Commonwealth Funded Distance Learning Programme 2024

The Commonwealth Distance Learning programme is one of three Master’s programmes offered by the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission.

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC) provides the UK government scholarship scheme led by international development objectives.

It 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.

By attracting individuals with outstanding talent and identifiable potential from all backgrounds and supporting them to become leaders and innovators on returning to their home countries, the CSC’s work combines sustainable development with the UK national interest and provides opportunities for international partnerships and collaboration.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for a Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarship, applicants should:

• 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 a developing Commonwealth country.
• Hold a first degree of at least upper second class (2:1) standard. A lower qualification and sufficient relevant experience may be considered in certain cases.
• Be unable to afford to study the programme without this scholarship.

Eligible Countries

Please see list of eligible countries below as stated in the DAC list published in January 2022.

Bangladesh, Belize, Botswana, Cameroon, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique
Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania,
The Gambia, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu & Zambia.

Scholarship Benefits

A Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarship covers tuition fees and study grants where required.

Other scholarships, awards, or bursaries that cover the same costs may not be held concurrently.

How to Apply

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 up-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 list of eligible courses for 2024 can be found on the how to apply tab, sorted by CSC development theme.

Candidate’s may find the following resources useful when researching their choices of institution:

• Study UK – British Council website, with guidance for international students and a course and institution search
• Postgrad.com – information for postgraduate students, with a course search
• Research Excellent Framework 2021 results – results of a system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions
• UCAS Postgraduate – guidance on how to find and apply for a postgraduate course
• Unistats – the official website for comparing UK higher education course data
• UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) – advice for international students on choosing a course of study.