Fees and Funding

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme

How will I know if I've been successful?

The Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme is a joint initiative between the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the University of Oxford to support students from developing Commonwealth countries who would not otherwise be able to study in the United Kingdom.

Am I eligible?

Candidates should:

hold a first degree at either first or upper second class level
be applying to start a new graduate course at Oxford
have not previously studied for one year or more in a developed country
not be employed by a government department (at national level) or a parastatal organisation (employees of universities are normally acceptable, however)
be able to confirm in writing that neither they or their families would otherwise be able to pay for the proposed course of study
be willing to confirm that they will return to their home country as soon as their period of study is complete

Awards are only available for one-year Master's in the following specific subject areas: MSc African Studies; MSc Biodiversity, Conservation and Management, tenable at Linacre College; MSc Economics for Development, tenable at Christ Church College or Somerville College; MSc Environmental Change and Management, tenable at Linacre College; MSc Global Health Science, tenable at Linacre College; MSc Integrated Immunology, tenable at Linacre College or Somerville College; BCL, tenable at Somerville College; MSc Pharmacology, tenable at Somerville College; MSc Global Governance and Diplomacy, tenable at Somerville College.

Please ensure you meet the requirements for entry to your course, including English language requirements. See the Course Guide for more information.’

Awards are open to students from Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Cameroon, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn, Rwanda, St Helena, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tristan da Cunha, Turks and Caicos, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Western Samoa Zambia, Zimbabwe.

What does it cover?

100% of university and college fees, and a grant for living costs (rate to be confirmed).

Awards are made for the full duration of a student's fee liability for the agreed course. If your scholarship is offered for a course lasting more than one year, the continuation of your scholarship each year is subject to an annual renewal process based on satisfactory academic progress.

How do I apply?

Apply at the same time as you apply to Oxford by selecting Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme in the Funding Section of the University's Graduate Application Form. In order to be considered for this scholarship, you must submit your application for graduate study by the relevant January deadline (6 January 2012 for Medical Sciences and Philosophy; 20 January 2012 for all other courses), and you must have secured a place on your chosen programme of study by the expected final decision date (17 March 2012). Applications with an outstanding admissions decision after this date, or applications which are re-evaluated against the later March deadline field are not eligible for scholarship consideration.

If you do not apply in full by the deadline, you will not be considered for the scholarship, even if you have selected Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme on the Graduate Application Form.

How will I know if I have been successful?

Successful candidates will be notified by email by May 2012. This webpage will be updated to show when all decisions have been made. If you have not heard from us by the time this notice is posted, then your application to this scheme has been unsuccessful. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we are unable to contact unsuccessful applicants individually or provide feedback on applications.

Further information

If you have any questions about this scholarship which are not answered above, please email us through the Ask a Question facility.