As of August 4, 2026, the UK government’s Chevening Scholarship for the 2027-28 academic year is now open for applications and will close on October 6, 2026, at 11:00 UTC. This gives international applicants a relatively short window to prepare and submit their applications for one of the UK’s best-known fully funded master’s scholarship programmes.
Run by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Chevening Scholarship funds a one-year taught master’s degree at a university anywhere in the United Kingdom, in any subject that meets the programme’s requirements. The scholarship is designed for emerging leaders who can demonstrate leadership potential, professional experience and a clear intention to make an impact after returning home.
The funding package covers tuition fees and provides financial support for scholars throughout their studies. It includes a monthly stipend, currently listed at £1,378 per year outside London or £1,690 within London, as well as travel allowances, an allowance for arriving in the UK, transportation home when the scholarship ends and one visa application fee.
Who Can Apply for the Chevening Scholarship?
Applicants must be citizens of one of more than 160 Chevening-designated countries and territories. They must also possess an undergraduate qualification equivalent to a UK upper-second class (2:1) honours degree and have at least 2,800 hours of work experience, which is roughly two years.
Applicants must have completed their undergraduate studies by October 6, 2024, to meet the eligibility requirement for the 2027-28 scholarship cycle, since Chevening requires applicants to have at least two years between graduation and application.
Chevening applicants are not required to take an IELTS or TOEFL English proficiency test specifically for the scholarship. However, individual UK universities may still require applicants to provide proof of English-language competency before making a conditional or final admission offer.
How the Chevening Selection Process Works
Chevening uses independent reading committees to shortlist candidates before shortlisted applicants proceed to interviews conducted through British embassies and high commissions in their home countries.
Roughly 1,700 scholars are selected each year from more than 100 countries, making the scholarship highly competitive. Applicants therefore need to demonstrate more than academic qualifications, with leadership, career progression, networking and future plans forming important parts of the application.
Successful scholarship applicants must also apply to a UK university and receive an unconditional offer by July 8, 2027, in order to receive the scholarship.
Another important condition is that Chevening scholars must agree to return to their country of citizenship for at least two years after completing their programme. This requirement reflects the scholarship’s focus on developing people who can use their education and experience to contribute to their home countries.
With more than 44,000 alumni working across government, business and other sectors around the world, Chevening remains a major opportunity for international students seeking fully funded postgraduate study in the UK.
Applicants from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and other African countries have also participated in the programme, making the scholarship particularly relevant to African professionals looking to pursue a master’s degree abroad while developing their leadership and professional experience.
