Commonwealth Shared Scholarships Documents Required 2026
Required Documents Checklist
- Proof of citizenship or refugee status in an eligible Commonwealth country (copy of a valid passport or national ID card showing photograph, date of birth, and country of citizenship).
- Full transcripts detailing all higher education qualifications, including up-to-date transcripts for any courses currently being studied, with certified translations if not in English.
- Degree certificate for the highest degree completed (a statement of result can be used if the certificate is not yet available).
- Names and positions of three referees who are qualified to comment on both your capacity to benefit from the proposed Scholarship and your ability to deliver development impact afterwards. One referee must be a current employer (if applicable).
- A Development Impact statement and a detailed Plan of Study, outlining how the proposed study relates to development issues, how new skills will be applied, expected developmental changes, and how impact will be measured.
- Proof of English language proficiency, if required by the UK host university and/or UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
- A complete online application to an eligible Master's course at a participating UK university (an admission offer may be required before final scholarship shortlisting or confirmation).
- Completed CSC online application form (via CSC Central).
DBT Bank Seeding Warning
Your primary bank account must be active, seeded with your Aadhaar card, and mapped on the NPCI mapper. The government disbursements are made exclusively via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
FAQs for Commonwealth Shared Scholarships
Q.What does the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship cover?
The Commonwealth Shared Scholarship is a fully funded scholarship that covers all approved tuition fees, approved airfare from your home country to the UK and back, a monthly living allowance (stipend), a warm clothing allowance, a thesis grant, a study travel grant, and a contribution towards a mandatory tuberculosis (TB) test if required for your visa. Additional allowances for dependent children are also available for eligible single parents.
Q.What are the primary eligibility criteria for this scholarship?
You must be a citizen of an eligible Commonwealth country (or have refugee status/British Protected Person), be permanently resident in that country, hold a first degree of at least upper second-class (2:1) honours, be unable to afford to study in the UK without the scholarship, and not have studied or worked in a high-income country for more than one year. You must also be applying for an approved Master's course at a participating UK university that aligns with CSC's development themes.
Q.Do I need to have an offer of admission from a UK university before applying for the scholarship?
While it is highly recommended to apply for admission to your chosen eligible Master's course at a participating UK university as early as possible, some sources indicate that an admission offer might not be strictly required at the initial scholarship application stage. However, you will typically need to secure an offer before final shortlisting or confirmation of the scholarship. It's crucial to check specific requirements with your chosen university.
Q.Can I hold another scholarship concurrently with the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship?
No, a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship is considered a full award covering all costs. Therefore, the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission does not allow scholars to hold other scholarships or awards that cover the same costs at the same time. If you receive an offer for another award, you must declare it to your Programme Officer, as accepting another award without declaration may lead to the withdrawal of your Commonwealth Shared Scholarship.