The Chevening Scholarship is an international scholarship, funded by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, that lets foreign students with leadership qualities study at universities in the United Kingdom.
The Chevening Scholarships Programme commenced in 1983 as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Awards Scheme (FCOAS) and is funded by the British government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its partner organisations. The stated objective of the scheme is to build a network of friends of the UK, who will be future leaders in their countries. In 1994, the name of the scheme was changed to Chevening, after Chevening House in Sevenoaks, Kent – currently the joint official residence of the British Foreign Secretary and the British Deputy Prime Minister.
The number of available scholarships varies from country to country. More than thirty scholarships are currently awarded to candidates from Nepal, India, Russia and China. Twenty or more are awarded to candidates from Egypt, South Korea, Indonesia, Bhutan, Pakistan, Mexico, Thailand and Brazil, with less than five core scholarships now available to candidates from Australia and Canada (US students are not eligible, but can apply for the Marshall Scholarships which are also funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office). The Chevening Scholarship is not available to non-indigenous Australian candidates. Chevening scholarship is considered one of the top scholarships for master’s degree courses. The selection criteria of Chevening scholarship is a holistic process where applicants have to write strong motivational letters and show personal and academic achievements.
The selection criteria for Chevening Scholarship are aimed to identify “high-calibre graduates with the personal, intellectual and interpersonal qualities necessary for leadership.” Specific selection criteria for Chevening Scholarships vary from country to country, and from year to year.
As of 2017/18, there are an estimated 50,000 Chevening Scholarship alumni, with an emphasis being placed on improved links with and between previous scholars as a consequence of reviews in 2005 and 2006. Many Chevening Scholars have since gone on to reach positions of influence in a range of sectors.
Location:
UKBenefits
Award recipients receive:
- Payment of tuition fees
- Economy travel to and from their country of residence by an approved route for them only
- An arrival allowance
- The cost of an entry clearance (visa) application for them only
- A departure allowance
- A contribution of up to £75 for TB testing, where this is required
- A travel top up allowance
- A monthly personal living allowance (stipend) to cover accommodation and living expenses. The monthly stipend will depend on whether they are studying inside or outside London. These rates are subject to annual review.
Eligibilities
To be eligible for a Chevening Scholarship applicants must:
- Be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country or territory.
- Return to their country of citizenship for a minimum of two years after their award has ended.
- Have completed all components of an undergraduate degree that will enable them to gain entry onto a postgraduate programme at a UK university by the time they submit their application. This is typically equivalent to an upper second-class 2:1 honours degree in the UK but may be different depending on their 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 the deadline listed on the application timeline.
**Having a master’s degree does not prevent applicants from applying for a Chevening Award to study for a second master’s degree in the UK, as long as they can clearly explain why it will help them fulfil their career plan to influence positive change in their home countries.
Eligible Regions: Chevening-eligible countries and territories.Application Process
- Applications should be made online through the Chevening Scholarships’ official web portal through the applicant’s respective country/territory’s page.
- All Chevening applicants must submit their education documents, references, and one unconditional UK university offer.
- The deadlines for these required documents are in the Chevening application timeline. Applicants should use the ‘update my application’ button to upload them.
Application Deadline: November 7, 2023
Application ClosedOfficial link
