Chevening Scholarships 2025 for International Students

Chevening is a fully funded international awards programme established by the government of the United Kingdom and funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) and partner organisations.

More than 50,000 exceptional professionals have benefited from Chevening’s opportunity to grow in the UK since the programme’s inception in 1983. For the 2023–24 academic year, almost 1,500 scholarships are available worldwide, illustrating the UK’s continued commitment to producing tomorrow’s leaders.

The scholarship allows people to develop academically and professionally, experience the rich UK culture, network extensively, and create long-lasting and positive relationships. If obtaining the Chevening Scholarship interests you, here you’ll find the latest information regarding the Chevening Scholarship 2025.

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Quick overview:  Chevening Scholarship 2025

You could apply for a Master’s Degree programme (Masters/MPhil) at a university in the United Kingdom. It’s a one-year scholarship degree programme. 

You can apply for the same course at three different universities, apply for three different courses at three different universities, or apply for three different courses at the same university.

Every applicant goes through a demanding selection procedure. The best candidates are then personally chosen by high commissioners and British embassies worldwide.

You will get living expenses, return airfare to the UK, and tuition or programme fees as part of a fully-funded scholarship. 

Additionally, you will have access to presentations, workshops, internships, volunteer opportunities, and special networking events, which will provide you with a broad introduction to living in a global job.

Chevening Scholars possess desire, the capacity for leadership, a solid academic foundation, and a stellar track record of ascending to high positions in a variety of professions inside their home countries.

Chevening Scholarships are intended to assist Britain’s public diplomacy abroad by giving recipients the knowledge and experience needed to succeed at the top levels and foster enduring ties with the UK.

A Chevening Scholarship might be ideal for you if you’re a driven future leader seeking a postgraduate programme that will provide you with the finest possible foundation for success.

Benefits of applying for the Chevening Scholarship

Since the UK government completely funds this international scholarship programme, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations pay the final expenses of all accepted candidates for the programme. This coverage includes:

• A monthly stipend for living and accommodation expenses
• Arrival and departure allowance
• Economy class return tickets
• Reimbursement for the visa application fee
• TB testing reimbursement up to £75
• Tuition fee waiver

Eligibility for the Chevening Scholarship

To be eligible for a Chevening Scholarship you must:

• You’re a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country.
• You’ll return to your home country for at least two years after your scholarship ends.
• You have completed your undergraduate degree and are eligible to enrol in a postgraduate programme at a university in the UK. Although this depends on the university and course you have selected, it’s usually equivalent to the UK’s upper second-class 2:1 honours programme.
• You have at least two years of work experience, equivalent to working 2,800 hours.
• You will have applied to three universities in the UK and received an offer from at least one of your choices.

You are not eligible for a Chevening Scholarship if you:

• British national or a dual citizen (unless you’re a citizen of a British Independent Country or hold BN (O) and are registering from Hong Kong).
• To be a refugee in a country that is not a member of the Chevening Scholarship. You may be eligible for a scholarship if you are a citizen of a Chevening-qualified nation and a refugee in a Chevening-eligible country.
• Work for, or have worked for, the British Government (including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, all British Embassies/High Commissions, the Home Office, the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, the Department for International Trade, and the UK Visas and Immigration), the British Council, a sponsoring UK university, or within the last two years from the opening of Chevening applications.
• If you are currently employed by, or have been employed by within the past two years, a Chevening Partner organisation, or are related to someone who is currently employed by, or who is currently affiliated with, a Chevening Partner organisation, you are ineligible to receive a Chevening Partner Award from that organisation.

Have previously attended university in the UK on a scholarship from that country’s government.

Is there an English language requirement?

Chevening has removed the English language requirement for anyone applying for the Chevening Scholarship from 2021 to 2022 and onwards. 

However, you’ll still need to meet all the English language requirements of your selected university in the UK and get accepted from one of your chosen universities in the course of your choice by the cut-off date to submit the application.

Work experience

You must have at least two years of work experience to submit your application. You’re eligible to apply for the Chevening Scholarship 2025 if you have one of the following types of work experience:

• Full-time employment
• Part-time employment
• Paid or unpaid internships
• Voluntary work

How to calculate your work experience

Work hours per week multiplied by the number of weeks worked yields your total hours. A work week is defined as between 35 and 60 hours, and a work year is defined as between 40 and 50 weeks for this calculation. Everything over the maximum allowable hours of work per week is disqualified.

To be eligible for a Chevening Scholarship, candidates need to have at least the following number of hours of relevant work experience:

• For Chevening Awards, two years of work experience equals 2,800 hours.
• The minimal need will have been accrued over a longer period of time if you have worked part-time.

Would work experience completed as part of graduation qualify you for the scholarship?

Any work experience you have completed before, during, or after graduation will count. However, any work experience that counts towards the completion of your undergraduate or postgraduate studies won’t count.

Documents required

You need to submit the following documents:

• Academic transcripts
• A short essay on biography
• Certificate of achievement
• Two recommendation letters

Application timeline

Selecting Chevening Scholars will take at least eight months from the application deadline to the time the applicants are selected for an award. An overview of the selection process is listed below.

International students’ application timeline is from August 6, 2024, at 12:00 BST to November 5, 2024, at 11:59 UTC/GMT. From November 6, 2024, applications will be sifted against eligibility criteria.

From mid-November 2024 to January 2025, independent reading committees will assess all eligible applications. Their scores and rankings are then passed back to local British embassies and high commissions.

In mid-February 2025, applicants will be shortlisted for interviews. Successful applicants will be announced in June 2025. If you are among them, you will begin your UK studies in September/October 2025.

Time line at a glance:

• 5 November 2024

The deadline for applications is November 5, 2024 at 11:59 UTC/ GMT (midday UK time).

• 6 November 2024

Applications are sifted against eligibility criteria.

• Mid-November 2024 to January 2025

Independent reading committees assess all eligible applications. Their scores and rankings are then passed back to local British embassies/high commissions.

• Mid-February 2025

Applicants shortlisted for interviews, once the embassy/high commission has reviewed the applications that were passed on to them, they produce a shortlist of those who they will invite to interview.

• 19 February 2025

References and education documents deadline. Shortlisted candidates will be requested to submit two references and their education documents prior to their interview date. Read about what we require from your references.

• 26 February to 25 April 2025

Candidates from all over the world are interviewed by panels at British embassies and high commissions. 

• June 2025

After months of preparation and trepidation, successful candidates will experience jubilation when interview results are announced from June onwards.

• 11 July 2025

The deadline to receive and submit at least one unconditional UK university offer is 17:00 BST (UK time) on 11 July 2025.

• September/October 2025

Studies begin in the UK, 2025/2026 Chevening Scholars commence their studies in the UK, and enter into an international network that they’ll be a part of for the rest of their lives!

Guidance about preparing your Chevening application

If you want to increase your chances of being selected for a fully funded Chevening Scholarship to study in the UK, you need to put in the time and effort required. We’ve included all the advice and suggestions we can think of to assist you.

It will enable you to:

• Find the right courses for you wanted 
• Choose appropriate references while applying 
• Avoid common mistakes that other applicants make
• Your acceptance of any reward is contingent upon your agreement to these terms and conditions.

If you are successful, please know that our diverse and international community is eager to have you join us!

Choose a course with scholarships

You must list your top three preferences for UK master’s degrees on the Chevening Scholarship application form. Whether you apply for your courses in advance of or after completing your Chevening application is entirely up to you. 

It’s crucial that you meet all UK university deadlines and obtain an unconditional offer by the offer deadline indicated on the application timeline from at least one of your degree selections.

You should investigate and select the courses that correspond with your professional objectives. The following recommendations can assist you in determining the best fit:

Research instruments: For specifics on courses, prerequisites, and deadlines, visit the websites of each UK university and UCAS Postgraduate.

Options for a backup: For greater flexibility, select three comparable courses from three different colleges. As an alternative, choose distinct courses offered by the same university. Even if the course titles are different, make sure the content is the same.Courses that qualify: Make sure your selections are eligible for a Chevening Scholarship by using the Chevening course finder.

Course requirements

Courses must be:

• Full-time.
• Start in the autumn term (usually September/October).
• Taught master’s courses (not research-focused MRes programmes).
• Leading to a master’s degree qualification.
• Based in the UK.

Courses cannot be:

• Part-time or distance learning.
• Less than nine months or more than 12 months in duration.
• PhD or DPhil.
• Taught with more than one month of study outside the UK.

Apply for Chevening Scholarship

You can apply for the Chevening Scholarship from their official website (www.chevening.org/apply). Before that, you must apply to at least three different universities and be accepted to all three to be eligible for the scholarship. The entire process of applying to universities offering your preferred programme can be daunting and complicated.

AHZ can guide you by providing assistance and guidance at every stage of the application process. As one of the leading educational consultancy firms in the United Kingdom, we specialise in international student recruitment and placement for universities in the UK.

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