Commonwealth Shared Scholarship programme is now accepting applications. If you are a citizen of Pakistan and have a bachelor’s degree, you can go on an all-expenses-paid graduate study program in the UK. If interested, you need to submit your application by December 13.

The programme is led by international development objectives and hopes to gives individuals from all backgrounds to give them an opportunity to study in the UK’s foremost universities. With leadership and innovation skills attained from their education, the candidates can make meaningful changes in their home countries. Pakistan is also included in the list of countries that the program is offered in as part of the commonwealth.

Who can apply

To be eligible as a Pakistani citizen, a candidate needs to

• have at least a bachelor’s degree, a relevant master’s degree is a plus. They also need be able to start their study in UK by September 2023
• never have worked or lived in a high-income country for more than one academic year
• be unable to study in the UK without assistance

What kind of programs are available

The scholarships are being offered under six themes

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

There is also a list of universities that you included in the program that you can access here.

How to apply

Commonwealth scholarships require candidates to fill two applications.

One is the scholarship application that requires a candidate to fill in academic, professional as well as financial details. Candidates will also be asked to submit three references who can explain why the candidate is eligible how they can contribute to Pakistan after their graduate studies. One of the references must be an employer, if the candidate has worked professionally. This can be accessed here.

Along with this, a candidate needs to secure an admission in one of the universities listed in the program. Whether or not a candidate is meets admission requirements will be ascertained by the university itself.

After the universities complete their own process, they will recommend eligible candidates to the scholarship program.

Provide a Development Impact statement

A key part of the application is the Development Impact Statement. This statement must be constructed in four parts.

The first part needs to explain how the candidate’s study objectives relate to global developmental issues and the program’s core areas.

The second part needs to explain how the candidate hopes to make a difference after returning to Pakistan.

The third part must detail the candidate’s plans from the second steps to show who will benefit from the candidate’s development efforts.

The fourth part must tie it all together to explain how the candidate’s selected program is in line with their aims, how it will equip them with what they need to create a difference back home, and how the candidate’s proposed plans will be carried out in the larger context of their life’s work. This part must tie in a candidate’s past experience, with their aims and their reasons for applying to the program.

To begin your application or get more information visit cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk