Commonwealth Shared Scholarship 2027 for Pakistanis: Dates, £1,712 Stipend, Eligibility and How to Apply
Commonwealth Shared Scholarship 2027 opens 10 November and closes 8 December 2026. Pakistanis get tuition, flights and £1,712 a month. Check who qualifies.
The Commonwealth Shared Scholarship for 2027 opens on Tuesday 10 November 2026 and closes at 16:00 GMT (9 pm in Pakistan) on Tuesday 8 December 2026. Pakistan is on the eligible list. It pays full tuition, a return flight and a monthly stipend of £1,712, or £2,000 in London, for a one-year master's degree at a participating UK university.
We read the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission's own scholarship page on 1 November 2026. The window is only four weeks long, and you also need a place on an approved course. So the real work starts now, before the portal opens. Below are the dates, who qualifies, what the money covers and the order in which to apply.
The Commonwealth Shared Scholarship 2027 window runs from 10 November to 8 December 2026
Applications open on 10 November 2026 and close at 16:00 GMT on 8 December 2026, which is 9 pm Pakistan time. Successful scholars start in September or October 2027. Late or incomplete applications are not considered, so submit a few days early.
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications open on the CSC portal | Tuesday 10 November 2026 |
| Closing date | Tuesday 8 December 2026, 16:00 GMT (9 pm PKT) |
| Universities send nominations to the CSC | March (the page prints 2026, which looks like a slip for 2027) |
| Studies begin in the UK | September or October 2027 |
The commission warns that its system gets busy close to the deadline. We would treat 5 December as your own last day. A slow upload at 8:50 pm on the final evening is not a risk worth taking.
Pakistani graduates with a 2:1 or equivalent degree can apply
You must be a citizen and permanent resident of an eligible Commonwealth country, and Pakistan is listed. You need an upper second class degree, or a lower second plus a relevant master's, by September 2027. You must also show you cannot afford UK study without the award.
The full list on the commission's page is short. You qualify only if all of these are true:
- You are a Pakistani citizen, or hold refugee status, and you live permanently in Pakistan.
- You can start your course in the UK by September 2027.
- By then you hold at least a 2:1 honours degree, or a 2:2 plus a relevant postgraduate degree, usually a master's.
- You have not studied or worked for more than one academic year in a high-income country. Distance learning from home does not count against you.
- You could not pay for UK study without this scholarship.
- You can upload every required document before the deadline.
There is no age limit. The award funds full-time master's study only, so PhD and part-time applicants should look elsewhere. Each UK university decides how it compares a Pakistani degree with a UK honours class, so check the entry rules on your chosen course page.
The award pays tuition, airfare and a stipend of £1,712 a month
The scholarship covers full tuition and a return economy flight to the UK. The university pays a monthly stipend of £1,712, or £2,000 for universities in the London area. Extra grants cover thesis costs, study travel, warm clothing and the UK visa TB test.
| Item | Amount or rule | Paid by |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition fees | Full fees | CSC and university agreement |
| Return airfare | Scholar only, not dependants | CSC |
| Monthly stipend | £1,712, or £2,000 in the London area | University |
| Warm clothing allowance | Where applicable | University |
| Thesis grant and study travel grant | Where applicable | University, CSC funded |
| TB test contribution | If needed for the visa, with receipts | University, CSC funded |
| Child allowance (single, widowed or divorced parents) | £622 a month for the first child, £154 for the second and third | University |
By our arithmetic, £1,712 over twelve months comes to £20,544. That is a modest sum for UK living costs, and the commission says family allowances are only a partial contribution. If you plan to bring a spouse or children, budget for them yourself.
The TB test line matters for Pakistanis. You must book a UK TB test at an approved clinic before the visa, and the scholarship refunds part of that cost against receipts.
You apply through a participating UK university and the CSC portal
You must apply twice. First, apply for admission to an approved master's course at a participating UK university. Second, submit the scholarship form on the CSC Central online portal. The commission does not accept applications sent any other way.
- Open the commission's list of approved courses and participating universities. The 2027 lists are published before 10 November.
- Pick two or three courses that match your degree. You may apply to more than one, but you can accept only one offer.
- Apply for admission to each course through the university's own system, following its own deadline.
- From 10 November, create an account on the CSC Central online portal and fill in the scholarship application.
- Upload your passport or national ID card, full transcripts and at least two signed references in PDF.
- Submit before 16:00 GMT on 8 December 2026 and save the confirmation.
Your references are the slowest part. Ask two teachers or supervisors this week, and give them the deadline in writing. A missing reference makes the whole application ineligible.
Shared Scholarships differ from the Commonwealth Master's route through HEC
The Shared Scholarship is run jointly by the commission and UK universities, and you apply directly. The separate Commonwealth Master's and PhD awards for Pakistan go through a national nominating body, with their own timeline. You can hold an offer from only one Commonwealth scheme.
The national route runs on its own calendar, and the Commonwealth Scholarship through HEC has different steps and dates. If you are also weighing the UK government's own award, check the current cycle of the Chevening scholarship for Pakistanis before you plan around it. Shared is one of the fully funded UK master's routes still open this cycle.
Transcripts in Urdu or any language other than English need a certified translation. If yours has an Urdu stamp or note, ask the registrar for an English version now.
Common questions
Is Pakistan eligible for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship 2027?
Yes. Pakistan appears on the commission's list of eligible countries for the 2027/28 awards.
What is the last date to apply?
The deadline is 16:00 GMT on Tuesday 8 December 2026, which is 9 pm in Pakistan.
Is there an age limit?
No. The commission's page says there is no age limit for this scholarship.
Do I need IELTS to apply?
The scholarship form does not set its own English test. Your university sets the English requirement for admission, and it may ask for IELTS or another test. The IELTS fee in Pakistan is worth checking early if you need one.
Can I apply for a PhD under this scheme?
No. Shared Scholarships fund full-time master's study only.
How many scholarships are there?
The page does not give a total. Each participating university decides how many candidates it nominates.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We read the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships page of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK on 1 November 2026. The dates, eligibility list, document list, stipend rates and allowances above come from that page. The yearly total of £20,544 is our own arithmetic, and the 9 pm Pakistan time is our conversion from GMT. The page prints "March 2026" for university nominations, which we believe is a typing slip for March 2027; we could not confirm it. The 2027 course and university lists were not yet published when we checked, so we could not tell you which Pakistani-relevant subjects are on them.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
