Applications have opened for the 2027/2028 Commonwealth PhD Scholarships, with eligible candidates able to pursue doctoral studies in the United Kingdom beginning in September/October 2027.

The scholarships are administered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC), the UK government scholarship scheme focused on international development objectives. The CSC operates under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) and reflects the UK’s continued commitment to the Commonwealth.

Through the programme, the CSC seeks to attract talented individuals with strong potential from diverse backgrounds and support them in becoming leaders and innovators when they return to their home countries. Its work links sustainable development with the UK national interest while creating opportunities for international partnerships and collaboration.

Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the Commonwealth PhD Scholarships are intended to address the development needs of Commonwealth countries by supporting research capable of generating developmental impact.

The scholarships also seek to strengthen individual teaching and research capacity, thereby contributing to institutional capacity in academic and other sectors across Commonwealth countries. At the same time, they support UK higher education and research by attracting high-calibre international applicants and encouraging institutional links and collaboration.

The programme is specifically aimed at candidates who would otherwise be unable to afford postgraduate study in the UK.

Eligible beneficiaries are high-quality graduates with the potential to conduct world-class research with a developmental focus and eventually become influential leaders, teachers or researchers in their home countries.

Applicants must be citizens of, or have been granted refugee status by, an eligible Commonwealth country, or be British Protected Persons. They must also be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country.

Candidates are required to be available to begin their academic studies in the UK at the start of the UK academic year in September 2027.

By September 2027, applicants must hold a first degree equivalent to at least an upper second-class (2:1) honours standard. Applicants with a lower second-class degree may also qualify if they hold a relevant postgraduate qualification, usually a Master’s degree.

Applicants must not already be registered for a PhD, or an MPhil leading to a PhD, at a UK university or in their home country before September/October 2026.

They must also demonstrate that they cannot afford to study in the UK without the scholarship and must submit all supporting documentation in the required format.

Successful scholars will receive an approved return airfare between their home country and the UK. The CSC will not reimburse fares for dependants or journeys undertaken before an award has been confirmed.

Tuition fees will be fully covered through an agreement between the CSC and the relevant UK university, meaning scholars will not be responsible for any portion of the approved tuition fees.

The scholarship also includes a monthly living allowance of £1,712, rising to £2,000 per month for scholars studying at universities within the London metropolitan area. The stated rates are at current levels.

Recipients will additionally receive a study travel grant to help meet the cost of study-related travel within the UK or overseas.

Where approved, the scholarship provides support for overseas fieldwork, including the cost of one economy-class return airfare to the fieldwork location.

Scholars may also receive a paid mid-term visit to their home country, including airfare. This benefit does not apply if they have claimed or intend to claim spouse and/or child allowances during the scholarship, or if they have received a return airfare to their home country for fieldwork.

Family allowances are also available subject to the applicable conditions and current rates.

A scholar accompanied by a spouse but no children may receive a spouse allowance of £313 per month for a maximum of nine months, provided the scholar and spouse live together at the same UK address. This does not apply where the spouse is also receiving a scholarship, and other conditions apply.

For scholars accompanied by both a spouse and children, the allowance is £313 per month for the spouse, £313 per month for the first child and £154 per month for the second and third child under 16. The spouse and children must be living with the scholar at the same UK address, unless the spouse is also receiving a scholarship. Other conditions apply.

Scholars who have children and are widowed, divorced or single parents may receive child allowances of £622 per month for the first child and £154 per month for the second and third child under 16, provided the children live with the scholar at the same UK address.

Applications for the Commonwealth PhD Scholarships for the 2027/28 academic year opened on Tuesday, September 8. The deadline for applications to be received is 16:00 BST on Tuesday, October 20, 2028, according to the source information provided.

The scholarships are intended for study in the UK beginning in September/October 2027.

Applicants must submit their applications through the CSC Central application system. The CSC has stated that it cannot accept applications or supporting documents submitted through any other means.

CSC Central application system

Applicants can also consult the official application template and guidance document when preparing their submissions.

Commonwealth PhD Scholarships application template

Guidance document for applicants

Further information on the scholarship is available through the official Commonwealth Scholarship Commission webpage.

Official Commonwealth PhD Scholarships webpage

Source: opportunitiesforafricans