oct 2026 | Opens 10 Nov, closes 8 Dec 2026 | Closed 20 Oct 2026 |
Source: CSC Master’s page, Shared page and PhD page. The CSC has paused the Distance Learning and Split-site awards for 2026 and 2027 (CSC Scholarships and Fellowships page).
Core requirements
- Citizenship. Be a citizen of an eligible Commonwealth country or have refugee status there. The Master’s and PhD pages also include British Protected Persons.
- Residence. Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country. If you live elsewhere, for example Canada, which is not on any of the three lists, you do not meet this rule.
- Start date. Be able to start study in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September 2027.
- Degree. 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. These are alternatives, not both.
- Financial need. Be unable to afford to study in the UK without the scholarship. The CSC assesses this from your application.
- Documents. Provide every supporting document in the required format. An application missing any of them is ineligible.
Source: CSC Master’s page, Shared page and PhD page. Applicants with disabilities who do not have a 2:1 may still apply through the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum nominator (CSC nominator list). Scholars also commit to returning home after the award.
Is there an age limit?
No. The CSC has no age limit for its applications. It advises applicants to check any age rules on leave entitlement with their employer (Master’s Scholarships page). India’s Ministry of Education notice for the 2026 Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship also says there is no age limit (2026 notice). A nominator in another country may set its own rules, so check its current notice.
Degree and grades
The CSC states the requirement in UK terms and leaves the conversion of your grades to your nominator or university. Check with them how they treat your degree classification. You can compare your grades with the UK standard using our GPA to percentage converter, but the converter is only a guide and the nominator’s view decides. The CSC funds postgraduate study. The awards on its Scholarships and Fellowships page are Master’s, PhD and fellowship awards, and it lists no undergraduate award.
The CSC does not require an IELTS test. For Shared Scholarships, universities may ask for evidence of English proficiency as a condition of the award (CSC Shared Scholarships page).
Who is not eligible
- Anyone who is not a citizen of, or a refugee in, an eligible country, or who is not permanently resident in an eligible country.
- Anyone without a 2:1 or a 2:2 plus a relevant postgraduate qualification (apart from the disability route).
- Anyone who can afford UK study without the scholarship.
- Master’s applicants who have already studied at Master’s level at a UK institution or held a CSC Master’s Scholarship.
- Shared Scholarship applicants who have studied or worked in a high-income country for a year or more.
- PhD applicants already registered for a PhD or an MPhil leading to a PhD, and PhD applicants from countries outside the 17 listed.
- Applicants for an MBA or a research Master’s. The CSC says it does not fund MBAs or any research Master’s programmes, and funds one-year taught Master’s programmes only.
- UK government employees and their relatives, staff of the Association of Commonwealth Universities or the British Council, and current or former Commissioners and their relatives. Former employees may apply three years after leaving.
Source: CSC Master’s page, Shared page and PhD page. The CSC does not name business-related Master’s other than the MBA as excluded, but the course must still be a one-year taught Master’s at an approved UK university, so confirm each course.
Which award fits you
This table applies the CSC rules above. It does not replace your nominator’s or university’s own check.
| If this describes you | Awards to consider |
|---|---|
| Your country is not on the 43-country list | None of the Master’s, Shared or PhD Scholarships. Check the CSC Fellowships page, which uses a different country list. |
| Your country is on the 43-country list but not the 17-country PhD list, and you have not studied or worked in a high-income country for a year or more | Master’s (through your nominator) or Shared Master’s (through a university). |
| Your country is on the 43-country list and you have studied or worked in a high-income country for a year or more | Master’s only. You cannot apply for the Shared Scholarship. |
| Your country is one of the 17 PhD countries and you have not registered for a PhD | PhD Scholarship, or a Master’s if you want one. |
| You have already registered for a PhD | Not the full PhD Scholarship. Split-site served registered candidates, but the CSC has paused it for 2026 and 2027. |
| Your country is a high-income Commonwealth country, such as New Zealand | Not the Master’s, Shared or 17-country PhD Scholarships. The CSC’s separate PhD scheme for high-income countries our PhD page describes, and we could not confirm a 2027/28 round. |
| You want an MBA or a research Master’s | None of the CSC awards fund it. |
The country lists are in our overview.
Extra rules from your nominator
The CSC says each nominator may have its own eligibility criteria and selection process (Master’s Scholarships page). India’s Ministry of Education, for example, applies a rule on time abroad. Candidates who spent more than six months abroad for study, training or specialisation may apply only if they have been back in India for at least two consecutive years on a date set in each notice. In its 2026 Commonwealth Master’s notice that date was 2 September 2025 (2026 notice). Find your nominator on the CSC list and read its current notice.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an age limit for the Commonwealth Scholarship?
No. The CSC has no age limit (Master’s Scholarships page). Check your nominator’s notice in case it adds one.
Can I apply for the Commonwealth Scholarship for a bachelor’s degree?
No. The CSC’s awards are for Master’s and PhD study and professional fellowships, and its page lists no undergraduate award (CSC Scholarships and Fellowships page).
What if I live in Canada or another country not on the list?
You must be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country. Canada is not on the CSC’s Master’s, Shared or PhD lists, so residents there do not meet that rule.
What if I do not have a 2:1?
You may still qualify with a 2:2 plus a relevant postgraduate qualification, or through the disability route if you have a disability and no 2:1 (Master’s Scholarships page).
Do I need IELTS?
The CSC does not require an IELTS test. A university may ask for English evidence (Master’s Scholarships page).
Does the Commonwealth Scholarship fund an MBA?
No. The CSC says it does not fund MBAs or any research Master’s programmes (CSC FAQs).
Can I apply before I finish my first degree?
Yes. If you are still studying for your first degree, enter your projected completion date and upload transcripts to date. You must complete the degree by September of the year you start your studies (CSC FAQs).
Do I need work experience?
No. The CSC says employment experience is not a requirement (CSC FAQs).
Can refugees apply?
Yes, if an eligible Commonwealth country has granted you refugee status and you are permanently resident in an eligible country. The CSC also works with the Windle Trust on a nomination route for refugees in Kenya and Uganda (CSC FAQs).
Can I apply if I already have a Master’s degree?
For a PhD, yes. For another Master’s you must justify it, and you are ineligible if you have studied at Master’s level at a UK institution or held a CSC Master’s Scholarship (Master’s 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 Master’s, Shared Scholarships, PhD, Scholarships and Fellowships and FAQs pages, and India’s Ministry of Education 2026 Commonwealth Master’s notice. Every rule above comes from those pages unless another source is linked. We left out figures we could not match to an official source. The “which award fits you” table applies those rules and is our own summary.
Rules and country lists change between rounds, so confirm them with the CSC and your nominator or 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.