Commonwealth Shared Scholarships 2025

Scholarships for applicants from Commonwealth countries wishing to pursue one-year taught Masters study in selected schools at the University of Leeds.

UK/International: International
Value - what funding is on offer: Fees, maintenance (£16,536 in Session 2024/25), return economy travel and other allowances.
Who is eligible: Applicants must be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country. For further criteria and details of eligible countries, please see Further information.
Deadline: 12 December 2024, 4pm GMT
Number of scholarships available: 3

How to apply

The award is offered for the following courses:

• MSc Economics
• MSc (Eng)  Electrical Engineering and Renewable Energy Systems 
• MSc Geographical Information Science
• MA Global Political Economy
• MA International Communication
• MPH Public Health (International)
• MSc Sustainability, Environment and Development

These awards are only available to applicants who are liable to pay academic fees at the International fee rate.

Stage 1

To be eligible to apply, you must:

• apply for a relevant taught programme of study
• be in receipt of a Student Application Number.

Applications without a valid Student Application Number will be rejected.

Stage 2

Once you are in receipt of your Application ID Number complete the online application on the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission website.

How the scholarships are awarded

Each School selects a shortlist of applicants who they wish to recommend for the award, which is then sent to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission for final approval. Applicants can expect to be notified of the outcome of their application by the end of June 2025.

The University will use the data provided in the application form for internal selection and statistical purposes and publish the names of the successful applicants within the University.

Further information

Funded jointly by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the University of Leeds, these scholarships enable talented and motivated individuals to gain the knowledge and skills required for sustainable development, and are aimed at those who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK.

This scholarship provides fees, a maintenance allowance (£16,536 in Session 2024/25), return economy travel and other allowances.

The scholarships are offered under six themes:

• Science and technology for development
• Strengthening health systems and capacity
• Promoting innovation and entrepreneurship
• Strengthening global peace, security and governance
• Strengthening resilience and response to crises
• Access, inclusion and opportunity.

To apply for these scholarships, you must:

• Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country.
• Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country.
• Be available to start your academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September 2025.
• By September 2025, hold a first degree of at least upper second class (2:1) honours standard, or a lower second-class degree and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Masters degree).
• Not have studied or worked for one (academic) year or more in a high-income country.
• Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship.
• Have provided all supporting documentation in the required format.

Applicants whose first language is not English must meet the University’s English Language requirements by 12 December 2024. If the School or Faculty to which you have applied has a higher English language entry requirement you must meet the higher requirement. You should have a valid test result, which is no more than two years old by your official start date at the University of Leeds.

Please also refer to the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships General Conditions for further information.