British Council offers Scholarships to Nigerians, Others Willing to Study in UK

Studying in the United Kingdom (UK) attracts several immense opportunities to individuals across the globe. A prestigious degree from the United Kingdom (UK) is a profitable and transformative involvement and will take your education and employability to a great level.

There are numerous funding alternatives for international students who intend to study in the UK. They extend from part-funding, for instance, paying portion of your fees, to full-funding which covers program expenses, living costs, and return flights to the UK.

As a form of support to international students who seek financial help to study in the UK, the UK government offers diverse scholarship programmes. Some of the main scholarship opportunities offered are

• Great Scholarships
• Chevening Scholarships
• Commonwealth Scholarships

One after the other, we shall look into the three catefgories of scholarship listed above to enable intending students make an informed decision.

Great Scholarships

This is a kind of scholarship programme available for students from 15 countries. Great scholarship offers the would-be students a grant opportunity up to the tune of £10,000 for  their tuition fees for a wide range of one-year taught postgraduate courses.

In the 2024-25 academic year, 210 international students are offered scholarships in seventy one ((71) universities situated in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Students from the following listed countries are qualified for the programme:

• Bangladesh
• China
• Egypt
• Ghana
• Greece
• Kenya
• India
• Indonesia
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Thailand
• Turkey
• Vietnam

On each country’s dedicated page, there are comprehensive list of universities that provide scholarships to students from that particular country. Also, there are detailed information of all the courses offered by these universities and how intending students can apply.

All the 210 scholarships being offered under this category are jointly funded by the UK government’s GREAT Britain Campaign and the British Council, as well as the UK universities in question.

Upon a successful admission of the would-be students into their various universities, there will be a welcome party in the first semester for all GREAT scholars, and a networking event for them in the second semester.

Chevening Scholarships

Chevening is one of the most prestigious and competitive UK scholarships available to international students, Aside offering fully-funded master’s degrees to the shortlisted international students, it also offers a great opportunity for them to develop a relationship with the UK that will be strengthened over time throughout their careers.

Chevening scholarships, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and partner organisations, are offered to people with notable and exemplary leadership trait and solid educational backgrounds. Chevening offers full financial support to international students for any qualified master’s degree at any UK university. It also exposes the students to a wide range of exclusive academic, professional, and cultural experiences.

From 1983 when Chevening scholarship was created till date, not less than 50,000 outstanding professionals have have been produced through the programme.  For the 2023-24 academic year, more than 1,500 scholarships were offered to international students across the world – a testament to the UK’s commitment towards developing the leaders of tomorrow.

How Chevening Scholarships Works

Shortlisting candidates for Chevening scholarships entails a thorough selection process which involves British Embassies and High Commissions in different parts of the world. All applicants must undergo the unbiassed selection, after which the most qualified ones are personally shortlisted by the British embassies and high commissions.

Beneficiaries of Chevening scholarships get tuition fees, living expenses as well as return flight tickets to the UK. Moreover, they always have the opportunity of gaining access to exclusive networking events, workshops, talks, internships, as well as exposure to several volunteering opportunities.

Who Can Apply for Chevening Scholarships

Anyone with a solid educational background, leadership potential, outstanding career record to revered positions in his or her country are eligible to apply for a postgraduate degree under Chevening scholarships.

.How To Apply for Chevening Scholarships

Intending Chevening scholars can apply for the programme via www.chevening.org/apply, by selecting their countries from the dropdown list. Upon submission of application, all applicants will be assessed based on Chevening’s eligibility criteria. Afterwards, those applications that are regarded qualified will at that point be evaluated by the independent reading committees, who will then create a longlist of applicants.

Consequent upon this, all the longlisted applicants will be invited to submit references and attend face-to-face interviews with the British embassy or high commission in the countries from where they are applying. The interviews are always conducted in English language by a panel. The questions often border on the applicant’s choice of courses, personal and professional goals, as well as how he or she feels Chevening Scholarship would help in achieving those goals. Afterwards, the panel will then grade each interview based on the criteria of Chevening.

Deadline for Chevening Scholarship Applications
Successful applicants will be announced in June 2024, while they will begin their studies in September/October 2024. Interested persons can visit Chevening website for further information about Chevening scholarships..

Commonwealth Scholarships

Commonwealth Scholarships, overseen by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) in the UK, are offered to talented personalities with the potential to make a global positive impact. Annually, about 700 students are offered the opportunity to undergo postgraduate degrees with UK universities. This is regarded as the UK’s commitment to the Commonwealth.

Commonwealth scholarships are awarded to individuals from Commonwealth countries who desire to study in the UK but are financially constraint to do so. The programme funds postgraduate studies in different fields, thereby helping to produce future innovators and leaders.

This historic programme is the UK’s primary scholarship scheme geared towards contributing to the UK’s international development aims. It is also aimed at attracting outstanding talent to UK universities while aiding sustainable development overseas.

Who Can Apply for Commonwealth Scholarships

A citizen or permanent resident of any Commonwealth country with an undergraduate honours degree of at least upper second class (2:1) and a suitable master’s degree, is qualified for the Commonwealth scholarships PhD. programme. Also. the offer is extended to a refugee or a British-protected person with required academic qualifications as mentioned earlier above.

Importantly, applicants must be those who cannot afford to study in the UK without being offered scholarships. For further details about eligibility requirements, interested persons visit CSC website.

Available Awards for Commonwealth Scholarships

Listed below are the awards offered by the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission (CSC):

• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (for least developed countries and fragile states)
• Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships (for low and middle-income countries)
• Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships
• Commonwealth Shared Scholarships
• Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (for high-income countries)
• Commonwealth Professional Fellowships

.All Commonwealth Scholarships are offered under six CSC development themes as listed below:

1. Science and technology for development
2. Strengthening health systems and capacity
3. Promoting global prosperity
4. Strengthening global peace, security and governance
5. Strengthening resilience and response to crises
6. Access, inclusion and opportunity

Thought there is no restriction on what an applicant can study, the CSC prioritizes applicants whose studies are most relevant to their development criteria.

How to Apply for Commonwealth Scholarships

Applications for the Commonwealth scholarships are often done via a National Nominating Agency, a university, or a Non-Governmental Organisation.

For detailed information on how to apply for each of the scholarships, interested person should visit the CSC apply page.