COMMONWEALTH DISTANCE LEARNING SCHOLARSHIPS

Stated amount: 1,940,409 Financial commitment and branding Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships are financed by the CSC for a maximum of five years and are expected to commence at the start of the academic year. The CSC has a funding cap of £18,000 per Scholarship. Universities may contribute funding from an approved source if the full cost of the award is more than £18,

1. The Scholarship must cover all elements of the award, including: Course tuition fees Grant to contribute to study-related costs Partnership development costs Any UK residential programme(s) Where a university intends to run a UK residential programme as part of the course, the university is expected to provide at least the following level of support: Return travel from the Scholar’s home country to the UK location Cost of UK visa Maintenance stipend of £1,347 per month (£1,652 for Scholars in London), to be paid for the full duration of the UK residential. These amounts are set by the UK government for all students on government-funded scholarships and increase annually. Any contribution towards costs over the CSC’s £18,000 cap must come from the university’s own funds or from an organisation whose missions and aims are in line with those of the CSC. The source of this additional funding must be clearly identified in the application. Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholars must not be asked to contribute to any compulsory costs except in the instance of resits or retakes. Any application requiring a Distance Learning Scholar to fund or partially fund their studies will be deemed ineligible. All promotional and award material must recognise that Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships are awarded by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC). Disability support The university is responsible for managing the welfare of Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholars while they are on award, including supporting disabled scholars and funding any reasonable adjustments that may be required for academic study. No. of Scholarship - 15

Recruitment and selection

1. Universities that are successful at the bidding stage will be notified which courses and how many scholarships have been approved by the CSC.
2. The CSC will issue a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to universities that will confirm the conditions of the scholarship as well as the responsibilities of the CSC and of the university; this is renewed on an annual basis. Placement cannot go ahead until the CSC receives the signed MOU. For universities which participated the previous year, the existing MoU can be used.
3. All candidates must apply via CSC’s online application form and universities must use the CSC’s application form to nominate candidates. Candidates are to apply for a place on the university course separately through the university’s own admissions application process.
4. The list of eligible courses for 2024/2025 Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships will be published on the CSC website in January 2024.
5. Applications for 2024/2025 Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships are scheduled to open in early February 2024 and close in mid-March. Exact opening and closing dates will be given nearer the time along with the full timetable for the subsequent nominations process.
6. It is the responsibility of universities to conduct their own recruitment of candidates as they see fit in an open and transparent manner and with reference to the CSC Anti-Fraud Policy and Procedure.
7. The CSC aims to identify talented individuals who have the potential to make change. We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and non-discrimination and encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates. For further information on the support available to candidates with a disability, see the CSC Disability Support Statement. The CSC asks universities to continue carrying out the recruitment process in a way which ensures an equal gender balance. Other Info General conditions
8. A Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarship covers tuition fees and study grants where required. Other scholarships, awards, or bursaries that cover the same costs may not be held concurrently.
9. For the CSC to administer the application effectively and efficiently after submission, it will be necessary to create a record in the applicant’s name. If they apply for an award to the CSC, their details will be kept on file. Basic anonymised demographic data for all applicants will be kept for analytical research. The CSC is committed to protecting personal information and to being transparent about the information we are collecting about applicants and what we do with it.
10. Applicant’s personal information will be used to conduct necessary due diligence checks to the CSC’s satisfaction, before the CSC proceeds with any type of formal agreement or contractual relationship. In most cases, the due diligence checks will be straightforward, but further information may be requested, so we ask for full co-operation to speed up the process.
11. If an applicant does not agree to personal data being used for the purpose of conducting due diligence, unfortunately the CSC will not be able to proceed further with the application process.
12. If an application is successful, the applicant’s university will notify them that they have been selected.
13. The CSC does not require any applicants to take an IELTS (English language) test. Please note, however, that, as a further condition of a scholarship, applicants may be required by their university to provide evidence of a particular level of English language proficiency.
14. The CSC will not be able to offer a scholarship to an applicant if it would contravene the terms and conditions of another scholarship that they have previously held.
15. When terms of admission to the university have been agreed, the university will send a formal Notification of Award letter.