About this opportunity
The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK has opened its Commonwealth PhD Scholarships route for the 2027/28 academic year. The awards fund full-time doctoral study at a UK university for applicants from least developed countries and vulnerable states, as classified by the OECD Development Assistance Committee, that are also in the Commonwealth, and the study must begin in September or October 2027.
The Commission describes these awards as supporting research that will have a developmental impact. Each scholarship provides approved airfare from your home country to the UK and return at the end of the award, approved tuition fees covered in full by agreement between the Commission and the university, a stipend living allowance at the rate of £1,712 per month or £2,000 per month for universities in the London metropolitan area, and a study travel grant towards study-related travel.
Applications go through a nominator rather than straight to a university. The Commission states that applicants must apply to the Commission on its online application system and to a nominator, that nominators may set their own closing dates and
Eligibility
, and that nominations reach the Commission in December 2026 with selections made from that pool. Nigeria is named on the eligible countries list on the PhD scholarship page, alongside The Gambia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zambia, so a Nigerian applicant qualifies on the provider's own wording.
The closing date for applications is 16:00 BST on Tuesday 20 October 2026, and documentation missing at that point makes an application ineligible.
What you receive
- Approved airfare from the Scholar's home country to the UK and return at the end of the award
- Approved tuition fees in full, covered by agreement between the Commission and the UK university so the Scholar pays no part of the tuition fee
- Stipend (living allowance) at the rate of £1,712 per month, or £2,000 per month for those at universities in the London metropolitan area, at the rates quoted on the page
- Study travel grant towards the cost of study-related travel
- Provision towards the cost of approved fieldwork undertaken overseas, covering one economy class return airfare to the fieldwork location
Who can apply
- Applicants from least developed countries and vulnerable states, as classified by the OECD Development Assistance Committee, in the Commonwealth
- Nigeria is named in the eligible countries list on the PhD scholarship page
- Full-time doctoral study at a UK university beginning in September or October 2027
- Applications made through a nominator as well as to the Commission, with the nominator setting its own rules and closing date
- Research proposed under the CSC development themes
Who should not apply
- The CSC will not reimburse the cost of fares for dependants, nor the cost of journeys made before the award is confirmed
- Supporting documentation submitted outside the online application system is not accepted
- A nomination is no guarantee of selection
Documents to prepare
- Required documentation uploaded to the application system by the closing date
- References written by the referee in their own words on institutional letterhead or an email clearly showing the sender's details
How to apply
- Identify your nominator and read its own eligibility criteria and closing date
- Apply to the Commission on its online application system for the 2027/28 academic year
- Upload all required documentation and references before 16:00 BST on 20 October 2026
Selection process
- Nominators put forward candidates to the Commission in December 2026
- Selections are made from the pool of nominations
Sources and verification
Important disclaimer
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