Chevening scholarship: Requirements, Eligibility, Deadlines

Are you thinking about studying in the UK for your master's? But lacking the funds to apply to the university of your choice? You must have thought about applying for scholarships, but the list is so long it sends your mind spinning. With so many scholarships to choose between, the Chevening scholarship is one of the best ones there is out there. If you are confused about what this scholarship is? Don’t worry because we will tell you everything there is to know about Chevening scholarships. So let's take a deep dive into what it is all about!

What is the Chevening scholarship?

Founded in 1983, the Chevening Programme awards international scholarships to students pursuing education in the United Kingdom. The Foreign and Commonwealth office of the British Government funds the Chevening scholarship. The programme was created as a way for the UK to build a network of connections with some of the brightest minds from around the world. 

The Chevening Scholarship fully funds a one-year master’s program in any course in the UK. The scholarship looks for bright students with passion, talent and leadership skills who want to change the world positively. The Chevening scholarship has an alumni network of 50,000 brilliant individuals from over a hundred countries.

If you are applying to study in the UK, here is everything you should know about studying in the UK

Chevening scholarship requirements

There is a list of Chevening scholarship requirements that students must meet before they can begin their application. You have to make sure to meet the Chevening scholarship requirements, or your application will be DENIED! So just make sure you meet the eligibility criteria before submitting your application. If you are confused about the eligibility criteria, we have made a list of all the Chevening scholarship requirements. 

1) Be from a Chevening Eligible country

The Chevening scholarship is available for around 160 countries, so you have to be from one of them. It is as simple as that!

2) Agree to return to their home country after their program

This Chevening scholarship requirement means that once you have finished your course in the UK, you must return back to your home for a minimum of 2 years.

3) Have work experience

This one is pretty easy to understand. It means that you must have a minimum of two years of work experience.

4) Apply to three master's programs in the UK

This Chevening scholarship requirement can be a bit tedious since it also has a few sub-requirements. We will try to keep it as sweet and simple as we can. Firstly you need to have applied for three master's programmes. If you are worried about whether your course is eligible, the Chevening website has a list of all the eligible courses. You can apply to different courses in the same university or similar courses from different universities.

Now, here comes the not-so-simple part. Here are the extra requirements for the courses.

• Courses must begin in the fall (September/ October intake).
• Courses cannot be research-focused MRes programs.
• Courses must be full-time and not part-time or online.
• Courses cannot be more than 12 months long.
• Courses cannot be less than nine months long
• Courses cannot be part of a PhD program

5) Must have an acceptance letter from a UK university

This Chevening scholarship requirement basically means that by mid-July of the year your programme begins, you must have received an unconditional offer from at least one of the institutions from which you applied.

While we are talking about the Chevening scholarship requirements, let's also talk about the requirements you should NOT fulfil.

1. You have British citizenship or dual British citizenship. 
2. You have already studied in the UK with a scholarship funded by the British Government. 
3. You have been employed or are currently an employee of Her Majesty’s Government. 
4. You have been employed or are currently an employee of any of Chevening's partner organisations.

If you are confused about which degrees are available, then our blog about the types of degrees in the UK will surely solve your doubts 

How to apply for a Chevening scholarship? 

Now that you know all the Chevening scholarship requirements, let’s talk about how to apply for one in four simple steps.

• Step 1: Apply for your desired master's program at a UK university (Remember that you can apply to 3 UK universities covered under the Chevening Program)
• Step 2: Apply for your Chevening scholarship in August using the Online Application System (OAS).
• Step 3: Answer all the questions in the application form, with each answer being 100-500 words long and in English (a bit obvious, we know).
• Step 4: Submit the scanned copies of your documents (transcripts, offer letters and passport) and your references. Ensure all your documents are submitted online by the deadlines and are in the required format (JPG/PNG/PDF).

Chevening scholarship timeline

The application timeline takes around eight months to complete, from start to finish. It might be long, but with so many applicants, what can they do? It usually starts in August and ends in September of the following year. Here is a detailed timeline to help you understand more about the process.

• Early August: Applications being.
• Early November: Applications close.
• November to December: Applications are reviewed.
• February: Applicants are shortlisted for interviews.
• February to April: Deadline to send in all necessary documents and reference letters.
• February to April: Interviews are also scheduled at the same time.
• June: Results are declared.
• Mid-July: Deadline to send in an offer letter from a university.
• September to October: Courses begin.

Questions asked in the application

When filling out the application form, you will face the four questions that you need to answer in an essay format, with the word limit being 500 words. The questions will vary, but the type of questions will be similar. Here are the different topics of each question and some tips on answering them. 

Q1) Networking Skills

There are a few ways to answer this question, but the best way to answer this question is by:

• Talking about how you cultivate and maintain relationships with figures of authority in professional circles.
• Elaborating on how you have kept relationships going regardless of age, gender, economic background and ethnicity. Use a few examples to bring a personal touch to your essay.
• Mentioning ways you plan on improving your communication strategies to strengthen your relationships.   

Q2) Leadership Qualities

This question will simply see if you have the qualities to become a leader and can hold your own in difficult situations. The best way to answer this question would be: 

• Explain the different leadership opportunities you've held and how you've dealt with managing and working in a team. 
• Mention any problems you've faced while holding a leadership position, how you overcame them, and what you've learned from them.
• Using examples wherever you can to increase the credibility of your answer, and try to use recent examples.

Q3) Career Plans

The question that is asked in almost every interview that you will give is, "what are your career plans?" This cliche question is among the important questions as a typical Chevening scholar tends to have ambition. The best way to answer this question would be:

• Talk about your future career plans, how and why you've chosen that particular path, and how you believe your career can help better people's lives.
• How has your previous work experience played a role in helping you achieve your future career goals or help you better understand what you want to achieve in the future.
• Highlight your skills, notable achievements and professional working style when you answer and give the reader a clear picture of your past work. 

Q4) Why the UK?

We hope you have prepared for this cliche question, as it is, again, important. Why would they award anyone with a scholarship which isn't interested in why they want to study in that country. If you are confused about how to answer this question, this would be the best way:

• Elaborate on why you believe the UK is the perfect destination for pursuing your degree. 
• Explain what the UK has that you can't find in other countries with similar courses and what drew you to the UK above other options.
• Mention how your career goals align with getting an education in the UK and why you believe international education will benefit you. 

Remember that you need to keep your answer unique and leave an impression, so the best way would be by using many personal details and elements as possible so your essay has a strong sense of your personality. The Chevening Scholarship receives thousands of applicants, so try hard to make your application stand out from the rest. 

Do’s and Don’ts

Since the application process can be lengthy, you might make mistakes and might leave room for improvement. So we have made a list of do’s and don’ts to help you find room for improvement or find the mistake you made.

Do’s

1.  o answer the essay questions, use relevant examples from your personal experience. Merely saying that you have the necessary skills is insufficient. They need to hear examples of how you've used your abilities to help others.
2. To make your application stand out, make sure you clearly connect your selected course of study to your previous experiences and future goals. 
3. Try to centre your examples on your experiences with voluntary organisations or jobs rather than your experiences in school or university whenever possible.

Don’ts

1. Ensure that you do not repeat any answers in your application to different questions. 
2. None of your content should be plagiarised and must be written entirely by you. All applications are run through plagiarism software, and the applicant will be disqualified if any plagiarism is detected.  
3. The entire application must be filled out in English. The application form, reference letters, and other written content must all be in English. Any applications not written in English will not be considered.

What is the Chevening fellowship?

Chevening fellowships are only given to mid-career professionals who have achieved a position of influence and desire to expand their expertise through targeted short courses, research, or professional placements at UK institutions. The Chevening fellowship is a key component of the United Kingdom's public diplomacy effort, providing chances to mid-career leaders and influencers worldwide. 

People who get this fellowship are frequently people of substantial status in their home countries and will have already completed some elements of higher education. It offers dynamic training, professional development, and other opportunities for individuals to spend time in the UK researching subject matters that are relevant to their professional interests as well as to the UK’s international strategic priorities. Remember that each scholarship has a different requirement from country to country, so check the fellowship page to see all the opportunities you might be available for.

These were all the Chevening scholarship requirements, application processes and common questions. You can learn all about Chevening scholarships on their home page. We wish you all the best in your application process. If you are going to move to the UK, you should know about daylight savings there; if you don’t, then our blog about daylight savings in the UK will surely help you understand!