2026 Commonwealth PhD Scholarships For Developing
Countries (Fully-Funded) Deadline: 21 October, 2025
Commonwealth PhD Scholarships are are for applicants from
least developed countries and vulnerable states, for full-time doctoral study
at a UK university.
The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC)
provides these scholarships jointly with UK universities to support world-class
research.
The Commonwealth Scholarship is a fully-funded opportunity
to study in the United Kingdom. It covers the full fees and travel costs of
selected candidates while also providing £1,652 living stipend per month.
More details about the scholarship including its
requirements, benefits, and application procedure will be provided for
interested and qualified candidates.
More scholarship opportunities are ongoing in countries
across Europe, the United States and Canada. Check out some selected
opportunities below:
2026 Commonwealth PhD Scholarship Summary
- Host
Country: United Kingdom (UK)
- Study
Abroad: Study in UK
- Category: Postgraduate
Scholarships | PhD Scholarships
- Eligible
Countries: Commonwealth Countries
- Reward:
Full Scholarship | £1,781 per month | Airfare Tickets
- Deadline:
October 21, 2025
2026 Commonwealth PhD Scholarship Details:
Funded by the UK Department for Education (DfE),
Commonwealth PhD Scholarships for high-income countries support research that
will have impact in a field relating to sustainable development.
The CSC operates within the framework of the Commonwealth
Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) and offers a vivid demonstration of the
UK’s enduring commitment to the Commonwealth
They also enhance individual teaching and research capacity
leading to increased institutional capacity in academic and other sectors in
Commonwealth countries and will contribute to UK higher education and research
by attracting high-calibre international candidates and encouraging links and
collaboration.
Intended beneficiaries: Commonwealth PhD
scholarships are for high-quality graduates who have the potential to undertake
world-class research of a developmental nature and to become influential
leaders, teachers, or researchers in their home countries.
2026 Commonwealth Scholarship Requirements:
To be considered for the 2026 Commonwealth Scholarships,
candidates must:
- Be a
citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth
country, or be a British Protected Person.
- Be
permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country.
- Be
available to start academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK
academic year in September 2026.
- By
September 2026, hold a first degree of at least upper second-class (2:1)
honours standard, or a lower second-class degree and a relevant
postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree)*.
- Not 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.
- Be
unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship.
- Have
provided all supporting documentation in the required format.
- Approved
airfare from the candidate’s home country to the UK and return at the end
of the award (the CSC will not reimburse the cost of fares for dependants,
nor the cost of journeys made before the award is confirmed).
- Approved
tuition fees: full fees are covered by agreement between the CSC and the
UK university, and scholars are not liable to pay for any part of the
tuition fee.
- Stipend
(living allowance) at the rate of £1,452 per month, or £1,781 per month
for those at universities in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at
current levels).
- Warm
clothing allowance, where applicable.
- Study
travel grant towards the cost of study-related travel within the UK or
overseas.
- Provision
towards the cost of fieldwork undertaken overseas (the cost of one economy
class return airfare to the fieldwork location), where approved.
- Paid
mid-term visit (airfare) to the scholar’s home country, unless they have
claimed or intend to claim spouse and/or child allowances during their
scholarship or have received a return airfare to their home country for
fieldwork.
- If a
Scholar has children and is widowed, divorced, or a single parent, child
allowance of child allowance of £622 per month for the first child, and
£154 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16, if
their children are living with them at the same address in the UK.
If a scholar shares that they have a disability, a full
assessment of their needs and eligibility for additional financial support will
be offered by the CSC.
Required Documents for Commonwealth PhD Scholarship
Applicants must upload the following documents with the
application:
- Proof
that they are a citizen or have refugee status in an eligible Commonwealth
country: a copy of a valid passport (or national ID card) showing a
photograph, date of birth, and country of citizenship.
- Full
transcripts detailing all higher education
qualifications, including to-date transcripts for any courses currently
being studied, with certified translations if not in English. Where any
transcripts are missing or do not include all pages, the application will
be considered ineligible.
- References
from at least two individuals, in PDF format, signed and on institutional
letterhead or an email clearly showing the sender’s details.
- A
supporting statement, in PDF format, signed and on institutional
letterhead or an email clearly showing the sender’s details, from a
proposed supervisor in the UK from at least one of the institutions named
on the application form.
- An
unconditional offer, or an offer conditional only on finance, for the 2023
UK academic year for all institutions named on the application form.
Applications will be considered ineligible if any of the
required documentation is not included by the closing date.
How To Apply for 2026 Commonwealth PhD Scholarship
(Step-by-Step)
Applications for the Commonwealth PhD Scholarship to the CSC
must be made using the CSC’s online
application system.
The CSC is unable to accept any applications or
documentation not submitted via the online application system.
Applicants are advised to complete and submit applications
as early as possible, as the online application system will be very busy in the
days leading up to the application deadline.
As well as applying to the CSC, applicants must apply to
a nominator.
There are three types of nominator invited to participate in
the PhD scholarship programme:
- National nominating agencies – this is the main
route of application.
- Selected universities/university bodies – which
can nominate their own academic staff.
- Selected
non-governmental organisations and charitable bodies.
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