Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships 2027/28 (UK)

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships pay for South Africans to complete a one-year, full-time taught Master’s degree at a UK university. The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC) runs the scheme with funding from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and aims it at people who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK. Applications for study starting in September or October 2027 are open now and close at 16:00 UK time (BST) on Tuesday 20 October 2026, which is 17:00 in South Africa.

This is a different scheme from the Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships, which fund study in other Commonwealth countries. South Africa is one of 43 countries on the CSC’s eligible list for the 2027/28 Master’s round.

Two applications in one form, with DHET as nominator

The CSC does not accept direct applications. Every candidate has to be put forward by a nominator, and for South Africans the national nominating agency is the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). According to DHET’s notice for this round, dated 26 August 2026, applicants who want a DHET nomination select DHET as their nominating agency inside the CSC’s online system, CSC Central. There is no separate DHET form. After the closing date, the CSC passes the applications to DHET. DHET invites shortlisted candidates to interviews and sends its nominations to the CSC by December 2026. The CSC then makes the final selection from the pool of nominees, and applicants hear the outcome by July 2027.

Some selected non-governmental organisations and charitable bodies can also nominate candidates, and they may set their own criteria and closing dates. One of these, the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum, can consider disabled applicants who do not have a 2:1 degree.

What the scholarship pays in the UK

The CSC funds only one-year taught Master’s programmes. It does not fund MBAs, does not fund courses linked to the fossil fuel sector, and does not require an IELTS test. Scholars may not hold another award that covers the same costs, and they need CSC approval before taking paid work during the award.

Upper second-class degrees and who is excluded

By September 2027, applicants need a first degree at upper second-class (2:1) honours level, or a lower second-class degree plus a relevant postgraduate qualification, usually a Master’s. South African applicants should check how their own university’s results translate to that standard before applying. They must also be South African citizens, or refugees recognised by South Africa, and permanently resident here. The CSC sets no age limit.

The CSC does not accept anyone who has already studied at Master’s level at a UK institution or held a Commonwealth Master’s award. It normally does not fund a second Master’s, and applicants who want one must justify it. Current and recent UK government employees, British Council and Association of Commonwealth Universities staff, and their relatives are also excluded. Every scholar signs an undertaking to return home before the student visa expires, and switching to a graduate visa to stay in the UK is not allowed.

Documents and the development impact statement

Applicants upload the following to CSC Central before the deadline:

• A passport or ID showing a photograph, date of birth and citizenship.
• Complete transcripts for every higher education qualification, including current studies. A missing page makes the application ineligible.
• At least two signed references as PDFs, on letterhead or in an email that shows the referee’s details. If you are employed, one of your three named referees must be your current employer.

The form also asks for a four-part development impact statement, a study plan, career plans for the five years after the scholarship, a personal statement, and three UK university and course choices in order of preference. The CSC advises applying to those universities in advance, because it will not change a selected candidate’s choices later. Applicants must also link their study to one of the six CSC development themes: science and technology; population health and health systems; innovation and entrepreneurship; peace, security and governance; resilience and response to crises; and access, inclusion and opportunity.

The CSC’s template application form lets applicants draft their answers offline. CSC Central uses two-factor authentication, loses unsaved work if the browser is refreshed, and does not allow edits after submission. The CSC charges no application fee.

For UK study through a different route, compare the Rhodes Scholarship, or see the Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships for study elsewhere in the Commonwealth. Local funding for Honours and Master’s study is listed on our postgraduate bursaries page.

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