All About the Chevening Scholarships 2027 for Indian Students

Applications for Chevening Scholarships 2027 officially closed on October 6, 2026. Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the award covers full tuition fees, a monthly living stipend, and return flights for a one-year master's degree in the UK

Candidates who submit a strong scholarship application and demonstrate excellent leadership qualities with the aim of bringing about a positive change in their home countries have higher chances of winning the Chevening Scholarship UK over others. The applicants must submit a scholarship application that clearly demonstrates that they are capable of pursuing the intensive master's program in UK universities, along with an aim for the future. Check out how to write a winning scholarship essay.

What is the Chevening Scholarship 2027?

The Chevening Scholarship in the UK is a fully paid scholarship to study abroad awarded to exceptionally meritorious students to pursue a year-long master's course in the UK. This scholarship can be awarded to students of any nationality to pursue a master's degree in any subject at any university in the UK. The Chevening Scholarship remains in high demand among students across the world because of the numerous benefits that it provides for studying in the UK, including the full cost of education, accommodation, and airfare.

This is a highly competitive scholarship, due to which many well-qualified applicants get their applications rejected. Each year, more than 1,500 scholarships are made available, with the awards being given in more than 160 nations. The Chevening Scholarship is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and collaborates with a number of universities, governments, and private sector organisations from around the globe to support and enhance the experience of Chevening Scholars, Fellows, and Alumni.

Chevening offers two types of awards - Chevening Scholarships and Chevening Fellowships - the recipients of which are personally selected by British embassies and high commissions throughout the world. Awarded to study a PG course in one of the most sought-after study destinations, the UK, Chevening offers a unique opportunity for future trailblazers and influencers from all over the world to develop professionally and academically, network extensively, experience its culture, and build lasting positive relationships with the UK. Here are the Chevening Scholarships 2027 highlights:

Chevening Scholarships for Indian Students Explained

Here is a video explaining what the Chevening Scholarships are all about for Indian students:

Latest Update for Chevening Scholarships 2027 2028

As announced by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the applications for Chevening Scholarships 2027-28 opened in August 2026.

The deadline to apply for the Chevening Scholarships UK for the 2027-28 cohort has passed. Candidates can be prepared to apply for the 2028-29 cohort in Aug 2027.

What Does Chevening Scholarship Offer?

The Chevening Scholarship is unique in a way that it creates a unique engagement programme for its awardees, tailored to create opportunities for networking among each other as well as with the scholarship alumni, the FCDO, the partner organisations and the high-profile speakers.

Below is the list of all the benefits that the Chevening Scholarship has to offer.

1. Payment of the UK university's tuition fee
2. To and fro economy travel for the awardee from the country of their residence, via an approved route only.
3. Arrival allowance
4. Cost of entry clearance application (visa fee), only for the awardee
5. Homeward departure allowance: The departure allowance is paid along with the last monthly stipend payment to the student.
6. Contribution of up to £75 towards TB testing, wherever required.
7. Travel top-up allowance
8. Monthly stipend/allowance for the awardee, to cover their accommodation and living expenses. The amount of this allowance will depend on whether the awardees take up their studies within or outside London and this amount is reviewed yearly.

Is there a Cap on Tuition Fees that the Chevening Scholarship Covers?

No, currently there is no tuition fee cap for the vast majority of courses, with one major exception - Master of Business Administration (MBA) programmes. The exact breakdown of how the Chevening Scholarship covers tuition fees includes:

• Standard Master's Degrees: For regular full-time taught master's programmes, Chevening covers your university tuition fees in full. The program pays the cost directly to the UK university regardless of whether the fees are £15,000 or £35,000+.
• Exception for MBA: For MBA programmes, the Chevening contribution toward tuition fees is strictly capped at £22,000

What is the Amount of Stipend provided in Chevening Scholarships?

The monthly stipend (living allowance) for the Chevening Scholarship is tax-free and varies depending on your university's physical location. Because these rates are subject to annual macro-economic reviews by the UK government, the Chevening Secretariat does not publish a permanent fixed figure on its central website.

The active stipend baseline figures are:

• Inside London (Greater London/within the M25 ring): £1,516 per month.
• Outside London: £1,215 per month.

According to Chevening Finance Guidelines, this monthly payout is intentionally scaled to accommodate a single student’s basic living costs, including:

• Accommodation (rent) and utility bills
• Groceries, food and personal items
• Daily local transport
• Basic academic materials

What are the Chevening Scholarship Requirements for Indian Students?

Candidates must thoroughly check the Chevening Scholarship requirements prior to sending an application, as failing to meet the requirements may lead to rejection of their candidature. To meet the eligibility requirements of the Chevening Scholarship 2027, one must:

• Be a citizen (or hold refugee status) of a Chevening-eligible country/territory (Indian students can apply).
• Choose any 3 courses from a list of eligible courses. The course must be a full-time taught master's program (and not a research master's), starting during the September intake in the UK. MREs, PhD and DPhil programs are ineligible. The total length of the course must be 9 to 12 months.
• Return to their country of citizenship for a minimum of two years after the completion of the award
• Have an undergraduate degree that will enable them to get entry into a postgraduate program at a UK university by the time they submit their scholarship application. This corresponds to an upper second-class, i.e., a 2:1 degree in the UK. However, the same may be different as per the course and university chosen by the student.
• Candidates would be required to have at least two years (or 2800 hours) of work experience. This does not include the mandatory work experience counted towards completing your undergraduate or postgraduate degree. Additionally, if the candidates do not need to have the minimum required number of hours from a single employment, in fact, they can present up to 15 employment records to meet the eligibility criteria.
• The applicant would be required to apply to three different eligible UK university courses and must have received an unconditional offer from one of these choices before the scholarship deadline.

You may also check the Chevening Scholarship Interview Tips to boost your chances of winning one.

If you wish to know your eligibility for the scholarship and courses in the UK, you may reach out to the Shiksha's Counselling Services for free.

Exceptions to Eligibility Criteria

Candidates will not be eligible for the Chevening Scholarship if they:

• Hold British/dual British citizenship unless they are a citizen of a British overseas territory or hold a BN(O) or are applying from Hong Kong.
• Hold refugee status in a non-Chevening eligible country/territory.
• Are current or former employees of His Majesty's Government within the last two years. This includes:
  • Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
  • British Embassies/High Commissions
  • Home Office
  • Ministry of Defence
  • Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
  • Department for International Trade
  • UKVI
• Are employees of the British Council, sponsoring UK universities, or the Association of Commonwealth Universities.
• Relatives of employees in the above categories are also ineligible.
• Individuals contracted to work on any British Council program or project, and their relatives, are ineligible.
• Employees, former employees, or relatives of Chevening Partner organisations are eligible to apply. However, they cannot receive a Chevening Partner Award from their affiliated organisation if employment was within the last two years.
• Those who have previously studied in the UK with funding from a UK government-funded scholarship are ineligible.

Note:- Students applying for a second master's program can apply for the Chevening Scholarship as long as they can explain how it will help them achieve their goals of making a positive impact in their home country.

Chevening Scholarship Application Sifting: Upon submission, all the applications will undergo an electronic screening process to determine their eligibility. Any applications found to be ineligible will be excluded from the selection process. Students can refer to the original website for the list of common errors found in the submitted applications to reduce the chances of their applications being rejected. This is because once your application gets submitted, it cannot be modified retrospectively.

What is the Chevening Scholarship timeline for 2027?

The Chevening Scholarships 2027 timeline is given in the table below. Indian students can refer to these dates to remain up-to-date with the application process ahead of the Chevening Scholarship deadline for 2027.

If you have difficulty memorising the application window and deadlines for the biggest scholarships abroad, go through this article - "How and When to Apply for Scholarships Abroad" as this gives a general understanding of how these scholarships work and when the applications for most scholarships open.

How to Apply for Chevening Scholarships?

The entire application process for the British Chevening Scholarship is to be carried out on the "Online Application System (OAS)". It is important to apply before the Chevening Scholarship 2027 application deadline, which is Oct 06, 2026. Candidates will be required to log back into the portal from time to time to check updates on their application. The Chevening Scholarship India applications for 2027 are open. However, below are the step-by-step Chevening Scholarship application guidelines.

1. Register and Create an Account:
   • Visit the Chevening Apply page: https://www.chevening.org/apply/
   • Click on "Register" and create an account using a valid email address. Remember your login details, as you will need them to access your application later.
2. Complete the Online Application Form: Read what kind of student profile is needed for scholarships to prepare the best of your documents listed below.
   • Once logged in, navigate to the application form.
   • The form will be open during the application period (usually from August onwards).
   • Fill out all sections carefully, including:
     • Personal Information (name, contact details)
     • Educational Background (list your educational qualifications)
     • Work Experience (details of your professional experience, 2 years+)
     • Course Choices (select up to three postgraduate programs in the UK)
     • Funding Request (specify the amount needed for living expenses and tuition)
     • Motivation Essay (explain your goals and how Chevening aligns with them - crucial section!)
     • Reference Requests (provide contact details for two referees)
3. Upload Supporting Documents:
   • The OAS will specify the required documents. All the required documents, including the university degree/transcripts, must be original and need not be translated into English. These typically include:
     • Original academic transcripts or degrees
     • Up-to-date CV/Resume
     • Reference Letters (submitted electronically by your referees)
   • Ensure all documents meet the size and format requirements specified by Chevening.
4. Submit Your Application:

• • Once you have completed the form and uploaded documents, review everything thoroughly.
  • Click the "Submit" button to officially apply for the Chevening Scholarship.

It is recommended that candidates apply early to avoid any last-minute issues. After the application deadline passes, the selection of eligible candidates will begin. Following this, the referees of the longlisted applicants will be asked to submit references as the next step in the application process. Shortlisted candidates will then be invited by the British Embassy/High Commission for the interview round.

Candidates who pass the interview stage and are conditionally selected for a Chevening Scholarship must demonstrate that they have at least one unconditional offer from an eligible course. Those who are successful will be notified of their award by May or June of the following year; for 2027 awards, this will be in May-June 2027. Once all formalities are completed, Chevening Scholarship recipients are expected to commence their university studies by September of the awarding year.

If you're someone hoping to get an undergraduate scholarship to study abroad, then there are various programmes that can help you. Go through the linked article to get the list of the best undergraduate scholarships abroad.

Selecting your Chevening Scholarship Course

Candidates are required to select three different eligible master's courses. These can be three different courses at the same university or three similar courses across up to three different institutions. Students are advised to choose their three courses carefully, as they will not be able to change their course choices after submitting their application unless they are granted permission to do so at the interview stage. The choice of the three courses should be made such that the selection committee can clearly understand your vision and what career path you want to create.

Students would be required to apply separately to their selected courses directly via the university. Students should note that in order to be eligible, the courses must be a UK-based full-time course, should commence in the autumn term (usually September/October), and lead to a master’s degree qualification.

Apply Today: https://www.chevening.org/scholarship/india/

Courses Eligible for Chevening Scholarships

The course should be full-time and:

• Based in the United Kingdom
• Taught master's (not research-based)
• Should help you obtain a master's degree upon completion
• Commence in Autumn (September/October)

Do make sure that the course is not:

• A part-time course
• MRes, PhD or DPhil
• Distance learning
• Below 9 months or over 12 months
• Taught with over 1 month of study in the UK

When do Chevening Scholarship Results Come Out?

The process of shortlisting and selecting the right candidates for the awarding of the Chevening Scholarships follows 3-4 steps/phases. The process of shortlisting starts right after all the applications are received. A group of experienced committee members reviews all the applications and shortlists some of the most promising people and profiles for the interview. Following this, the shortlisted applicants are sent an invitation for the interview. This shortlisting of applicants till the actual conduct of the interview may take 4 to 5 months. The interviews may go on for like 1-2 months. Following the interview, the last step is the results declaration. The results are often declared with the names of the scholarship winners starting from mid-June of the year of the interview.

Below is the results declaration and application processing timeline of the Chevening Scholarships for Indian students.

List of Universities Covered under the Chevening Scholarship Program

Candidates who are interested in the Chevening Scholarship program can apply to any of the following universities mentioned below.

Chevening Eligible Countries

Some specific countries and territories are eligible for the different Chevening awards, such as the Chevening Scholarships and fellowships. For example, your country might be eligible for receiving a Chevening Fellowship but not a Chevening Scholarship. So, candidates can visit the official website to check if their home country is in the Chevening eligible countries list and which award is eligible for their location.

Citizens from the following major countries are eligible to apply for the Chevening Scholarship program.

The Zero-Tolerance Policy Against Use of AI for Drafting Chevening Scholarship Essays

With the opening of the 2027–2028 application cycle, the Chevening Secretariat has introduced a strict and zero-tolerance policy regarding the use of AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini for drafting the scholarship essays. You may check the tips on drafting scholarship essays here. Applications that trigger AI-detection protocols or lack a distinctive & personal human voice will be disqualified without review.

For a comprehensive list of eligible Chevening countries, visit the link https://www.chevening.org/apply/.

This was all about the Chevening Scholarship UK for Indian students. In this article, we have covered complete details on the Chevening deadline, eligibility requirements for the Chevening Scholarship, and the funds and benefits provided by the Chevening Scholarship. If you still have any doubts, feel free to drop your queries in the comments below.

If studying abroad is your dream and you seek assistance to get admitted to the top universities abroad, feel free to reach out to Shiksha's Counselling Services for free today!