Commonwealth Master’s, PhD Scholarships Open for Pakistanis

News Desk

Islamabad: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has invited applications for the Commonwealth Scholarships 2025, funded by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC), UK, to support higher education for international development.

According to HEC, the deadline for submission through its scholarship portal is October 14, 2025, at 4:00 PM (PST). Pakistan has been allocated 26 nominations for Master’s programs and 30 nominations for PhD programs.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants must be Pakistani or AJK nationals and permanent residents with at least a first division in their terminal degree.

For Master’s programs, candidates must have 16 years of education in a relevant field.

For PhD programs, applicants require 17–18 years of education (MS/MPhil).

Dual nationals are not eligible.

Candidates must also secure at least 60 out of 100 marks in the Higher Education Aptitude Test (HAT) under categories I–IV. Selection will be strictly based on HAT scores.

CSC requirements

The CSC requires successful applicants to:

Be available to start studies in the UK by September 2026.

Submit complete academic transcripts and two references.

PhD candidates must also provide a supporting statement from a potential UK supervisor.

The scholarship will not typically fund a second Master’s degree in the UK unless a strong justification is given. Applicants must also prove that they cannot afford to study in the UK without financial aid.

Further details and application links for both Master’s and PhD programs are available on the HEC website.