The education ministry has notified that applications for the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship for the 2025 academic year are now open. Under this scholarship, Indian students would be able to pursue full-time Master’s degree courses in the UK, starting in September or October 2025.

Of course, the application process will be carried out through an online application. Interested candidates may submit their forms at cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk and the SAKSHAT Portal, Ministry of Education, until October 15, 2024.

Eligibility Criteria:

1. Indian Citizenship: Applicants must be Indians and permanent residents.
2. Educational Requirements: An applicant should possess at least a minimum upper second-class degree by September 2025 or equivalent to 60% marks.
3. Eligibility of Programme: Scholarship is for one-year taught Masters but does not include MBA.
4. Financial Requirement: Candidates will need to explain their current financial needs clearly and confirm that they cannot study in the UK without taking the scholarship award.
5. Admission Offer: Applications must achieve a confirmed admission offer from a University listed in the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission website before 31st October 2024.

Nomination and Selection Process:

Candidates will be nominated by the Ministry of Education to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission based on criteria such as the QS ranking of the UK university offering admission, commitment to returning to India, and socio-economic background. However, nomination itself does not guarantee selection, as the decision rests with the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission.

Focus on Development

The scholarship offers students the opportunity to be part of India’s growth after completing studies. Such funding is geared towards developmental themes of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, which include the following:

• Science and technology for development
• Strengthening health systems and capacity
• Promoting global prosperity
• Strengthening global peace, security, and governance
• Building resilience and crisis response
• Access, inclusion, and opportunity

Application Procedures:

Applications for the commonwealth scholarship is open and interested students can check the full application procedure as well as details at its official website, cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk. Further details can also be found through the official notification released by the Ministry of Education.
This is a great opportunity gifted to the Indian students so that they may continue their higher education in the UK and further contribute to the future development of the country on their return.