Since their inception in 1959, some 26,500 individuals have benefited from the award of Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships to pursue advanced academic study in other Commonwealth countries. About two thirds of awards have been tenable in the United Kingdom. The vast majority of award holders have returned to make a significant contribution to their home countries, in many cases at the highest level, making the award scheme one of the largest and most prestigious in the world.
This prospectus describes the Commonwealth Scholarships offered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom for citizens of other Commonwealth countries in 2012-2013| Commonwealth Scholarships 2011 Details | |
| Scholarship Criteria |
|
| Field of Study |
• 12-36 months’ support towards completion of either a full-time taught or a doctoral post graduate qualification at an eligible UK institution. These awards are open to those candidates nominated either by the Vice Chancellor/Executive Head of their employing institution or by the appointed agency in their home country
• 12 months’ non-degree study in the United Kingdom on a Split-Site basis to aid the completion of a doctoral degree undertaken at a university in the candidate’s home country• 6 months’ clinical training in medicine or dentistry . These awards are open to candidates nominated by their Vice Chancellor/ Executive Head or by the appointed agency in the home country |
| Scholarship Package |
Each Scholarship provides:• Student concessionary or other approved airfare to the United Kingdom and return on expiry of the Scholarship Approved tuition and examination fees
• A personal maintenance allowance at the rate of £882 per month
• A grant towards the expenses of preparing a thesis or dissertation, where applicable• An initial arrival allowance, incorporating an initial clothing grant for Scholars from tropical countries • A grant for expenses for approved travel within the United Kingdom or overseas • A grant towards fieldwork costs for those Scholars undertaking doctoral studies for whom a case has been made for fieldwork outside the United Kingdom. This shall not normally exceed one economy class return airfare to the fieldwork location • A paid mid-term fare to their home country for Scholars on three year doctoral awards. Scholars for whom fieldwork fares are provided to their home country shall not be entitled to a mid-term fare home, nor Scholars who have claimed spouse or child allowances for more than 12 months during their award. • For married Scholars selected by the Commission for awards exceeding 18 months, a marriage allowance of £220 per month is payable provided that the husband and wife are residing together at the same address in the United Kingdom. It is not paid when a husband or wife of the Scholar is also in receipt of an award. For such married couples accompanied by their children, a child allow ance is payable at the rate of £138 per month for the first child, and £108 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16, provided they are residing with their parents. The Commission’s spouse and family allowances represent only a contribution towards the costs of family maintenance in the UK and Scholars should expect and be able to supplement these allowances to support family members who choose to come to the UK. Irrespective of the length of the award, a Scholar who is widowed, divorced or a lone parent will receive an allowance in respect of the first accompanying child and child allowances for the second and third accompanying children |
| How To Apply |
The Commission invites the nomination of candidates for Commonwealth Scolarships from a number of sources. These are described below.
Candidates may choose any of these ‘nominating routes’ for any category of award, subject to the exceptions noted. Candidates must, however, apply locally in the first instance. The Commission does not accept direct applications. Nominations are invited through the following channels
• The candidate’s national Commonwealth Scholarship agency. This is the main route of application and a full list of Commonwealth Scholarship agency addresses can be obtained from the CSC website
• The Executive Head of an eligible developing country university on whose staff the applicant serves. • Selected non-governmental organisations, charitable bodies and development partnerships Please note that candidates from developed Commonwealth countries Australia, the Bahamas, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Cyprus, Malta, New Zealand and Singapore – can only apply for doctoral or split-site study and can only apply to study at a UK institution with whom the Commission has a joint funding agreement. Please note that candidates from developing Commonwealth countries can apply to study at doctoral and Master’s level at UK institutions with which the Commission has a part funding agreement. A list of institutions that have agreed to offer joint and part funded scholarships in 2012-2013 is available at http://bit.ly/cscuk-uk-universities. This list indicates where an institution has agreed to offer funding to citizens of developed or developing Commonwealth countries only or, if not specified, to both. Agreement to joint and/or part funded scholarships is at the discretion of individual institutions. |
| Closing Date | The closing is 1 December 2011. |
