Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship 2027/28: How Nigerians and Ghanaians Can Apply Before 20 October

Last verified: 4 October 2026 · 2027/28 cycle

Every year I watch good graduates miss the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship for one reason. They think it is a single application. It is not. You apply to the UK’s Commonwealth Scholarship Commission and to a nominating body in your own country, and if you skip either one, nobody reads your essays.

The 2027/28 round is open now and the Commission’s deadline is Tuesday 20 October 2026. That gives you about two weeks. This guide covers what the scholarship pays, who qualifies, the extra rules the Federal Ministry of Education has set for Nigerians, what Ghanaians should do while the Ghana Scholarships Authority is yet to post its notice, and the exact steps on the application portal. I took every detail from the official websites listed at the end of this post.

Audit Card

Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships 2027/28

Provider	Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Destination	United Kingdom
Level	One-year, full-time taught master’s (no MBA)
Funding	Full tuition, return flight, monthly stipend (£1,712, or £2,000 in London), study travel grant
Eligible	Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia (Liberia is not on the list)
Status	Open
Deadline	20 Oct 2026 · 16:00 BST (16:00 Lagos, 15:00 Accra)

Apply on the official portal✓ OFFICIAL SOURCE · cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk · VERIFIED 4 OCT 2026

Scam alertThe Commission states that it does not charge anything to apply. Nobody can buy you a nomination. If an “agent” asks you for money to secure this scholarship, walk away.

What the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship is

It is a UK government scholarship for people from lower- and middle-income Commonwealth countries who want to do a one-year taught master’s in the UK and could not afford it without help. The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) runs it, and the money comes from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

The award has a clear purpose: you study in the UK, then you come home and use what you learned to drive development in your country. That idea runs through the whole application, so keep it in mind as you read on. Scholars sign an undertaking to return home, and switching to the UK Graduate visa or any other visa to stay on is not allowed.

The 2027/28 round is for courses that start in September or October 2027.

Key dates and time zones

The Commission states its deadline in British Summer Time. UK clocks do not go back until 25 October, so on 20 October the UK is one hour ahead of GMT. Here is what that means where you are:

The Commission warns that the portal gets very busy in the last days and that late applications are not accepted for any reason. Treat 18 October as your personal deadline.

What the scholarship pays for

This is a fully funded award. According to the CSC, each scholarship provides:

• Tuition fees in full. The CSC agrees the fees with your UK university, and you do not pay any part of them.
• A return economy flight from your home country to the UK at the start, and back home at the end.
• A monthly stipend of £1,712, or £2,000 if your university is in the London area (current rates, which the CSC may review).
• A study travel grant towards study-related travel in the UK or abroad.
• Child allowance for scholars who are widowed, divorced or single parents with children living with them in the UK: £622 a month for the first child and £154 a month each for the second and third child under 16.
• Disability support: if you share that you have a disability, the CSC offers a full assessment of what extra support you need.

It does not pay flights for your spouse or children. You also cannot hold another scholarship that covers the same costs at the same time.

Who can apply

The CSC’s own rules come first. You must meet all of them:

• Be a citizen of an eligible Commonwealth country (or hold refugee status there, or be a British Protected Person).
• Live permanently in an eligible Commonwealth country.
• By September 2027, hold a first degree of at least upper second class (2:1), or a lower second class (2:2) plus a relevant postgraduate qualification, usually a master’s.
• Be unable to afford study in the UK without this scholarship.
• Be available to start in the UK by September 2027.
• Upload every required document in the right format before the deadline.

There is no age limit. The CSC also does not require IELTS or any other English test for the scholarship itself. Your university is a separate matter: some courses still ask for proof of English for admission, so check each course page.

Which West African countries are eligible

Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and The Gambia are all on the 2027/28 list. Liberia is not, because it is not a Commonwealth member. If you are Liberian, this one is not for you, and anyone who tells you otherwise is guessing.

Who is not eligible

• Anyone who has already studied a master’s at a UK university, or already held a Commonwealth master’s scholarship.
• People who want a second master’s without a strong reason. The CSC says it does not normally fund one, and you must justify it if you try.
• MBA applicants. The CSC does not fund MBAs.
• Courses linked to the fossil fuel sector (oil, gas, thermal coal extraction, refining, marketing or fossil-fuel power plants). The CSC does not support it.
• Employees or relatives of employees of the UK Government, staff of the British Council or the Association of Commonwealth Universities, and current or past Commissioners and their relatives. Former staff can apply three years after leaving.

If you have a disability and do not have a 2:1, there is a separate route. The Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum can consider you for a contextual nomination. See the section on other nominators below.

The two applications you must make

This is the part people get wrong. The CSC states plainly that it does not accept direct applications for these scholarships. You need both of these:

1. The CSC application on the CSC Central portal, submitted by 16:00 BST on 20 October 2026.
2. An application to a nominator. For most people this is the national nominating agency in your country. Some charities and NGOs can also nominate. Each nominator runs its own selection, may set its own deadline and may add its own rules.

Nominators send an agreed number of candidates to the CSC by December 2026, and the CSC selects winners from that pool. A nomination is not a guarantee. It only means your application reaches the final round.

Extra rules for Nigerians: Federal Scholarship Board

In Nigeria, the nominating agency is the Federal Scholarship Board under the Federal Ministry of Education. The Ministry published its official call for applications in September 2026, and it sets rules that are stricter than the CSC’s own. For a master’s, you need:

• A first degree of at least Second Class Upper.
• Admission into at least two UK institutions.
• Evidence that you have completed NYSC.
• Scanned uploads of your passport photograph, university transcripts, birth certificate and the admission letter(s) from a UK institution.
• Your application submitted online by 20 October 2026.

The Ministry says it will assess applications on academic merit, the development impact you will make when you return, and the quality of your study plan. Its notice lists priority areas that include education, health, economic growth, governance, climate and environment, water and sanitation, engineering, science and technology, food and nutrition, and humanitarian response.

For enquiries, the Federal Scholarship Board’s email is fsb@education.gov.ng. The Ministry’s notice also lists 09124516750 and 09082454557.

What Ghanaians should do now

Ghana’s national nominating agency is the Ghana Scholarships Authority (listed by the CSC under its former name, Ghana Scholarships Secretariat). When I checked its opportunities page on 4 October 2026, it had not yet posted a notice for the 2027/28 Commonwealth Master’s round.

Do not wait for that notice before starting your CSC application. The CSC deadline does not move for anyone. Here is what I would do:

1. Start and finish your CSC Central application now, so you are ready whatever the Authority announces.
2. Call the Authority on 0302 907 051 or email info@scholarships.gov.gh and ask how they will receive Commonwealth Master’s applications this year and by what date.
3. Check the Authority’s opportunities page every few days. I will update this post as soon as their notice appears.

Sierra Leone and The Gambia

The CSC lists these national nominating agencies. Contact them directly for their rules and closing dates, which may be earlier than 20 October:

• Sierra Leone: Ministry of Technical & Higher Education, Sababu Building, New England, Freetown (mthe.gov.sl).
• The Gambia: Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science & Technology (MoHERST), Bijilo (moherst.gov.gm). Phone: +220 995 9417.

Full contact details for every country are on the CSC’s national nominating agencies page.

Other nominators: FAWE, CDPF, TCEN and HALI

Besides the government agencies, the CSC accepts nominations from a small group of NGOs and charitable bodies. These four accept applicants from Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and The Gambia:

• Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE): for female candidates only.
• Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum (CDPF): for disabled candidates only, including those without a 2:1 who can show their potential.
• The Commonwealth Equality Network (TCEN): for candidates whose study will improve the lives of LGBTI+ people in their country.
• HALI Access Network: only for candidates linked to a HALI Access Network member organisation.

For women in Nigeria, FAWE Nigeria has published its own process. Submit your CSC application first, then send your completed CSC form and supporting documents to FAWE Nigeria by 12:00 noon WAT on 22 October 2026. FAWE says applying to the CSC alone does not put you in its nomination pool, and you do not have to be a FAWE member to apply. Check each nominator’s own rules before you rely on it.

Documents checklist

The CSC will mark your application ineligible if any of these is missing at the deadline. Upload everything inside CSC Central. The Commission does not accept documents sent any other way.

• Proof of citizenship: a valid international passport or national ID card showing your photo, date of birth and country of citizenship.
• Full transcripts for every higher education qualification, with all pages, including a to-date transcript for any course you are still studying. Missing pages make the application ineligible. If a to-date transcript is not available, you must explain why. Transcripts not in English need certified translations.
• At least two references as PDFs, signed, on institutional letterhead or as an email that clearly shows the sender’s details. You collect them and upload them yourself before the deadline. If you are employed, one of your three named referees must be your current employer.

Nigerians applying through the Federal Scholarship Board should also have ready: passport photograph, birth certificate, NYSC discharge or exemption certificate, and UK admission letters from at least two institutions.

How to apply on CSC Central, step by step

1. Choose three UK courses. Pick one-year taught master’s programmes at universities on the CSC partner university list, and rank them in order of preference. The CSC strongly recommends listing all three. If it cannot place you at any of your choices, the scholarship cannot go ahead.
2. Apply for admission to those courses now. The CSC expects you to apply to your universities before the scholarship deadline. Nigerians need admission from at least two.
3. Download the template application form from the CSC website and write all your answers offline first, in a document you can save and edit.
4. Register on CSC Central. The portal uses two-factor authentication, so you need a smartphone or a second email address. You will receive an application reference (in the format 01234-SSP-UK-15) and a 22-character passcode by email. Keep that email safe.
5. Fill in the form section by section and use the save button often. Refreshing your browser throws you out of the form and loses anything unsaved. Use the portal’s own back buttons, not your browser’s.
6. Upload your documents and references as PDFs.
7. Submit well before 16:00 BST on 20 October. You cannot edit an application after submitting it, so read it through once more first.
8. Apply to your nominator using its own process (the Federal Scholarship Board in Nigeria, the Ghana Scholarships Authority in Ghana, or an NGO nominator).
9. Watch your email, including junk and spam folders. The CSC says it may withdraw an offer if you do not reply in time.

What the application form asks you to write

The CSC lists these parts of the form. Draft each one offline before you open the portal:

• Your university qualifications, and up to 10 publications and prizes.
• Your employment history and how it connects to the course you want to study.
• Three referees, with at least two references uploaded.
• A Development Impact statement in four parts: (1) how the scholarship relates to development issues at global, national and local level, and to your chosen CSC theme; (2) how you will apply your new skills when you return; (3) the outcomes you expect, the timeframe and who will benefit; (4) how that impact could be measured and evidenced.
• Your award objectives and how the course meets each one.
• Your career plans for the five years after the scholarship, and your long-term plans.
• A detailed plan of study.
• A personal statement on how your background has made you want to make an impact at home, including any barriers you have overcome.
• Your voluntary work and leadership experience.

You also pick one of the six CSC development themes:

1. Science and technology for development
2. Improving population health, health systems and capacity
3. Promoting innovation and entrepreneurship
4. Strengthening peace, security and governance
5. Strengthening resilience and response to crises
6. Access, inclusion and opportunity

Check the template form for any word limits before you write, and write every answer yourself. Strong statements describe real problems the applicant has seen in their own community, with names, places and numbers.

How applications are judged

The CSC scores applications on three things, and its selection criteria page explains each one in detail:

• Candidate merit, including your academic record and references.
• Quality of your study plan: what you want to learn, how it links to your goals, and how well you have researched the course and university. Already holding an offer counts in your favour.
• Potential impact on development in your home country.

The CSC advises applicants to link their answers to each of these points. In practice, that means every section of your form should point back to the same story: the problem you want to solve at home, why this course, and what will change when you return.

Mistakes that knock people out

• Applying only on CSC Central and forgetting the nominator, or the other way round.
• Uploading a transcript with missing pages.
• References that are unsigned, not on letterhead, or uploaded after the deadline.
• Choosing an MBA, a two-year course or a part-time course.
• Listing only one university choice.
• Nigerians: no admission letters, or only one.
• Waiting until 20 October and getting stuck in a busy portal.
• Copying a sample essay from the internet. Your statements need to be your own story.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship fully funded?

Yes. It covers full tuition, a return economy flight, a monthly stipend of £1,712 (£2,000 in the London area), a study travel grant and, for eligible single parents, a child allowance. It does not cover flights for family members.

Do I need IELTS to apply?

The CSC does not require IELTS or any English test for the scholarship. Your chosen university may still ask for proof of English for admission, so check each course’s entry requirements.

Can Nigerians apply without an admission letter?

Not through the Federal Scholarship Board this year. The Ministry’s 2027/28 notice asks for admission into at least two UK institutions and uploaded admission letters. If your offers are still pending, contact the Board at fsb@education.gov.ng before 20 October.

Can Liberians apply?

No. Liberia is not on the CSC’s list of eligible countries for 2027/28.

Is there an age limit?

No. The CSC has no age limit. If you are employed, check whether your employer has any rules on study leave.

Can I stay in the UK after the scholarship?

No. Commonwealth Scholars commit to returning home after the award, and switching to the Graduate visa or another visa to remain in the UK is not permitted. The only exception the CSC will consider is moving straight from a master’s to a PhD, under strict conditions.

Does it cost anything to apply?

No. The CSC does not charge any application fee. Never pay anyone who claims they can get you nominated. It might be scam.

Sources and verification

I checked every fact in this post on 4 October 2026 against these official pages: the CSC’s Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships page (last updated 29 September 2026), its national nominating agencies, NGO nominators and development themes pages, the Federal Ministry of Education’s 2027/28 call for applications, the Ghana Scholarships Authority’s opportunities page and FAWE Nigeria’s notice. If anything changes, I will update this post and the date at the top. Read how we check scholarships in our Editorial and Corrections Policy.

Looking for more UK funding? See all our UK scholarships, or browse every verified scholarship on the site.

Yes, It is me. I’m the De Auditor

James Christian Unya

James, known as the De Auditor, is the founder and editor of Scholarship Auditor and the Founder and Group CEO of De Auditor Group Ltd, based in Benin City, Nigeria. He checks every scholarship against the provider’s official website before it is published, and corrects posts when providers change their rules. Contact: info@scholarshipauditor.com