IOE – Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarship

Benefits & funding

• Up to five awards are planned for selected online programmes at UCL IOE.
• The CSC scheme covers tuition fees and study grants where required; scholars cannot be charged compulsory costs other than resits or retakes.
• The UCL page does not yet publish the next cycle’s eligible courses, course-specific duration, or award value.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be citizens of, hold refugee status from, or qualify as British Protected Persons connected to an eligible Commonwealth country.
• Eligible countries are Bangladesh, Belize, Botswana, Cameroon, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Saint Helena, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, The Gambia, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, and Zambia.
• Applicants must be permanently resident in an eligible developing Commonwealth country and remain resident there while holding the award.
• The normal academic threshold is a first degree at upper-second-class standard; a lower qualification with sufficient relevant experience may be considered in some cases.
• Applicants must be unable to afford the programme without the scholarship and must hold an offer for an eligible IOE master’s course.
• The application must include the required identity evidence, complete higher-education transcripts, and references in the stated format.

Application process

1. 1
   Wait for UCL and the CSC to confirm that the IOE partnership is open and publish the approved IOE courses for that cycle.
2. 2
   Apply separately for admission to an approved IOE master’s course and secure the required offer.
3. 3
   Submit the scholarship application through CSC Central; applications or documents sent outside the system are not accepted.
4. 4
   Upload proof of citizenship or refugee status, complete transcripts, and at least two signed PDF references on institutional letterhead or an email showing the sender’s details.
5. 5
   UCL selects and nominates candidates, after which the CSC checks eligibility and UCL informs successful applicants.

Program timeline

1. The most recent Commonwealth Distance Learning scheme round opened.

   17 February 2026

2. The most recent scheme application deadline.

   31 March 2026

3. June 2026

   Participating universities nominated candidates for the 2026 round.

4. August 2026

   Participating universities notified successful 2026 candidates.

5. Date not announced

   UCL IOE’s next application round, approved courses, and study start.