If you are a Nigerian graduate planning to "japa" through a fully funded Master's degree in the UK for the 2027/28 academic year, you have probably seen Chevening and the Commonwealth Scholarship trending online.
Both are fully funded UK Master's opportunities, but the requirements are NOT the same.
Your degree classification, work experience, course choice, career plans and the way you present your application can all matter.
So before you start filling forms, here are the important differences you need to understand.
- CHEVENING SCHOLARSHIP 2027/28
Chevening is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and places strong emphasis on leadership, networking, career plans and future impact.
Application deadline:
Applications opened on 4 August 2026 and close on 6 October 2026 at 11:00 UTC, which is 12:00 PM Nigerian time.
Academic requirement:
Chevening requires an undergraduate degree that qualifies you for entry to a UK Master's programme.
You will often see people simplify this as "2:1 or 2:2", but don't stop there.
The university and specific Master's course you choose can have their own academic requirements.
So a 2:2 does not automatically mean you are ineligible for Chevening, but you still need to check whether your chosen courses will accept your academic background.
Work experience:
This is one of the biggest differences.
Chevening requires at least 2,800 hours of work experience acquired after completing your undergraduate degree.
Eligible experience can include:
- Full time employment
- Part time employment
- Voluntary work
- Paid or unpaid internships
You can combine different periods of work, with up to 15 employment periods allowed.
So don't just count "years" on your CV. The actual dates and hours matter.
Course selection:
You must choose 3 eligible Master's courses at 3 different UK universities.
And please note this:
Listing a university on your Chevening application is NOT the same as applying to that university.
You still have to submit the university applications separately.
Do you need admission before applying for Chevening?
No.
You can submit your Chevening application without already having a university admission offer.
However, if you are selected, you need an unconditional offer from at least one of your chosen courses by 8 July 2027.
The application itself:
Chevening asks applicants to demonstrate things such as:
- Leadership and influencing
- Networking and relationship building
- Why they want to study in the UK
- Career plans and future goals
Don't just write "I am a leader."
You need actual examples showing what you did, how you influenced people or situations, what changed because of your actions and what you learned.
And then there is the interview.
If you are shortlisted, you will be invited for a Chevening interview.
The interview focuses heavily on what you already submitted in your application, including your leadership examples, networking experience, career plans and course choices.
So whatever you put in that application, know it very well.
You may have to explain those examples yourself.
- COMMONWEALTH MASTER'S SCHOLARSHIP 2027/28
The Commonwealth Master's Scholarship has a different focus.
It is designed around development impact and supporting candidates who can use their Master's training to contribute to development in eligible Commonwealth countries.
Application deadline:
Applications opened on 8 September 2026 and close on 20 October 2026 at 16:00 BST, which is 5:00 PM Nigerian time.
Academic requirement:
The standard requirement is a degree equivalent to a UK 2:1.
A 2:2 can also be considered where the applicant has a relevant postgraduate qualification, such as a Master's degree.
So if someone has a 2:2 and is thinking, "I have plenty work experience, so that should compensate", be careful.
Work experience alone does NOT replace the postgraduate qualification requirement for the 2:2 route.
Work experience:
Unlike Chevening, Commonwealth Master's does not have a mandatory 2,800 hour work experience requirement.
Your employment history can still be relevant when presenting your background and development plans, but there is no equivalent Chevening hourly threshold.
University choices:
You can list up to 3 university/course preferences.
But again, listing a university on the scholarship application is not the same thing as applying to the university.
You need to make the university applications separately and pay attention to each university's own admission deadline.
The CSC advises applicants to seek university admission in advance of, or around the same time as, the scholarship application.
Development impact:
This is a major part of the Commonwealth application.
You need to clearly explain the development issue you want to address, how your proposed Master's will give you the skills to contribute, who will benefit and what you expect to achieve after the programme.
So simply saying:
"I want to study this course because I am passionate about Nigeria"
is not enough.
Your study plan and career plans need to connect to the development impact you are proposing.
Interview difference:
The current published Commonwealth Master's selection process does not have the same Chevening style applicant interview stage.
That means your written application needs to clearly communicate your academic background, study plan, development goals, leadership or voluntary experience and intended impact.
Current stipend:
For the current published Commonwealth Master's information, the monthly living allowance is £1,712, or £2,000 per month for universities within the London metropolitan area, alongside the other approved scholarship benefits.
- CHEVENING VS COMMONWEALTH: THE SIMPLE DIFFERENCE
APPLICATION DEADLINE
🔴 Chevening: 6 October 2026
🟣 Commonwealth: 20 October 2026
DEGREE REQUIREMENT
🔴 Chevening: Undergraduate degree that qualifies you for your chosen UK Master's course. Your chosen university/course requirements still apply.
🟣 Commonwealth: Normally 2:1, or 2:2 + relevant postgraduate qualification.
WORK EXPERIENCE
🔴 Chevening: 2,800 hours minimum of eligible post undergraduate experience.
🟣 Commonwealth: No 2,800 hour requirement.
MAIN APPLICATION FOCUS
🔴 Chevening: Leadership, networking, course choice and career plans.
🟣 Commonwealth: Academic merit, study plan and development impact.
INTERVIEW
🔴 Chevening: Interview if shortlisted.
🟣 Commonwealth: No Chevening style applicant interview in the current published process.
- THE UNIVERSITY APPLICATION PART PEOPLE OFTEN MISS
This one is important.
For both scholarships, choosing a university on the scholarship application does NOT mean you have applied to the university.
You still need to apply to the universities separately.
CHEVENING:
You can submit the scholarship application without university admission.
If selected, you need an unconditional offer from at least one chosen course by 8 July 2027.
COMMONWEALTH:
You should be working on university admission in advance of, or around the same time as, the scholarship application.
University deadlines are separate from the scholarship deadline.
So don't wait until you hear "Congratulations, you have won the scholarship" before thinking about university admission.
- AND THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD NOT JUST COPY SOMEONE ELSE'S APPLICATION
Two people can both be Nigerian graduates and still have completely different scholarship situations.
Someone with a 2:2 and several years of work experience needs to look at different things from someone with a first class and little or no work experience.
Someone applying for Public Health may need to demonstrate a completely different development impact from someone applying for Engineering, Agriculture, Education or Environmental Science.
And someone who looks eligible on paper can still have problems if the chosen university or course has requirements they do not meet.
So don't just ask:
"Which scholarship is better?"
Ask:
"Which requirements actually apply to my situation, and can I build a credible application around them?"
- WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU SUBMIT?
This is another area where the two scholarships are different.
CHEVENING:
You submit your application before the October deadline.
After applications close, eligible applications go through the selection process.
If shortlisted, you move to the interview stage, expected around March to April 2027.
If successful, you still need to meet the remaining conditions, including securing an unconditional offer from at least one of your selected courses by 8 July 2027.
COMMONWEALTH:
Your application goes through the relevant nominating route and the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission's selection process.
The assessment considers factors including academic merit, quality of the study plan and development impact.
There is no Chevening style applicant interview in the current published Commonwealth Master's process.
So in both cases, submitting the scholarship form is only one part of the process.
You still need to pay attention to university admission, documents, references and the conditions attached to the scholarship.
And please don't leave your university applications until the last minute.
The scholarship deadline and the university admission deadline are not the same thing.
NOT SURE WHERE YOU STAND?
The requirements may look straightforward until you put your own degree, work experience and proposed course against them.
If you're still unsure whether you meet the requirements for Chevening, Commonwealth, or both, you can drop your:
- Degree/classification
- Work experience and dates
- Intended Master's course
I'll help you identify the requirements you need to pay particular attention to based on the information you provide.
If you need a more detailed assessment of your options, reach me through the contact on my profile.
