How do you get a Chevening Scholarship?

A Chevening Scholarship enables outstanding emerging leaders from all over the world to pursue one-year master’s degrees in the UK. To be eligible for a Chevening Scholarship, you must be a citizen of one of the Chevening-eligible countries or territories. 

We encourage you to apply for the scholarship if you meet the eligibility criteria and other requirements. Let’s explore the entry criteria and the process for how to get a Chevening scholarship to study abroad in the UK. 

What is a Chevening Scholarship?

Chevening is the UK government’s international scholarship programme. Funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office and partner organizations, it offers fully funded awards to study in the UK for a year on a master’s degree course.

Chevening scholars come from many different countries and backgrounds. They all share a passion, vision, and the skills to make the world better.

Benefits of the Chevening Scholarship

There are many benefits to being a Chevening scholar, including fully funded tuition fees, access to top-quality education, exclusive networking opportunities, and the chance to explore the UK’s diverse culture.

After your scholarship, you’ll join a global community of over 55,000 alumni. You’ll return home with the knowledge and connections to bring your ideas to life and succeed in your career.

Requirements for the Chevening Scholarship

Chevening Applications go through a careful review and selection process. First, the Chevening Secretariat in London checks if the applications meet the basic eligibility criteria. Here are some initial requirements to apply for a Chevening Scholarship.

• An undergraduate degree qualification
• At least two years of work experience

Applications are reviewed individually by separate reading committees. They score each application based on FCDO, Chevening, and regional goals, as well as the candidate’s potential to achieve those goals.

Document requirements to apply for a Chevening Scholarship

You must submit some documents to apply for a British Chevening Scholarship for international students. All Chevening applicants need to submit their education documents, references, and one unconditional offer from a UK university. The deadlines for these documents are listed in the Chevening application timeline. Use the ‘update my application’ button to upload them.

If you are chosen for a Chevening Scholarship, you must submit these documents to stay in the process.

Who can Apply for the Chevening Scholarship?

Are you eligible for a Chevening Scholarship? To be eligible for a Chevening Scholarship, you must:

• Be a citizen of a country or territory that qualifies for Chevening.
• Return to your home country for at least two years after the scholarship ends.
• Have completed an undergraduate degree that allows you to apply for a postgraduate programme in the UK. This is usually the same as a 2:1 honours degree in the UK, but it may vary depending on your course and university.
• Have at least two years (2,800 hours) of work experience.
• Apply to three different eligible UK university courses and receive an unconditional offer from one by the deadline.

Can I apply for the Chevening Scholarship for an Undergraduate Degree?

No, you can’t apply for a Chevening scholarship in the UK for foreign students for undergraduate degrees, PhDs, or DPhils. You can apply for the taught Masters programmes in the UK with this scholarship

The Amount of a Chevening Scholarship in the UK

The money that Chevening gives you each month for living expenses is called a stipend. This stipend is meant to help with basic costs while you study full-time in the UK. It covers things like rent, food, personal items, phone bills, daily travel, and any course materials you need. You’ll also use it to pay for NHS costs like prescriptions, dental work, and eye care.

Your stipend starts from the date your course begins, as stated in your final award letter, and it will be paid for up to 12 months or until your course ends, whichever comes first. You only receive the stipend while you’re studying in the UK and for the duration of your course.

How to Prepare Your Chevening Application?

Follow these five simple steps from now until applications open to give yourself the best chance to write a top-notch application for Chevening:

Make sure you meet each of the eligibility criteria

Last year, the Chevening Authority received over 10,000 ineligible applications. Among them, 70% were ineligible because applicants did not meet Chevening’s 2-year work experience requirement. Make sure you don’t make the same mistake and that you meet all the eligibility criteria for the Chevening scholarship in the UK. 

Build up your leadership portfolio

During the application and interview stage of the Chevening scholarship, you will need to show examples of how you’ve demonstrated leadership in your life and career so far. Start collecting examples now. Think about times when you had to lead a team or a project. How did you succeed? What did you learn? How did you use your influence?

These are the types of questions you should ask yourself for each example. Then pick the strongest examples that best show your leadership potential to include in your application.

Think about where you want to be in 2, 5, and 10 years

Create a realistic plan to achieve your goals and make a positive change in your home country. We know that life doesn’t always go as planned, but we want to hear your big ideas for creating a positive impact. Show us that you’ve thought carefully about how to make your dreams come true.

Start researching which UK university courses you want to apply for

You can choose up to three courses at three different UK universities when you apply for the Chevening Scholarship. Start looking through the Chevening course finder now to find the courses and universities that match your career goals. Remember, you will need to apply separately to the universities for your chosen courses. Your Chevening application is not an application to the universities.

Develop a clear sense of how a Chevening Scholarship could help you achieve your goals

Why do you want to apply to Chevening? What do you hope to gain by being part of our global community? Why do you want to study your chosen courses in the UK?

We want to understand not just why you would be a good fit for Chevening but also why Chevening is the right choice for you.

Thinking about these important questions now and talking about them with friends and colleagues will help you write a strong Chevening application when applications open this year.

Chevening Scholarship Deadline

Applications for Chevening Scholarships 2024–25 are now closed. The application deadline for the Chevening Scholarship is November 5, 2023. The process for choosing Chevening Scholars takes at least eight months, starting from the application deadline to when candidates are chosen for an award. Here’s a simple overview of the application and selection steps, so you can stay informed.

Activity	Timeline
Applications open at 12:00 BST	6th August
Application close at 12:00 GMT	5th November
Applications are shifted against eligibility criteria	6th November
Reading Committee Assessment	Mid-November -January
Applications shortlisted for interviews	Mid-February
References and Education documents deadline	19th February
Interviews take place	26th February–25th April
Results	From June
Offer deadline	11th July
Studies begin in the UK	September/October

Chevening Scholarship Acceptance Rate for International Students

You might have put a lot of effort into your essays, but there’s still no guarantee of success. Last year, the acceptance rate was about 2%, so we recommend thinking with a ‘98-2’ mindset.

Final Words

Chevening is one of the most respected and competitive scholarships available for international students in the UK. It provides fully-funded master’s degrees and is a special chance for future leaders and decision-makers to build connections with the UK that can benefit them throughout their careers. To learn more about this scholarship, you can always contact AIMS Education.

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