Chevening 2027 Applications: Deadlines, Tips and Honest Odds
Chevening's 2027 round is expected to open in August 2026 and close in early November 2026, following the scheme's consistent annual cycle, for students starting a UK Master's in September 2027. All eight of World Study Africa's supported origins are eligible, including Zimbabwe, which is excluded from Commonwealth Scholarships. The award is full-funding; competition is high.
Who is eligible for Chevening from Africa?
Chevening is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and is open to citizens of eligible countries who meet the programme’s core criteria. All eight of World Study Africa’s supported origins are eligible:
| Origin | Chevening eligible? |
|---|---|
| Nigeria | ✅ Yes |
| Ghana | ✅ Yes |
| Kenya | ✅ Yes |
| South Africa | ✅ Yes |
| Uganda | ✅ Yes |
| Egypt | ✅ Yes |
| Zimbabwe | ✅ Yes — dedicated country page at chevening.org |
| Zambia | ✅ Yes |
This is notably different from the Commonwealth Scholarship (CSC), which excludes Zimbabwe (not a current Commonwealth member) and Egypt (never a Commonwealth member). Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarships are administered by different bodies and have different eligibility rules — a common point of confusion.
The core entry requirements for Chevening are: citizenship of an eligible country; at least a 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent); two years of full-time equivalent work experience (this is a firm requirement, not advisory); commitment to return to your home country for at least two years after your scholarship ends; and a place at a UK university on a one-year Master’s programme.
What does the Chevening 2027 award cover?
Chevening is a full-funding scholarship. The award covers:
- Tuition fees in full at the UK university you attend
- Monthly living allowance — paid at a set rate for the duration of your programme
- Return economy flights between your home country and the UK
- Additional grants for visa costs, thesis costs and other study-related expenses
For the current award amounts and what is included for the 2027/28 cycle, check the official chevening.org website when the cycle opens. Award terms are reviewed annually and third-party figures may be out of date.
UK visa context: the Student visa application fee is £558 and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is £776 per year, paid upfront for the full visa length (as of June 2026 — recheck before applying). The Chevening award terms state these costs are covered for scholars — but confirm against the current call document, as these details are subject to annual review.
When is the Chevening 2027 deadline?
Based on the scheme’s consistent historical cycle, the expected timeline for Chevening 2027 applications (to start in September 2027) is:
- Portal opens: approximately August 2026
- Application deadline: approximately early November 2026 (historically the first or second Tuesday of November)
- Interview invitations: typically February–April 2027
- Award announcements: typically June 2027
These are indicative dates based on prior cycles. The Chevening Secretariat publishes exact dates at chevening.org when the cycle opens — this is the only authoritative source. Do not rely on intermediaries or social media for the closing date.
Important: You must have confirmed offers from three UK universities when you submit your Chevening application. This means you need to have applied to those universities — and received offers — before or during the Chevening application window. UK university admissions for September 2027 entry typically open in September/October 2026. The two processes run in parallel, and managing both simultaneously requires careful planning.
What are the honest odds?
Chevening does not publish country-level acceptance rates. The programme funds approximately 1,800 scholarships globally per year across more than 160 countries. The selection process involves a written application, shortlisting and a formal interview.
What this means in practice:
- Competition is global and intense. Being academically strong is necessary but not sufficient.
- The two-year work-experience requirement is a hard filter — applicants without it do not progress.
- Chevening interviewers assess leadership potential, diplomatic awareness and clear plans for impact in your home country, not just academic achievement.
- Multiple strong applications from the same country are rejected each cycle — there is no pass rate to quote.
Anyone who tells you they can guarantee a Chevening award is not being honest with you.
What makes a competitive Chevening application?
These are the areas that distinguish shortlisted candidates, based on what the programme publicly states it looks for:
Work experience with demonstrated leadership. Two years of full-time equivalent professional experience is the baseline; the quality and leadership dimension of that experience is what matters in the application. Passive job descriptions are not enough — show what you initiated or changed.
A specific “why now, why this field, why the UK.” Generic motivation statements are the most common weakness in scholarship essays. The best applications connect a specific gap in the applicant’s home country to a specific UK programme’s content to a specific post-study ambition.
Three realistic UK university choices. Chevening scholars attend one-year taught Master’s programmes only. The three universities you choose should all offer programmes you could genuinely study and thrive in, not just prestigious names.
Ties to your home country. Chevening requires you to return for at least two years. Your application should make it credible — and desirable — that you will do this.
How does Chevening compare to other scholarships available from Africa?
| Scholarship | Funder | Level | Who’s eligible (WSA origins) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevening | UK FCDO | Master’s (1 yr) | All 8 |
| Commonwealth CSC | UK CSC | Master’s / PhD | NG, GH, KE, SA, Uganda, Zambia (NOT ZW, EG) |
| DAAD EPOS | Germany | Master’s / PhD | All 8 |
| Stipendium Hungaricum | Hungary | BA / MA / PhD | NG, GH, KE, SA, Uganda, EG (NOT ZW, ZM) |
| GOI-IES | Ireland | Master’s / PhD | All 8 |
The main distinction is destination and level. Chevening and Commonwealth CSC both fund UK study; Chevening is open to all eight WSA origins while Commonwealth excludes Zimbabwe and Egypt. DAAD and GOI-IES fund Germany and Ireland respectively. See the scholarship hub for the full comparison.
How World Study helps
We advise eligible students on whether their profile is competitive for Chevening — particularly around the work-experience requirement and the motivation essay. Our support for admissions to UK universities is free (we earn a commission from partner institutions). We do not charge for scholarship application advice, and we will tell you honestly if we think your profile is not yet ready.
Start with your eligibility check or message us on WhatsApp.
Full Chevening programme details and application link: /scholarships/chevening/.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Zimbabwe has a dedicated Chevening country page (chevening.org/scholarship/zimbabwe/), confirmed June 2026. This is worth highlighting because Zimbabwe is not eligible for UK Commonwealth Scholarships — Chevening and Commonwealth are separate programmes with different eligibility rules. All eight of World Study Africa's supported African origins are eligible for Chevening.
The Chevening cycle historically opens in August and closes in early November each year. For the 2027/28 cohort (students starting in September 2027), the portal is expected to open around August 2026. Exact dates are published by the Chevening Secretariat at chevening.org — check there directly for the official window, as dates are set annually and can shift slightly.
Chevening covers tuition fees, a living allowance, return flights and additional grants. The UK student visa fee (£558 as of June 2026) and the Immigration Health Surcharge (£776 per year, paid upfront) are typically also covered for Chevening scholars — confirm this in the current award terms at chevening.org, as the specifics of what Chevening covers can be updated each cycle.
Chevening does not publish country-specific award numbers in a single accessible table. The programme funds approximately 1,800 scholarships globally per year across all countries. Individual country allocations vary; some countries have higher historical allocations than others. This is a globally competitive award — applicants from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa compete against each other and against Chevening applicants from 160+ other countries.
Chevening requires that, if you receive a Chevening award, you do not hold another scholarship that covers the same costs. You can start multiple application processes, but you must declare other funding offers during the Chevening process. Applying to both Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarships simultaneously is possible only if you are from an eligible Commonwealth country — Zimbabwe is not eligible for Commonwealth Scholarships.