Study Abroad: Application open for 2024 Commonwealth Masters’s Scholarship

NEW DELHI: The education ministry under the government of India has invited applications for the ‘2024 Commonwealth Master’s scholarship tenable in the United Kingdom’ for pursuing full-time master’s degree courses commencing from September or October 2024. The scholarships are being offered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC), UK.

The Department of Higher Education, an external scholarship division under the education ministry will host the scholarship programme. Interested students will be able to fill out the application form online and will have to submit their applications on the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission’s online application system (OAS) as well as on the education ministry’s ‘SAKSHAT’ portal.

The CSC OAS will be active from 25 September to 25 November 2023.

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The eligibility criteria for a Commonwealth master’s scholarship is that a student must be a citizen and permanent resident of India and must hold a graduation degree with a minimum of 60% marks in graduation, or with 50 to 59 percent marks in Graduation and a relevant postgraduate qualification.

“The CSC would not normally fund a second UK Master’s degree. If you are applying for a second UK Master’s degree, you will need to justify as to why you wish to undertake this study” an official statement from the ministry read.

According to the ministry, the MBA programme is not covered under this scholarship. “ Those candidates who were abroad for studies, training, specialisation either on scholarships or on their own, for a period exceeding six months are also eligible to apply if they have been in India for at least two consecutive years as of 25 November 2023 after returning from abroad.”

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Candidates need to have an offer for admission from a UK university partnered with the CSC for the September, October 2024 intake at the time of applying on the SAKSHAT portal and also those having an offer of admission for the September, October 2023 academic session OR the January, February 2024 session are also eligible to apply.

The ministry stated that 39 nominations will be made to the CSC for the 2024 Commonwealth master’s scholarship. The last date for submitting nominations is December 12, 2023.

Nomination Criteria

Nominations will be made on a theme-wise proportional basis. Applicants who can provide proof of receiving a confirmed offer of admission by 4 pm on November 25, 2023, in any UK university listed on the CSC website will be considered for nomination.

Those satisfying the above criteria will be given points based on the following parameters which will be used for further shortlisting for nomination from India.

• Candidates choosing the option to return to India after completion of the course and work in India for at least 2 years: 4 points

• Undecided, No: 0 points

• ST, SC, NC, OBC, PwD, EWS: 4 points

• Female, Transgender: 2 points

• Others: 0 points

• Academic merit of the university from where the offer of admission is secured