Chevening Scholarship

Chevening is the UK government’s international scholarships programme. Funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and partner organisations.They offer awards to study in the UK for one year on a fully funded master’s degree course.

Successful Chevening candidates come from a diverse range of countries and backgrounds, but they all demonstrate the passion, vision and skills needed to shape a better world.

There are many benefits to being selected, including fully funded tuition fees, access to some of the best quality education in the world, exclusive networking opportunities, and the chance to explore the UK’s diverse culture.

At the end of your scholarship, you’ll join their diverse community of over 50,000 global alumni. You’ll return home equipped with the knowledge and networks to bring your ideas to life and thrive in your career.

It doesn’t matter where you come from. It’s where you’re going that counts.

How much is a Chevening Scholarship worth?

Chevening scholarships are designed to cover the full cost of studying a Masters degree in the UK, including any additional expenses you may incur as an international student.

You will typically receive:

• Full payment of Masters tuition fees, up to £18,000
• Payment of travel to and from the UK
• Payment of visa application fees
• A monthly living allowance (stipend) for accommodation and expenses – this amount will be confirmed in your acceptance letter and will be higher if you’re studying in London

You must also meet certain English language requirements when applying for a Chevening Scholarship:

• IELTS Academic – 6.5
• TOEFL iBT – 79
• 1 Advanced – 176
• PTE Academic – 58
• Trinity ISE II – Listening 2, Reading 15, Speaking 8, Writing 14

• Be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country or territory.
• Return to your country of citizenship for a minimum of two years after your award has ended.
• Have completed all components of an undergraduate degree that will enable you to gain entry onto a postgraduate programme at a UK university by the time you submit your application. This is typically equivalent to an upper second-class 2:1 honours degree in the UK but may be different depending on your course and university choice.
• Have at least two years (equivalent to 2,800 hours) of work experience.
• Apply to three different eligible UK university courses and have received an unconditional offer from one of these choices by 14 July 2022.

You are not eligible for a Chevening Scholarship if you:

• Hold British or dual British citizenship (unless you are a citizen of a British Overseas Territory or hold BN(O) and are applying from Hong Kong).
• Hold refugee status in a non-Chevening eligible country. Applicants who are citizens of a Chevening-eligible country and who hold refugee status in a Chevening-eligible country are eligible for a scholarship.
• Are an employee, a former employee, or relative* of an employee of Her Majesty’s Government, or have been within the last two years from the opening of Chevening applications (including British embassies/high commissions; the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy; Department for International Trade; the Ministry of Defence; and the Home Office), or a staff member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities.
• Employees, former employees, or relatives* of an employee of Chevening Partner organisations are eligible to apply, but if the employment took place within the last two years, you cannot receive a Chevening Partner Award from the organisation from which you work, previously worked, or are affiliated with through relatives.
• Have previously studied in the UK with funding from a UK Government-funded scholarship.

Once submitted, applications undergo an electronic sift against our eligibility criteria. Any applications deemed ineligible will be removed from the selection process. Please note that once your application has been submitted, it is not possible to change it retrospectively.

Course eligibility

To receive a Chevening Scholarship, your course must be a full-time taught Masters degree lasting up to one year.

The application can take a while to complete, so make sure you leave plenty of time to give it your best shot.

You’ll need to answer a set of short essay questions, with a 500 word limit. These questions normally cover areas to do with your leadership and networking abilities, as well as the reasoning behind the Masters courses you’ve chosen. You’ll also have to provide information on your work experience.

If you’re shortlisted after your online application, you’ll then be invited to an interview at the nearest British embassy or high commission. Interview invitations are sent out in February, with interviews taking place between March and May.

After receiving the invitation, you’ll need to upload these documents to the Chevening online application system:

• Copies of your degree certificate and academic transcripts
• Two references (academic or professional)
• A brief biographical description of yourself

The interview will almost always be face-to-face – video interviews are only available if your country doesn’t have a British embassy / high commission, or if there are security reasons preventing your travel.

The process of selecting Chevening Scholars takes a minimum of eight months from the application deadline to when applicants are conditionally selected for an award. Here is an overview of the application and selection process, so you always know what's going on.

Click on Apply Now to get the application form.