Commonwealth 2025 SplitSite Scholarship for International Students

Published: 20 Nov 2024

Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships are for candidates from low and middle income countries, as classified by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC), in the Commonwealth, to conduct research at a university in the UK for 12 months.

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC) provides the UK government scholarship scheme led by international development objectives. Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), 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.

Purpose: To widen access to UK equipment and expertise for quality doctoral candidates from Commonwealth countries, and to contribute to UK and Commonwealth higher education and research through collaboration and partnerships.

Commonwealth SplitSite Scholarship

Application Deadline	December 16, 2024
Funding Type	Fully Funded
Country to study	United Kingdom
Type	Ph.D
Sponsor	Common wealth Scholarships
Gender	Men and Women

Benefits of Commonwealth SplitSite Scholarship

• Approved airfare from the home country to the UK and return.
• Approved tuition fees.
• Stipend (living allowance) at the rate of £1,347 per month, or £1,652 per month for those at universities in the London metropolitan area
• Study travel grant for study-related travel within the UK or overseas.
• Family allowances for widowed, divorced, or single-parent scholars.
• Child allowance of £576.61 per month for the first child, and £143 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.

Requirements for Commonwealth SplitSite Scholarship

Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships welcome applicants from diverse subject areas, prioritizing applications that demonstrate the strongest relevance to development. The eligibility criteria include:

• Citizenship or refugee status in an eligible Commonwealth country, or British Protected Person status.
• Permanent residency in an eligible Commonwealth country.
• Registration for a Ph.D. at a university in an eligible Commonwealth country by the scholarship’s commencement in September 2024.
• Existence of an institutional or departmental link between the home university and the proposed UK university.
• Availability to commence academic studies in the UK in September 2024.
• Possession of a first-degree of at least upper second-class honors standard (2:1) or a lower second-class degree with a relevant postgraduate qualification by September 2024

Selection Process

Applications will be considered according to the following selection criteria:

• Academic merit of the candidate
• Quality of the research proposal
• Potential impact on the development of the applicant’s home country

Application Documents

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 the institution named on the application form.
• A supporting statement, in PDF format, signed and on institutional letterhead or an email clearly showing the sender’s details, from the current supervisor at the home university.

Application Deadline

December 16, 2024

How to Apply