Chevening Scholarships 2027/28

Overview

Chevening is the UK Government’s flagship scholarship for emerging leaders, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and partner organisations. It pays for one year of Masters study at any UK university and is aimed squarely at people who already have a few years of work behind them and a clear sense of where they’re going next.

It is open to more than 160 countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and most of the African continent. The 2027/28 cycle opens on 4 August 2026 and closes on 6 October 2026 at 11:00 UTC. What sets Chevening apart from most scholarships is that it selects on leadership and trajectory as much as on grades. The essays and interview carry real weight, so a strong application is as much about how you tell your story as about your transcript.

Benefits

• Full tuition fees at any UK university.
• A monthly living allowance (paid at a London or outside-London rate).
• Return economy flights to the UK.
• Arrival and departure allowances.
• Visa costs covered, plus a travel grant for Chevening events.
• Membership of the Chevening alumni network. Over 60,000 people across government, business and civil society worldwide.

The network is genuinely part of the value here, not a footnote. For many scholars the people they meet during the year matter as much as the degree.

Eligibility

• Be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country (most of the world except the UK, EU/EEA and a handful of others).
• Have at least two years (2,800 hours) of work experience. Paid, voluntary, internships and part-time all count.
• Hold a bachelor’s degree strong enough to get into a UK Masters (typically an upper-second-class equivalent).
• Be willing to return to your home country for a minimum of two years after the scholarship ends.
• Apply to three different eligible UK Masters courses and hold at least one unconditional offer by the offer deadline (usually mid-July).

How competitive is it, really?

Be honest with yourself going in: Chevening is one of the most competitive scholarships in the world. In a typical year the programme makes on the order of 1,500 awards globally against a very large, international applicant pool, so in most countries only a small fraction of applicants are selected. Check the official site for the current year’s figures, as award numbers shift with funding.

The practical takeaway isn’t “don’t bother”. It’s that a rushed application has almost no chance, and a thoughtful one has a real one. The people who get through are rarely the ones with the highest grades; they’re the ones who make a clear, specific, believable case for their leadership and their plan. That is something you control.

What makes a strong application

Chevening asks for four essays. Leadership, networking, study, and career plan. Most rejected applications fall down on the same things, so aim for the opposite:

• Leadership essay. They want a specific story, not a list of titles. Pick one concrete situation where you influenced an outcome, describe what you actually did, and name the result. “I led a team” is weak; “I convinced three departments to share data, which cut our reporting time in half” is strong.
• Networking essay. Show that you already build and use relationships deliberately, and how a UK network extends work you’re already doing. Vague promises to “connect with like-minded people” read as filler.
• Studying in the UK essay. Explain why these three courses and why the UK for your specific goal. Generic praise of British universities is a red flag; a tight link between the course modules and your career plan is what lands.
• Career plan essay. Chevening is investing in impact back home. Be concrete about the next 5-10 years, and make sure the degree is the obvious bridge between where you are and where you’re going.

A quiet advantage: start early. The application opens in August and closes in early October. The strongest candidates spend weeks drafting and re-drafting essays and getting feedback, not a weekend.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating the essays as a formality. They are the core of the selection. Weak essays sink otherwise excellent candidates.
• Recycling one essay across the four prompts. Each answers a different question; graders notice overlap immediately.
• Choosing three unrelated courses. Your three choices should form a coherent story, not scatter across fields.
• Leaving the language test or references to the last minute. Deadlines here are absolute. A missed one ends your application with no appeal.
• Being modest about your achievements. This isn’t the place to downplay your role. Be accurate, but claim what you actually did.

Is Chevening right for you?

It’s a strong fit if you have a few years of work experience, a clear direction, and a story about leadership and impact in your own country. It’s probably not the best first target if you’re applying straight out of undergrad with no work history, or if you’re unsure what you want to study. Those profiles tend to do better with course-specific university scholarships or research-funded routes.

If the two-year return-home requirement conflicts with your plans, factor that in honestly before you invest weeks in the application.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a university offer before I apply? No. You apply to Chevening and to your three courses separately. You only need to hold an unconditional offer from one of the three by the offer deadline (usually mid-July), well after the October application closes.

Does my degree classification have to be first-class? No. You need a bachelor’s strong enough for UK Masters entry, but Chevening weighs leadership and your plan heavily. A solid, not perfect, academic record with a compelling story is very competitive.

Can I bring my family? Chevening funds the scholar only; it doesn’t provide dependant allowances. You can still bring family, but you’d cover their costs and visas yourself.

What if I’ve only done voluntary or part-time work? That counts. The requirement is 2,800 hours of work experience in total. Voluntary, internship and part-time hours are all eligible.

How to apply

1. Open the Chevening application at the official link when the cycle opens on 4 August 2026.
2. Complete the online application: personal details, work experience, three course choices, and the four essays.
3. Submit before 6 October 2026, 11:00 UTC. Late submissions are not accepted under any circumstances.
4. Shortlisted candidates interview at the British Embassy or High Commission in their country between February and April 2027.
5. Final awards are announced in June 2027; scholars travel to the UK for the year starting September 2027.

Deadlines and figures can change year to year. Always confirm the current details on the official Chevening site before you apply.