Commonwealth Scholarships for Indian Masters Students in the UK

The Commonwealth Scholarship programme allows around 800 students per year to study a postgraduate course in the United Kingdom.

The scheme is one of the most prestigious in the UK and has produced many notable alumni including leading politicians and Nobel Prize winners.

Applications are open to 44 countries within the Commonwealth, including India. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the scheme, including what’s on offer and how you can apply.

What are Commonwealth Scholarships?

Commonwealth Scholarships are funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FDCO). They are aimed at international students from Commonwealth countries who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK.

There are a number of awards available under the scheme, funding a variety of postgraduate courses (including PhDs), but this guide will focus specifically on the Commonwealth Masters Scholarship for Indian students.

The scholarship is aimed at students from lower to middle income countries within the Commonwealth. It enables students to undertake a full-time, taught Masters course at a UK university.

The goal of the scheme is to equip talented students from across the Commonwealth with the skills needed to promote sustainable development in their home country. Scholarships are awarded in under six ‘development themes’, as set out by the FDCO. These range from strengthening healthcare capacity to promoting global peace and security. You can learn more about the FDCO development themes on the CSC website.

What does the Commonwealth Masters Scholarship cover for Indian students?

The Commonwealth Masters Scholarship is a generous award that covers the full cost of your degree, including tuition fees, living expenses and any associated costs.

Winners can expect to receive:

• Full coverage of tuition fees
• A monthly stipend of £1,378 (or £1,690 in London) to cover living costs
• A grant to cover travel to and from India at the beginning and end of your course
• A grant contributing to the cost of study-related travel (within or outside of the UK)

Where applicable, you may also receive a warm clothing allowance, and a grant towards the costs of preparing your Masters dissertation.

If you’re widowed, divorced or a single parent, you may also be eligible for an allowance to support your family in the UK. This amounts to £590 per month to support your first child, in addition to £146 for your second and third children under 16 years old.

Am I eligible to apply for an Indian Commonwealth Masters Scholarship?

Students looking to come from India to the UK on a Commonwealth scholarship must:

• Be an Indian citizen (or have been granted refugee status)
• Be permanently resident in India
• Hold a Bachelors degree graded at a 2:1 or above. If you hold a 2:2 undergraduate degree, you will also need to have a postgraduate qualification in a relevant subject.
• Been unable to afford UK study without the scholarship

Generally, the CSC will only award scholarships to students studying their first Masters degree. You may occasionally be able to fund a second Masters degree with a Commonwealth Masters Scholarship, but you’ll need to provide justification as to why you’re undertaking this study.

How can Indian students apply for a Commonwealth Masters Scholarship?

Applying for a Commonwealth Masters Scholarship is a two-step process. First, you’ll need to apply to the Indian Ministry of Higher Education, which is a national nominating agency. You’ll need to submit your application via the Ministry's website.

Note that nominating agencies will have their own application process, eligibility criteria and deadlines. You should check these carefully on the Indian Ministry of Higher Education website before you start your application.

Once you’ve been nominated, you can submit at application directly to the CSC, via their online portal. You’ll need to supply the following:

• A list of all your undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications
• A list of up to 10 publications and prizes (if applicable)
• A work history, explaining how each past position is relevant to your chosen programme (up to 100 words per employment)
• A 300-word statement on how your previous work experience makes you an ideal candidate for the scholarship
• The details of at least two referees, one of which must be your current employer
• A scan of your passport or national identity card

You'll also need to write a Developmental Impact statement, explaining how your future plans will contribute to the CSC’s six development themes. The statement is broken down into four sections, totalling around 1,600 words. You can find detailed information about what each of these should contain on the CSC website.

To give you an idea of what to expect from the online application, you can view a sample form on the CSC website.

Applications generally open in September and close in October for courses starting the following Autumn.

How are Commonwealth Masters Scholarship Indian winners selected?

During the Commonwealth Scholarship selection process, the CSC will assess your application according to the following criteria:

• Your academic merit
• How well you’ve researched your chosen programme, and how it relates to your long-term plans
• How you will use the skills gained from your programme to positively impact the development of your home country

It’s worth remembering that the Commonwealth Masters Scholarship doesn’t just exist to give international students an opportunity to study in the UK. The CSC is primarily interested in how you will use your postgraduate qualification to make a difference back in India.

Be as specific as you can about your longer-term sustainable development plans. What exactly do you hope to achieve, and by when? Who will be the beneficiaries?

It’s also important to demonstrate that you’re aware of the CSC’s international development themes. You may want to focus on one or two that are most relevant to your study and career plans.

Commonwealth Masters Scholarship applications for the 2025-26 academic year are now closed. You can find more information about the scholarship on the CSC website.