Churchill Scholarship 2027, Requirements & Application

Key facts

Status: Applications open Closes 2 November 2026
Provider: Churchill
Study level: Postgraduate
Academic year: 2027
Last checked: September 2026

The 2027/28 Churchill Scholarship round is open to United States citizens only, with a national deadline of 2 November 2026.

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

Open · closes 2 November 2026 · 11 days left Latest update ↓

The Churchill Scholarship sends outstanding science, mathematics and engineering graduates to Churchill College at the University of Cambridge for a one-year master’s degree. It is one of the most generous postgraduate awards in the world, but it is open only to citizens of the United States. This page explains what it offers and points South African students to the Cambridge funding they can actually apply for.

About the Churchill Scholarship

Funder: the Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States, established in 1959 at Churchill’s request.
Awards: about 16 scholarships a year for one-year master’s degrees in science, mathematics and engineering at Churchill College, Cambridge, plus the Kanders Churchill Scholarship in science policy.
Covers full tuition and fees, a living allowance of around £12 000 to £15 000, return airfare and visa and health surcharge costs, worth about US$75 000.

Churchill Scholarship eligibility requirements

United States citizen, native-born or naturalised.
Final-year student, or graduate within the past 12 months, of one of the roughly 100 participating American universities.
An exceptional academic record, usually a GPA above 3.7, with research experience.
Nominated by the home university; applicants must also apply to Cambridge separately.

How the Churchill Scholarship is applied for

Apply through the fellowships office of a participating US university by its campus deadline, usually in September.
Apply to the chosen Cambridge master’s programme by mid-October.
Nominated candidates are submitted to the foundation by the national deadline in early November, with winners announced in January.

Churchill Scholarship closing date

2 November 2026 for the 2027/28 award (United States citizens only).

Contact details

Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States: www.churchillscholarship.org

South Africans aiming for Cambridge or the UK should apply to the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, the Rhodes Scholarship, the Mandela Rhodes Foundation scholarship, the Chevening scholarship and the Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships.

FAQs

1. Can South Africans apply for the Churchill Scholarship? +

No. The Churchill Scholarship is restricted to United States citizens who are final-year students or recent graduates of about 100 participating American universities. South Africans wanting to study at Cambridge should apply to the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, the Cambridge Trust's Africa scholarships, the Mandela Rhodes Foundation or the Commonwealth and Chevening schemes.

2. What is the Churchill Scholarship? +

A scholarship from the Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States that sends about 16 American students a year to Churchill College, Cambridge, for a one-year master's degree in science, mathematics or engineering, plus a Kanders Churchill Scholarship in science policy.

3. What does it cover? +

Full tuition and fees at Cambridge, a living allowance of around £12 000 to £15 000, return airfare and a visa and health surcharge allowance, worth about US$75 000 in total.

4. When is the deadline? +

Participating universities set campus deadlines in September, applicants apply separately to Cambridge by mid-October and the national deadline for the 2027/28 award is 2 November 2026.

5. What are the alternatives for South Africans? +

Gates Cambridge (closes early December 2026 for 2027 entry), Cambridge-Africa and Cambridge Trust scholarships, the Rhodes Scholarship, the Mandela Rhodes Foundation, Chevening (6 October 2026) and the Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships.

Update note (checked September 2026): the 2027/28 Churchill Scholarship round is open to United States citizens only, with a national deadline of 2 November 2026. South Africans are not eligible. Cambridge funding open to South Africans includes the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, which closes in early December 2026 for 2027 entry.

Checked the requirements and closing date? Apply directly with the provider.

Apply on the provider’s website

Student funding in numbers

2025811 011students funded by NSFAS580 000 at universities, 231 000 at TVET colleges, on a budget of R48.7 billion.

20261 026 091students approved for NSFAS funding609 403 first-year applicants qualified and 416 688 continuing students met the progression criteria, out of 893 847 applications.

2027 projectedR53.4bnbudgeted for NSFASThe allocation rises from R48.7 billion in 2025 to R51 billion in 2026 and R53.4 billion in 2027. Student numbers for 2027 are not published yet.

Figures from the Minister of Higher Education’s Budget Vote of 3 July 2025 and the NSFAS statement of 2 January 2026. NSFAS is the largest funder, not the only one – we track the rest.