The Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships 2025/2026 provides fully funded opportunities for students from low-and-middle-income countries to study abroad for a Master’s degree at a leading university in a Commonwealth country. It is one of the many scholarships that provide a life-changing opportunity to the scholarship awardees.
The scholarship is targeted at students who are committed to creating change in their communities; the scholarships are a life-changing opportunity to experience a new country and culture, to broaden horizons, and to build a global network that will last a lifetime.
Through cultural exchange and academic collaboration, Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarship holders help bring about positive change and find solutions to the shared challenges we face – both in their home countries and those that host them. This article seeks to provide potential applicants with the right information about the Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships Application Guide.
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Eligibility Criteria | Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships 2025/2026
To be considered for the Queen Elizabeth Scholarships 2025/2026, applicants must meet the following requirements:
- Applicants must be citizens or those who holds refugee status in a Commonwealth country.
- Be admitted to study a master’s degree in an eligible host university.
- Applicants must apply for a QECS award in a country other than their home country/country of citizenship.
- Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree and have graduated with an equivalent of a 2:1 at the time of application.
- Applicants must demonstrate excellent research abilities.
QECS Scholarship Benefits
The Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarship 2025-2026 covers the following:
- Fully-funded tuition fees
- Living allowance (stipend) for duration of award
- Return economy flights to host country
- One-off arrival allowance
- Research Support Grant (on request only; subject to approval)
QECS Application Guidance
The application form for the QECS consists of the several sections including:
- Eligibility
- Personal Details
- Academic & Employment Record
- Course at host university details
- Statements
- Upload supporting documents (including references)
Applicants are to note that plagiarism is not allowed and applications shown to be plagiarized will not be considered. Also, the statement section of the application form is formed of three main statements which applicants need to provide.
As QECS awards can be held in a variety of Commonwealth Countries, you can submit more than one application as long as they are for different host countries/universities. However you can only submit one application per host university. Therefore if you submit two applications for one host country/university only the first application submitted will be considered.
For an application to be considered for selection, applicants must ensure that:
- Their personal statement is written clearly so that a non-specialist can understand what the aims of the research are and how they will be implemented
- They clearly outline why they are applying to the courses and institutions listed on their application form. You must tailor these answers to each institution – if you write the same answer for each course/institution or copy and paste text from university websites, then your application will not be considered.
- They meet all the eligibility requirements for their chosen university course, including having the necessary work experience
- Two referees are identified, and references are provided– references should be detailed and include the content outlined on the application form
- Include full details about marks/grades gained for degrees. Applicants are strongly encouraged to ensure that full supporting documentation is provided at the time of application, in the form of an official transcript.
It is advised that all applicants read all of the instructions and FAQs carefully before starting their application, and then complete all of the questions fully.
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Application Procedures
How-to-Apply: Interested applicants for the Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships 2025-2026 are to follow the steps outlined below to apply:
- Step 1: Look through the list of countries and universities hosting scholarships in a particular application cycle.
- Step 2: Visit the relevant university website for more information on your chosen course using the relevant links.
- Step 3: Complete and submit a QECS 2025-2026 application for your chosen university/course by clicking the ‘Apply now’ button. Once you’ve clicked apply, you’ll be directed to a log in page. If you don’t already have a myACU account, click get ‘get started’ in the right hand corner of the page to start your application.
- Step 4: Submit an application to your chosen university for admission to your chosen course.
N/B: Applicants cannot submit an application in a course hosted by a university in their country.
Application Timeline
Each year there are two opportunities to apply for QECS via the application portal. Cycle 1 opens in November/December and cycle 2 opens in March/April. You only need to submit one application, but you are welcome to apply more than once if there is another country you are interested in studying in.