Last updated: 25 Aug 2026
King’s College London partners with the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) to offer the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme (CSSS): funding for students from eligible low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries to study one of four specific master’s programmes at King’s.
King’s College Commonwealth Scholarship
- Sponsor: UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office, via CSC, jointly funded with King’s College London
- Study in : United Kingdom
- Host Institution: King’s College London
- Scholarship Type: Full
- Study Level: Postgraduate taught (master’s)
- Number of Awards: Two (2)
- Academic Year: 2026/27
- CSC Application Deadline: 9 December 2025 (passed)
- King’s application deadline: 12 January 2026 (passed)
- Current status: Closed: Check King’s page for the next cycle
Eligible Programmes
- MSc Mental Health Studies
- MSc Health Psychology
- MSc Palliative Care
- MRes Clinical Research
Only these four campus-based, full-time programmes qualify. Distance-learning and part-time study are explicitly not eligible.
Award Value
- Approved airfare to and from the UK
- Full tuition fees
- Living stipend
- Warm clothing allowance
- Thesis grant
- Study travel grant
- Contribution toward a mandatory TB test
- Child allowance (£622/month for the first child, £154/month for the second and third, under 16, if living with the scholar in the UK)
Eligibility
- Citizen of, or granted refugee status by, an eligible Commonwealth country
- Permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country
- Able to start studies in the UK by September of the relevant academic year
- Holds (or will hold, by the relevant September) a first degree of upper second-class (2:1) honours or better, or a lower second plus a relevant master’s
- Has not studied or worked for a year or more in a high-income country
- Unable to afford UK study without this scholarship
- Willing to confirm you’ll return to your home country once your studies are complete
How to Apply
- Apply to the CSC directly via their online application system, by their published deadline
- Separately, submit a full King’s College London admissions application for one of the four eligible programmes, selecting funding option 5 and entering the relevant CSSS award code
- If applying for the fee waiver, submit the CSSS Application Fee Waiver Form before King’s own fee-waiver deadline (this typically falls just ahead of the main application deadline)
- Submit both applications well before their respective deadlines; missing either one makes you ineligible, even if the other is on time
- King’s nominates shortlisted candidates to the CSC; the CSC makes the final eligibility confirmation
- Expect a decision by around July of the application year
If you need help with your personal statement for the King’s application, our statement of purpose guide covers structure and includes a worked example.
Selection Criteria
- Academic merit
- Quality of your proposed plan of study
- Potential impact on your home country’s development
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this scholarship currently accepting applications?
No: the 2026/27 cycle’s deadlines have passed. Check King’s official page for when the next cycle opens.
How many awards are available?
2, for the 2026/27 cycle; confirm this figure hasn’t changed for future cycles.
Can I apply for a distance-learning or part-time version of these programmes?
No: only full-time, campus-based study qualifies.
Do I need to apply to King’s and the CSC separately?
Yes: both applications are required, with separate deadlines, and missing either one disqualifies you.
Is there an application fee?
King’s normally charges an admissions application fee, but it can be waived for CSSS applicants who submit the fee waiver form by King’s specified deadline.
Related Reading
For a different Commonwealth-funded route, see the Commonwealth Split-Site Scholarships : note that program is currently under review and not running, so check its current status too before assuming it is an active alternative.
Apply directly / check current status: King’s College London — Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme Full CSC details: Commonwealth Scholarship Commission — Shared Scholarships Contact: doctoral-college@kcl.ac.uk
Kukual verifies scholarship details against official sponsor pages at the time of publication and on each update. Confirm current application status, deadlines, and eligible programmes directly with King’s before applying.
