Last verified: 5 October 2026 · 2027/28 cycle
Chevening is the UK government’s own scholarship, and for many Nigerians and Ghanaians it is the scholarship. It pays for a one-year master’s at a UK university, plus flights, visa and a monthly allowance. The 2027/28 round closes on Tuesday 6 October 2026 at 11:00 UTC. That is 12 noon in Lagos and 11:00 am in Accra, Freetown, Monrovia and Banjul.
If you have already started your application, this guide gives you a final checklist so nothing trips you up in the last hours. If you are reading this after the deadline, or you are not eligible yet, use it to prepare properly for the next round. Everything below comes from Chevening’s own website.
Chevening Scholarships 2027/28
| Provider | UK Government (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) |
|---|---|
| Destination | United Kingdom |
| Level | One-year taught master’s at a UK university |
| Funding | Tuition, monthly stipend, economy return flight, visa cost, arrival and departure allowances |
| Eligible | Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and The Gambia all have Chevening award pages |
| Status | Open until 6 Oct 2026 |
| Deadline | 6 Oct 2026 · 11:00 UTC (12:00 Lagos, 11:00 Accra) |
Scam alertChevening states that applying is free, that you do not need to pay anyone to apply, and that it does not endorse or work with third parties who charge for application support. No one can “secure” a Chevening award for you.
In this guide
What Chevening is and what it covers
Chevening Scholarships are funded by the UK government and let emerging leaders from around the world study a one-year master’s degree in the UK. Chevening says it looks for people with leadership qualities, ambition and a clear plan to drive positive change in their home countries.
According to Chevening’s official list, the scholarship covers:
- Tuition fees
- Economy travel to and from your country of residence, by an approved route, for you only
- An arrival allowance and a departure allowance
- The cost of one visa (entry clearance) application, for you only
- Up to £75 towards TB testing, where it is required
- A travel top-up allowance
- A monthly living allowance (stipend) for accommodation and living costs. The amount depends on whether you study in or outside London, and the rates are reviewed every year.
It does not pay flights or visas for a spouse or children. If you plan to bring family, budget for them separately.
The deadline and full timeline
These dates are from Chevening’s official application timeline for the 2027/28 cycle:
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications opened | 4 August 2026, 11:00 UTC |
| Applications close | 6 October 2026, 11:00 UTC (12:00 noon in Nigeria; 11:00 am in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, The Gambia) |
| Eligibility sifting | From October 2026 |
| Reading committees assess applications | Mid-October 2026 to January 2027 |
| Interview shortlist | Mid-February 2027 |
| Interviews at British embassies and high commissions | March to April 2027 |
| Results | From mid-June 2027 |
| Deadline to submit an unconditional university offer | 8 July 2027, 17:00 UK time |
| Studies begin | September/October 2027 |
After the deadline, you will not be able to access the online application system at all. If your application is not submitted by then, it is lost.
Who can apply
Chevening’s eligibility page says you must:
- Be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country or territory. Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and The Gambia all appear on Chevening’s list of award countries.
- Commit to returning to your home country for at least two years after your scholarship ends.
- Have at least two years’ work experience after your undergraduate degree, equal to 2,800 hours.
- Hold an undergraduate degree that qualifies you for a UK master’s programme, and have finished your undergraduate studies at least two years before the application deadline, even if you do not have the certificate yet. You will need the certificate by the interview.
- Apply to three different eligible UK university courses, and hold an unconditional offer from at least one of them by the offer deadline.
You are not eligible if you:
- Hold British or dual British citizenship (with narrow exceptions for British Overseas Territories and BN(O) holders in Hong Kong).
- Live in the UK when you apply.
- Work, or worked within the last two years, for a UK government department, the British Council, a partner UK university or their subsidiaries, or are an immediate relative of someone who does.
- Have already studied in the UK on a UK government-funded scholarship.
Already have a master’s degree? That does not stop you. Chevening says a previous master’s does not prevent you from applying for a second one in the UK.
The 2,800-hour work experience rule
Chevening lists work experience mistakes among its common application errors, so get this part right. Its work experience page says:
- You need at least 2,800 hours, gained after you completed your undergraduate degree. That is roughly two years of full-time work at 35 hours a week.
- Full-time jobs, part-time jobs, voluntary work and paid or unpaid internships all count.
- You can add up to 15 work entries. The system multiplies weeks worked by hours per week for each entry and shows you the total.
- For this cycle, you must have completed your undergraduate degree by October 2024.
Last-day checklist
If you are finishing your application before the deadline, work through this list. It follows Chevening’s guide to the online application system.
- Find your access code. You need it every time you log in. If you have lost it, the system can send a one-time recovery SMS to the phone number you registered.
- Save every page. The system logs you out after 15 minutes of inactivity. Write long answers in a separate document and paste them in.
- Check your three course choices. They must be full-time, start in autumn, lead to a master’s degree, and last between nine and twelve months. Distance learning, part-time, January-start and research-based courses are not eligible. Do not enter the same course at the same university twice.
- Check your work history total shows at least 2,800 hours.
- Add two referees: names, job details and contact details. You do not upload letters yet.
- Answer the four essay questions in English, within the word limit shown on the form.
- Confirm every section shows as complete, consent to the conditions, then click submit and confirm.
- Check your email for the submission confirmation. Messages come from chevening.awards@notifications.service.gov.uk, so check spam too.
You cannot change anything after you submit, so read the whole form once more first. Do not wait until 11:50 am. Slow internet and power cuts do not move the deadline.
The four essays
The form has four essay questions on leadership, relationship-building, your course choices and your future career goals. Chevening’s application criteria page suggests asking yourself four questions before you write:
- Do I have good examples of my leadership and influencing skills?
- Do I have good examples of building professional relationships to achieve positive outcomes?
- How will my chosen course give me the skills to address pressing challenges linked to UK priority areas?
- How will my career plan support my ambitions to drive positive change?
Each essay is assessed against its area. What tends to work:
- Leadership: one or two specific situations where you changed something. Say what the problem was, what you did, who you brought along and what changed, with numbers.
- Relationships: show how you built and used a professional relationship to get a result, not just a list of events you attended.
- Courses: explain why each of your three courses fits your goal. Name modules or skills, not rankings.
- Career plan: a realistic path with a short-term role after you return and a longer-term goal for your country or sector.
The word limit for each essay is shown on the application form itself. Check it there rather than relying on figures from other websites.
The AI rule
Chevening is very clear about this. Using AI software such as ChatGPT to generate answers is strictly prohibited. Chevening says it uses tools to detect fraud, plagiarism and AI-generated content, and that copied or fraudulent applications are disqualified. You are also asked to confirm on the form that you did not use AI to generate your answers.
So write your essays yourself. A friend can tell you where your story is unclear, but the words must be yours. Never copy a sample essay, including any on this site.
After you submit: interview, documents and offer
- Shortlisting happens in mid-February 2027. If you are shortlisted, you will get an email to book an interview at your local British embassy or high commission.
- Documents: at least seven working days before your interview, you must upload photo ID, your undergraduate degree certificate and two reference letters. Chevening says it needs the official degree certificate, and transcripts are not accepted in its place.
- References: according to Chevening’s reference guidance, referees should know you professionally or personally but must not be friends or relatives. Letters must be in English (or come with a notarised translation in the same file) and be addressed to the British embassy or high commission in your country. Missing the upload deadline ends your application.
- English: Chevening removed its own English language requirement in 2020, but your universities still have theirs. You need to meet them to get an unconditional offer.
- Offer deadline: if your interview is successful, you must submit at least one unconditional offer from a UK university by 17:00 UK time on 8 July 2027.
Mistakes that get applications rejected
Chevening’s own list of common application errors includes:
- Not meeting the eligibility criteria, including holding dual UK citizenship.
- Too few work hours, wrongly calculated weeks, the same job entered twice, or unrealistic hours.
- Entering duplicate courses at the same university.
- Using AI to generate essay answers.
- Any copied or fraudulent content.
- Filling in the form in a language other than English.
Missed this round? How to prepare for the next one
Chevening has not yet announced dates for the 2028/29 round. This cycle opened in early August and closed in early October, so use the months in between well:
- Count your work hours honestly. If you are short of 2,800, keep working and apply when you qualify.
- Start collecting real examples now: a project you led, a team you persuaded, a partnership you built. Write them down with dates and results.
- Shortlist three eligible courses using Chevening’s course guidance, and check each university’s entry and English requirements.
- Speak to two referees early so they can write strong, specific letters if you reach interview.
- Draft your essays in your own words, then revise them over several weeks.
Apply and check eligibility only on the official Chevening website.
Apply on chevening.orgchevening.org/apply
Read the official eligibility criteriachevening.org
Frequently asked questions
When is the Chevening 2027/28 deadline?
6 October 2026 at 11:00 UTC. That is 12 noon in Nigeria and 11:00 am in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and The Gambia.
Do I need IELTS to apply for Chevening?
No. Chevening removed its own English language requirement in 2020. Your UK universities still have their own requirements, and you must meet them to get an unconditional offer.
Does NYSC count as work experience?
Chevening’s work experience page lists full-time, part-time, voluntary work and internships done after your degree. It does not mention NYSC by name. NYSC is full-time service after graduation, so record it honestly as a work entry, with real weeks and hours.
Can I apply if I already have a master’s degree?
Yes. Chevening says holding a master’s degree does not stop you applying for a second master’s in the UK.
Do I need a university offer before I apply?
No. You list three course choices on the form. You need an unconditional offer from at least one of them by 8 July 2027 if your interview is successful.
Can I use ChatGPT to write my Chevening essays?
No. Chevening strictly prohibits AI-generated answers, uses detection tools, and disqualifies fraudulent or copied applications.
Does Chevening pay for my family?
No. Flights and the visa cost are covered for the scholar only.
Sources and verification
I checked every fact in this post on 5 October 2026 against Chevening’s own pages: the apply page, application timeline, eligibility criteria, work experience requirements, what the scholarship covers, online application system guide, preparing your application, application criteria, references, common application errors and the English language FAQ. If Chevening changes anything, I will update this post and the date at the top. Read how we check scholarships in our Editorial and Corrections Policy.
Writing your essays? Read our guide on how to write a motivation letter for a master’s scholarship. You can also see all our UK scholarships or every verified scholarship on the site.
Yes, It is me. I’m the De Auditor
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