Commonwealth Scholarship for Pakistani Students: Fully Funded UK Master’s and PhD
The Commonwealth Scholarship is one of the largest fully funded UK awards open to Pakistani students. It pays for a full-time master’s or PhD at a UK university, and Pakistan applies through the Higher Education Commission (HEC). This guide covers the 2027-28 cycle: the main round closed on 20 October 2026, and the Shared Scholarships route opens on 10 November 2026.
1. Introduction
The Commonwealth Scholarship is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and run by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC). It supports talented students from eligible Commonwealth countries who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK, and it aims to build skills that help development back home. Pakistan is one of the eligible countries, and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) acts as Pakistan’s national nominating agency.
Quick Facts
| Scholarship Name | Commonwealth Scholarship |
|---|---|
| Host Country |  United Kingdom |
| Host University | Any eligible UK university |
| Study Level | Master’s and PhD |
| Funding Type | Fully funded: tuition, stipend of 1,712 pounds per month, return flights |
| Eligible Nationalities | Commonwealth countries, including Pakistan |
| Study Duration | 1 year (Master’s); up to 3 years (PhD) |
| Application Deadline | Shared Scholarships close 8 December 2026, 16:00 GMT (9:00 PM Pakistan time) |
| Scholarship Year | 2027 |
| Official Website | CSC Master’s Scholarships |
For Pakistani students there are three routes in the 2027-28 cycle: the agency-nominated Master’s, the agency-nominated PhD, and the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships. The main round, through HEC, closed on 20 October 2026. The Shared Scholarships route, which runs through participating UK universities instead of HEC, opens on 10 November 2026 and closes on 8 December 2026. If you missed the main round, the Shared route is still open to you.
This guide explains each route, the funding, the eligibility rules for both the CSC and HEC, the documents you need, and the exact steps to apply. Every date below comes from the official CSC or HEC pages, and where a date has not been announced yet, the guide says so.
2. Types of Scholarship
The CSC runs three Master’s programs, and Pakistani applicants should know which one fits them.
- Agency-nominated Master’s: full-time taught master’s study, applied for through HEC as the national nominating agency. This is the main route for Pakistani students. For 2027-28, HEC announced 26 Master’s nominations.
- Agency-nominated PhD: full-time doctoral research, also through HEC. For 2027-28, HEC announced 30 General PhD nominations. Check the official call for the PhD eligibility rules before you apply.
- Commonwealth Shared Scholarships: full-time taught master’s study, funded jointly by the CSC and participating UK universities. You apply through the university, not through HEC. Applications open 10 November 2026 and close 8 December 2026.
Two more routes, Distance Learning Master’s and Split-site PhD, are paused and will not run in 2027, according to the CSC’s current program overview. Check the official CSC site before you plan around them.
3. Degree Level
The agency-nominated program funds a one-year full-time taught master’s degree or a full-time PhD. Shared Scholarships fund a one-year full-time taught master’s only. All study is full time, and you cannot take another course at the same time.
The CSC does not fund MBA degrees, and it does not normally fund a second master’s degree. If you already hold a master’s from a UK institution, or you have already held a Commonwealth Scholarship at master’s level, you will not be considered eligible. If you are applying for a second master’s for a clear reason, you must explain why in your application.
4. Available Subjects
Commonwealth Scholarships are offered under six CSC development 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; and access, inclusion and opportunity. Your proposed study must fit one of these themes.
That gives you a wide range of subjects, from engineering and health to economics, education, and environmental science. What matters is the link between your subject and a development problem in Pakistan. Your application must show how the course connects to one of the six themes and how you will use the knowledge when you return home. Read the official development theme guidance on the CSC website before you choose a course.
5. Scholarship Benefits
A Commonwealth Scholarship is fully funded. The funding package is the same in broad terms for the Master’s and Shared routes, with a few extras on the Shared route.
- Full tuition fees, covered by agreement between the CSC and your university. You do not pay any part of the tuition fee.
- A monthly stipend (living allowance) of 1,712 pounds per month, or 2,000 pounds per month if you study at a university in the London metropolitan area. The CSC quotes these as the current rates.
- Approved return airfare from Pakistan to the UK at the start of the award and back home at the end. Fares for dependants are not covered.
- A study travel grant for study-related travel within the UK or overseas.
- A warm clothing allowance, where applicable (Shared Scholarships).
- A thesis grant toward the cost of preparing a thesis or dissertation, where applicable (Shared Scholarships).
- A contribution toward the cost of a mandatory TB test, where one is required for your visa application (Shared Scholarships).
- A child allowance of 622 pounds per month for the first child and 154 pounds per month for the second and third child under 16, if you are a widowed, divorced, or single parent and your children live with you at the same UK address.
If you share that you have a disability, the CSC offers a full assessment of your needs and eligibility for extra financial support. Family allowances are only a contribution toward the cost of keeping a family in the UK, and the real costs are likely to be higher, so plan for that gap. The exact conditions are set out in the Handbook for Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows, and the CSC notes that conditions can change.
6. Eligible Nationalities
The scholarship is for citizens of, or refugees in, eligible low and middle income Commonwealth countries, and Pakistan is on the list. You must also be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country.
For the Shared Scholarships route there is one extra rule: you must not have studied or worked for one academic year or more in a high-income country. Study by distance learning at a university in a high-income country while you were resident in Pakistan is permitted, but you must state it clearly in your form.
7. Eligibility Criteria
You must meet two sets of rules: the CSC’s rules and, for the main round, HEC’s rules. Both sets apply, and failing either one ends your application.
The CSC requires applicants to:
- Be a citizen of, or have refugee status in, an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person.
- Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country.
- Be available to start academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September 2027.
- By September 2027, hold a first degree of at least upper second-class (2:1) honours standard, or a lower second-class degree plus a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a master’s degree).
- Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship.
- Provide all supporting documents in the required format.
The CSC sets no age limit. All scholars commit to returning home when the scholarship ends, and switching to a graduate visa or another visa to stay in the UK is not permitted. Employees, former employees, or relatives of employees of the UK government, the British Council, the Association of Commonwealth Universities, and Commonwealth Scholarship Commissioners are not eligible, with a three-year gap rule for former employees.
HEC adds its own rules for the main round. Applicants must:
- Be a Pakistani or AJ&K national and a permanent resident of Pakistan or AJ&K. Dual nationals are not eligible.
- For a master’s scholarship, hold a first division in a 16-year bachelor’s degree in the relevant field.
- For a PhD scholarship, hold a first division in a 17- or 18-year master’s, MS, or MPhil degree in the relevant field.
- Have no second or third division in your terminal (latest) degree.
- Result-awaiting candidates may apply, if they submit their final degree and transcript before the academic session starts in August or September 2027.
- Hold a valid HAT test score of at least 60 out of 100. Only HAT categories I, II, III, and IV are accepted, and tests taken on or after 25 October 2024 count. The last HAT test for this cycle was held on 25 October 2026.
HEC ranks candidates strictly by HAT score. If two candidates have the same score, the higher percentage in the last completed degree decides. HEC also applies a minimum female nomination ratio of 45 percent, and it encourages women to apply.
8. English Language Requirements
The CSC does not require any candidate to take an IELTS test. That rule applies across the CSC’s scholarships.
Your chosen university may still require evidence of English language proficiency as a condition of admission or of the scholarship. Check the English requirement for each course you list, and plan your test early if a university asks for one. An IELTS score can also strengthen a university application even when the CSC does not ask for it.
9. Required Documents
The CSC will not accept documents outside its online system, and an application missing any required document by the closing date is ineligible. Prepare these before you start the form.
- Proof of citizenship or refugee status in an eligible Commonwealth country: a copy of a valid passport or national ID card showing your photograph, date of birth, and country of citizenship.
- Full transcripts for all higher education qualifications, including transcripts to date for any course you are still studying, with certified translations if they are not in English. Missing pages make an application ineligible.
- References from at least two individuals, in PDF format, signed, and either on institutional letterhead or in an email that clearly shows the sender’s details. Upload them with your application by the deadline.
The form also asks you to list three referees, and one of them must be your current employer if you have one. At least two references must be included with the application. You will also write a Development Impact statement in four parts, a personal statement, and a detailed plan of study, and list up to ten publications and prizes and your employment history.
10. Selection Criteria
The CSC considers applications on three points: candidate merit, including academic experience; the quality of the research proposal; and the potential impact of the work on the development of the home country. Link every answer in your form to these three points.
For the main round, HEC shortlists and nominates candidates on merit, ranked by HAT score, and the CSC makes the final selection from the pool of nominations. A nomination by HEC does not guarantee selection. For Shared Scholarships, each participating university runs its own selection and puts its chosen candidates forward to the CSC, which confirms that they meet the eligibility criteria.
11. How to Apply – Step by Step
The main round and the Shared route use different paths. Follow the path that fits the route you are applying for.
Main round (HEC plus CSC) – closed 20 October 2026; use these steps for the next cycle
- Register on the HEC portal at scholarship.hec.gov.pk, fill in your profile, and select “Learning Opportunities Abroad”.
- Take the HAT test if you do not hold a valid score of at least 60 out of 100.
- Apply on the CSC online system, CSC Central, for the Commonwealth Master’s or PhD Scholarship.
- Submit both applications before the deadline. HEC cannot accept your application if either form is missing.
- HEC shortlists and nominates candidates in December. The CSC makes the final selection, and all applicants hear the outcome by July 2027.
Shared Scholarships – open 10 November 2026
- Find an approved taught master’s course at a participating UK university. The CSC publishes the 2027 course and university list in advance of the opening date, so check the official Shared Scholarships page.
- Apply for admission to the course at the university, and check the university’s own deadlines and admission rules.
- Apply for the Shared Scholarship on CSC Central before 16:00 GMT on 8 December 2026, which is 9:00 PM in Pakistan.
- The university selects its candidates and nominates them to the CSC in March 2027. The CSC confirms eligibility and issues the award.
Prepare your answers outside the system and paste them in once they are final. Use the save function often, because refreshing the browser window exits the form and loses unsaved work. The form uses two-factor authentication, so keep a smartphone or a second email account ready. After you submit, keep the reference number and the 22-character passcode from your Application Reference Number email safe; you need them to view your submitted application. Apply early: the system is very busy in the days before the deadline, and the CSC cannot accept late applications.
12. Deadline
The 2027-28 dates below come from the official CSC and HEC pages.
Main round
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications open | 8 September 2026 |
| CSC closing date | 20 October 2026, 16:00 BST |
| HEC closing date | 20 October 2026, 4:00 PM Pakistan time |
| Nominations by nominating agencies | December 2026 |
| Results announced | July 2027 |
| Studies begin | September/October 2027 |
Shared Scholarships
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Applications open | 10 November 2026 |
| Applications close | 8 December 2026, 16:00 GMT (9:00 PM Pakistan time) |
| Universities nominate candidates to the CSC | March 2027 |
| Studies begin | September/October 2027 |
The main round for the next cycle has not been announced yet. Dates for the following year will be published on the CSC and HEC websites, so check the official call before you plan around any date.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is IELTS required for the Commonwealth Scholarship?
No, the CSC does not require IELTS. Your university may still ask for English evidence as a condition of admission, so check each course.
Can I apply directly to the CSC for the main round?
No. The CSC does not accept direct applications for the agency-nominated Master’s and PhD. You must apply through a nominator, which is HEC in Pakistan, and through CSC Central. For Shared Scholarships, you apply through a participating university and CSC Central.
What is the HAT test, and what score do I need?
The HAT is HEC’s aptitude test. You need at least 60 out of 100, in categories HAT-I, II, III, or IV. Tests taken on or after 25 October 2024 count for the 2027-28 cycle. HEC ranks candidates by HAT score.
How many nominations does Pakistan get?
For 2027-28, HEC announced 26 nominations for master’s study and 30 nominations for General PhD. Nomination does not guarantee final selection by the CSC.
Can I apply for a second master’s degree?
The CSC does not normally fund a second master’s degree. If you apply for one, you must explain why. You are not eligible if you already studied at master’s level at a UK institution or already held a Commonwealth Scholarship at master’s level.
Can I stay in the UK after the scholarship ends?
No. Every scholar signs an undertaking to return home, and switching to a graduate visa or another visa to remain in the UK is not permitted.
I studied in a high-income country before. Can I apply for a Shared Scholarship?
Not if you studied or worked there for one academic year or more. Distance learning at a university in a high-income country while you lived in Pakistan is permitted, but you must state it clearly in your form.
Check every date and rule on the official pages before you apply. The official CSC pages are the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships page and the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships page, and the HEC announcement for Pakistan is on the HEC website.
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