SchoolRegistry Pathways · Scholarships
Commonwealth Scholarships
Funded by The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK
One of the few fully funded routes that explicitly weighs financial need as well as merit, and the nomination structure means fewer people reach the end of the process than start it.
We do not run this scholarship, and our advice on it is free.
Apply for it directly through the official body below. If it does not come through, United Kingdom is a destination we apply to on your behalf at no cost to your family, so there is a route either way.
What it covers, and who it is for
What it covers
Fully funded: tuition, airfare, a living stipend and other allowances.
Level
Master's and PhD
Where it sends you
United Kingdom
Who qualifies
- Citizen of an eligible Commonwealth country, which includes Nigeria
- Usually an upper second class degree or better
- Most awards require nomination through a national nominating agency or a UK university, not a direct application
- Some streams are aimed at candidates who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK
Deadlines
Routes and deadlines differ by stream and by nominating body. Start from the Commission's site and find your route before anything else.
We do not print a date on this page on purpose. Scholarship deadlines move every year, and a stale date on somebody else's blog is how people miss them. Go to the official page and check.
If you do not get it
The UK remains the destination with the most open programmes we can apply to, and a taught master's is one year. We can take your course choices forward directly.
Worth saying plainly: most people who apply for a fully funded award do not get one. That is not a reflection on you, it is the number of places. The families who still travel are the ones who had a second plan ready before the intake closed. That is a thirty-minute conversation and it costs nothing.
How Pathways is paid, and what we never promise
Placement is free to families. Universities pay SchoolRegistry a fee when a student we place enrols. It never changes your fee and it never changes which programme we recommend: the shortlist is ordered by fit, then refusal risk, then cost to you, and that rule is printed with every list. We do not promise admission or a visa, to anyone. Pathways is operated by Academic Support Services NG Ltd (RC 9416237), Ikeja, Lagos; write to pathway@schoolregistry.ng.
Questions about the Commonwealth scholarship
Who can apply for the Commonwealth scholarship?
Citizen of an eligible Commonwealth country, which includes Nigeria. Usually an upper second class degree or better. Most awards require nomination through a national nominating agency or a UK university, not a direct application. Some streams are aimed at candidates who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK.
What does the Commonwealth scholarship cover?
Fully funded: tuition, airfare, a living stipend and other allowances.
What level of study is the Commonwealth scholarship for?
Master's and PhD. It covers study in United Kingdom.
When is the Commonwealth deadline?
Routes and deadlines differ by stream and by nominating body. Start from the Commission's site and find your route before anything else. We deliberately do not print a date here, because these move every year and a stale one could cost you the application. The official source is https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/scholarships/.
What if I do not get the Commonwealth scholarship?
The UK remains the destination with the most open programmes we can apply to, and a taught master's is one year. We can take your course choices forward directly. Most people who apply for any fully funded award do not get it, which is not a reflection on them. Having a second plan ready before the intake closes is the difference between going a year later and not going at all.
Does SchoolRegistry Pathways charge for this advice?
No. We are paid by universities when a student we place enrols, so our guidance on scholarships is free and we earn nothing from you applying for one. We do not administer or award any scholarship on this page.
Other scholarships Nigerians apply for
- PTDF Overseas Postgraduate Scholarship
- DAAD Scholarships for Germany
- Fulbright Foreign Student Program
- Chevening Scholarship
- Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship
- Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship
- NNPC and joint venture scholarships
- All scholarships
Checked on 5 October 2026. SchoolRegistry Pathways does not administer, award or influence any scholarship listed here.