Applications for this scholarship for 2025 entry are now closed. The details on this page are for information only.
We'll update this page with information for 2026 entry in October.
Commonwealth Split-Site Scholarships
These scholarships are offered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission and funded by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
The scholarships are for current students from low and middle-income Commonwealth countries studying for a postgraduate PhD. This will enable you to conduct research at a UK university for 12 months as part of your PhD studies.
This scholarship covers:
- your tuition fees
- return travel costs
- a monthly stipend
- an allowances package
Candidates will be chosen based on:
- academic merit
- quality of the plan of study
- potential impact on the development of your home country
Eligibility
You must:
- be a citizen of, or have been granted refugee status by an eligible country
- be permanently resident in an eligible commonwealth country
- be registered for a PhD at a university in one of these countries when your scholarship is confirmed
- be available to start your studies in September 2025
- have a first degree of at least upper second class (2:1) honours standard or a 2:2 and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a master’s degree) by September 2025
- be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship
- provide all supporting documentation in the required format
Eligible countries
- Bangladesh
- Belize
- Botswana
- Cameroon
- Dominica
- Eswatini
- Fiji
- Gabon
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guyana
- India
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mauritius
- Montserrat
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- Rwanda
- St Helena
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- Sierra Leone
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
- Tanzania
- The Gambia
- Togo
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Vanuatu
- Zambia
Deadline to apply
Applications for Commonwealth Split-Site Scholarships closes at 16:00 UK time on Monday 16 December 2024.
How to apply
1. Apply for this scholarship via the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission’s website.
2. Apply to study at Southampton as a Visiting Research Student.
You’ll need to show that there is a strong link between your university and the University of Southampton.
The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission provides more information on this scholarship.