The Commonwealth Scholarship is one of the most substantial fully-funded UK scholarships open to Ghanaian and Nigerian applicants specifically — both countries are on the eligible list — but it works through a nomination system that catches a lot of applicants off guard.
The most recent application cycle (for study starting September 2027) closes on October 14, 2026. Commonwealth Scholarships typically reopen annually around mid-year for the following year’s intake — check the official Commonwealth Scholarship Commission site directly for the current cycle’s exact dates before assuming a deadline.
Coverage
A Commonwealth Scholarship is genuinely comprehensive: it covers airfare to and from the UK, tuition and examination fees, a living stipend, a study travel grant, and a warm clothing allowance, among other support. The stipend for London-based universities runs in the range of £1,378–£1,690 per month, with adjusted rates for universities outside London.
Who’s eligible
Master’s scholarships are open to citizens of 41 developing Commonwealth countries, including both Ghana and Nigeria. PhD scholarships have a narrower eligible list of 19 countries — confirm current PhD eligibility for your country directly, since it doesn’t automatically match the master’s list. The baseline academic requirement is at least an upper second-class (2:1) honours degree or equivalent.
The part that catches people off guard: you can’t apply directly
This is the single most important thing to understand about Commonwealth Scholarships: you cannot submit an application straight to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission. All applications must go through a nominating body — typically your country’s national nominating agency (in Nigeria and Ghana, this is usually run through the relevant ministry of education or a designated agency) or an approved non-governmental or charitable body. You apply to your nominating body first, and only nominated candidates proceed to the Commission’s own Electronic Application System (EAS). Missing your home country’s internal nomination deadline — which is often earlier than the Commission’s own headline deadline — is a common, avoidable way to lose a year.
Building a realistic timeline
Because of the nomination layer, start well before the Commission’s published deadline: identify your country’s current nominating body, confirm their internal deadline and process (this can differ meaningfully from year to year), and prepare your university applications in parallel, since Commonwealth Scholarships are generally tied to a confirmed offer or ongoing application at a UK institution.
How this compares to other UK funding
Chevening is the other major fully-funded UK government scholarship most African applicants compare this against — the key structural difference is that Chevening applications go directly to Chevening, with no nomination layer, while Commonwealth Scholarships route through your home country first. See Chevening Scholarship: Complete Guide for that comparison, and UK Student Visa Financial Requirements for what’s still needed once you have funding secured (a full scholarship award typically satisfies the visa’s financial requirement directly, but confirm this with UKVI for your specific case).
Other funding options
If the nomination requirement or the eligibility list doesn’t fit your situation, see Scholarships for Ghanaian Students and Fully-Funded Scholarships for Nigerian Students for other fully-funded routes.