Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships

There are 10 scholarships to cover tuition fees for students from certain developing Commonwealth countries. This is for students applying to study an online master’s degree from their home country in MSc Gerontology (Distance Learning) or MSc Global Ageing and Policy (Distance Learning). 

Deadline: 20 May 2025, 5pm (UK time)

These scholarships are offered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, and funded by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Applications for this scholarship for 2025 entry are now closed. The details on this page are for information only.

We'll update this page with information for 2026 entry in October.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this scholarship you must:  

  • have an offer to study at the University of Southampton
  • be a British Protected Person, a citizen of, or a refugee in one of the eligible countries
  • be living in one of these countries during your studies
  • have a minimum of an upper second class (2:1) bachelor's honours or equivalent degree in the Economic, Social and Political Sciences or a field relevant to Gerontology
  • meet the English language requirements for your chosen programme
  • be unable to afford to study the programme without this scholarship 
  • 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
  • Zambia 

How to apply

To apply for this distance learning scholarship:

  1. apply to the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission using the  Electronic Application System (EAS) by 20 May 2025, 5pm (UK time)
  2. apply to study either MSc Gerontology (Distance Learning) or MSc Global Ageing and Policy (Distance Learning) with the University of Southampton

Apply now

Contact us

For more information on the MSc Gerontology (DL) or the MSc Global Ageing & Policy (DL) courses, please email the Admissions Tutor, Professor Athina Vlachantoni

Professor Athina Vlachantoni

a.vlachantoni@soton.ac.uk

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