Commonwealth Scholarship Deadline 2027
Official CSC dates for 2027/28: applications opened Tuesday 8 September 2026 and close at 16:00 BST on Tuesday 20 October 2026. The biggest trap is that your nominating body's deadline is often earlier.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
2 min read
Updated Oct 5, 2026
Each nominating body sets its own closing date, and many close weeks before the CSC's final date. You must meet both your agency's deadline and the CSC deadline, so check your country's date first.
Key Dates at a Glance
Timeline, Step by Step
- 18 September 2026CSC applications open
Official opening for 2027/28 Master's and PhD Scholarships on CSC Central, the CSC's online application system. You should already have your application materials ready.
- 2Before 20 October 2026Nominating body deadlines
This is the critical window. Most national nominating bodies close before the CSC date, and each sets its own.
- 320 October 2026, 16:00 BSTCSC deadline
Official CSC closing date for 2027/28 Master's and PhD applications. References and supporting documents must be uploaded by this deadline. Late applications are not accepted, and the system gets very busy in the final days.
- 4By December 2026Nominations sent to the CSC
Nominators forward their candidates. Selection panels then assess candidate merit, the study plan or research proposal, and potential development impact. The CSC has not published a separate selection-month calendar beyond the outcome window.
- 5By July 2027Results
The CSC says applicants can expect to hear the outcome of their applications by July 2027, by email. An offer may be withdrawn if you don't respond in time, so watch your junk folder.
- September/October 2027Arrive in the UK
These scholarships are for study in the UK beginning in September/October 2027.
Other Awards
Shared Scholarships run on the participating universities' own timetables: the 2026/27 round is closed. For 2027/28, the CSC’s university bidding page expects to tell universities their allocations by early November, open candidate applications soon after and close them in mid-December. It expects to offer around 180 new Shared Scholarships. Commonwealth Fellowships also have their own cycle. Split-site and Distance Learning Scholarships are paused for 2026 and 2027. Check the CSC website for each.
Start Early
Work backwards from your nominator's deadline. Our application guide breaks the process into eight steps.