Our scholarships encourage young people who show potential to become tomorrow's leaders, opinion formers and decision makers to study in the UK.
The programme consists of the Chevening Programme, Marshall Scholarships, and a contribution to the Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowship Plan (CSFP).
Chevening Programme - Partners in Leadership
The Chevening Programme provides scholarships for young international postgraduates to study in the UK. The aim is to attract and select candidates worldwide with the greatest potential to be future leaders.
Scholarships are offered in over 150 countries and enable talented graduates and young professionals to become familiar with the UK and gain skills which will benefit their countries. The programme currently provides around 2,300 new scholarships each year for postgraduate studies, or research at UK universities or colleges.
When candidates graduate they can join the Chevening alumni network which is set to become the biggest, most actively supported informal network in the world.
The Programme was established in 1983 and named after the Foreign Secretary's official residence in Kent. The scholarships are funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and administered by the British Council.
Marshall Scholarships
Each year, around 40 US scholars are selected by the Marshall Scholarship programme to spend two years as post-graduates at a British university, with all expenses paid by the British government. Each scholarship is held for two years.
Programmes like this contribute to strong transatlantic ties and Marshall scholars play an important role in strengthening the enduring relationship between the US and UK, their governments and their institutions.
The Scholarships began in 1953 as a gesture of thanks from the British Government for US assistance in rebuilding Europe after World War II - the Marshall Plan - and they commemorate those common ideals. They are funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships Plan
The Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships Plan (CSFP) is a system of awards to men and women from all Commonwealth countries chosen for their high intellectual promise and their capacity to return to make a significant contribution to life in their own countries. It provides a network of study opportunities throughout the Commonwealth.
Over 25,000 Commonwealth citizens have held awards - many going on to reach the very highest levels of their profession. The majority of awards go to postgraduate students.
One of its guiding principles is that it be based upon mutual co-operation and the sharing of educational experience among all countries of the Commonwealth.
Funds come from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development. Both CSFP and the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission - the body responsible for the UK's participation in the CSFP - were set up in 1959.
Alumni from these programmes include two Heads of State and a Vice-President, three Prime Ministers, a European Commissioner and a range of other key decision makers around the world.