These scholarships, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and administered by the British Council, are prestigious awards which enable overseas students to study in the United Kingdom.
Scholarships are offered in over 150 countries and enable talented graduates and young professionals to become familiar with the UK and gain skills which will benefit their countries.
The Chevening programme currently provides around 2,300 new scholarships each year for postgraduate studies or research at UK Institutions of Higher Education.
Application Procedure
The Chevening Scholarship Programme is a truly global programme and operates in over 150 countries around the world. As the programme is so diverse and far-reaching there isn't a single timetable for applications and so it is important that you check with the local office when the deadline for applications in your country is.
Although the timetable for deadlines may change from country to country the application process remains the same.
Each country will advertise when they are inviting applications for Chevening scholarships and will state their deadline for applications. Applications will not be dealt with after the date that they give.
Stage 1: Applications are checked to ensure that the applicant meets the standard Chevening criteria (see below) plus any other specified local criteria (see country pages and local advertisement). Because of the volume of applications and high level of competition it is not always possible to reply to each and every application.
Stage 2: If your application meets all of the criteria for the scholarship then you will be short-listed and the local office will write to you and ask you to attend an interview.
Stage 3: You will be interviewed by a panel of interviewers – normally consisting of a member of the British Embassy or High Commission and a member of the British Council.
Stage 4: As the competition for scholarships is intense and funds limited, it is not possible to recommend for all successful candidates the length of award and level of study requested on their application.
Any award of a Scholarship to you is conditional on the following:
- confirmation from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London that your nomination is acceptable;
- there being sufficient funds available;
- the British Council being able to place you on a suitable course;
- the British Council being satisfied with the results of a medical examination which you will be asked to undertake prior to departure.
If and when these formalities have been satisfactorily completed (which may take several months) you will receive a formal written offer of a Scholarship. You should not make any irreversible preparations to leave for Britain unless and until you receive this offer letter.
Your application will be administered by the British Council on behalf of the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Selecting your course
In some countries, you need to select your own course of study. http://www.educationuk.org is a really useful website which will help you identify a suitable course of study for yourself.
What are the financial arrangements?
There are three types of scholarship:
Type A scholarships – these cover tuition fees only.
Type B scholarships – these are full scholarships that cover tuition fees, monthly stipend and various one-off allowances.
Type C scholarships – these vary from award to award and cover part/full stipend and/or allowances.
What are the selection criteria for application?
Competition for Chevening scholarships is intense, and only one in every 25 applicants is successful. A typical successful applicant would be:
A graduate with proven academic skills.
Committed to return to their country and contribute to the socio-economic development of their country through *implementing the new skills and knowledge acquired in the UK.
Established in a career, with a track record of excellence and achievement, and the prospect of becoming a leader in his/her chosen field. The vast majority of Chevening scholars are aged 25 - 35 years old.
Be able to show at interview that they possess the personal qualities to benefit from their scholarship and use it to succeed in their chosen career.
Have a clear idea how their scholarship will benefit their country on their return.
Have good English Language skills, as most UK Higher Education Institutions require a minimum IELTS of 6.5 for admission onto Postgraduate courses.
The application procedure is open and transparent. Please refer to the country page of the country you will be applying to for further details regarding specific criteria and eligibility, which vary from country to county.
What types of courses can I study on a Chevening scholarship?
Chevening scholars must study in the UK for at least 3-months. Most scholars already have a first degree and the majority study for postgraduate degrees particularly Masters courses. However some scholars cannot spare that much time away from their careers and we welcome applications for shorter vocational courses as long as they are adequately challenging and relevant.
We seldom fund undergraduate courses and normally only consider PhD's and MPhil's when we have a co-funding partner.
Chevening scholarships can be used to study most subjects, however in different countries they may target a narrower range of subjects that are especially relevant to that country. Please refer to the country page of the country you will be applying to for further definitive advice on priority subjects.
http://www.chevening.com/
