Demystifying Chevening: Eligibility Rules, Course Tips, and Common Questions (Part 2)

Tips, Choices, and Eligibility Explained

Hey friends! Sorry this Chevening update is arriving a bit late-life got in the way, but I’m back with more info for you. Last week, I gave you a quick intro to what Chevening is all about. Now that you know the basics, let’s dive into whether you’re actually eligible to apply this year and become a 2026/2027 Chevening scholar.

So, what does “eligibility criteria” mean? Simply put; to apply for Chevening, you need to meet every single requirement-no skipping any!

Ready to see what they are? Let’s get into it:

1. Citizenship

You must be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country or territory.
Not sure if your country is on the list? Head over to the official Chevening website and check! If your country is there-congratulations, you’ve passed the first hurdle.

2. Return Requirement:

Chevening isn’t for those looking to leave their home country for good. The whole idea is for you to return home after your studies and use what you’ve learned in the UK to help your country grow. The British Government invests in your education so you can bring back new skills and ideas. You’ll need to commit to returning to your home country for at least two years after your studies. When I applied, I kept in mind that my country needed me-and that’s the spirit Chevening is looking for!

3. Academic Qualifications:

You need an undergraduate degree equivalent to at least a UK 2:1 honours (second-class upper division), which usually means an overall grade of 60% or higher in the UK system. For those from the French education system, this means having a Licence (Bac+3) with an average grade of at least 12/20. You must have completed your undergraduate degree before you apply.

If you already have a Master’s degree, you can still apply-as long as you meet all the other criteria. In fact, having a postgraduate qualification can make you stand out, especially if you can show how it aligns with your goals and how it will help you drive positive change in your home country. For some countries and fields, a Master’s degree may even be required to apply for UK universities. Chevening doesn’t restrict your field of study, as long as your degree allows you to enroll in a UK postgraduate program.

4. Work Experience:

You need at least two years of work experience, which is the same as 2,800 hours. The application form will ask you to detail exactly how many hours you’ve worked for each role you list. For example, if you did a 3-month internship, working 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, you’d have:
(5 days × 8 hours × 4 weeks × 3 months) = 480 hours.
Your work experience can be full-time, part-time, paid, unpaid, internships, or volunteer work-and you can combine different roles to reach the total. As long as your professional experience adds up to at least 2,800 hours, you’re good to go!

5. Course choices:

You need to apply to three eligible, full-time, one-year master’s programs in the UK and secure an unconditional offer from at least one by the Chevening deadline. The courses must start in the autumn, be full-time, and not be distance learning. If you’re applying for an MBA, Chevening will contribute up to £22,000 towards tuition. For example, if your MBA costs £25,000, Chevening pays £22,000 and you pay the remaining £3,000. If your MBA is £21,000, Chevening covers the full amount. However, if you choose a course with tuition fees higher than £22,000, you can reach out to your university’s administration to discuss possible additional funding options. In some cases, universities have provided partial scholarships or fee waivers to help cover the remaining costs for Chevening scholars, so it’s definitely worth exploring this possibility.

You can choose three different master’s programs at the same university, the same course at three different universities, or a mix. For example:

· MSc Public Policy at University X, MSc Development Studies at University X, and MSc International Relations at University X (three different courses at one university)

· MSc Public Policy at University X, University Y, and University Z (the same course at three different universities)

· Or a combination, such as MSc Public Policy at University X, MSc Development Studies at University Y, and MSc International Relations at University Z

Important:

While you cannot change your course choices after submitting your application, there is still some flexibility at the interview stage. If your circumstances change (for example, a course is discontinued or you have a strong reason to adjust your choices), you can discuss this during your interview. The interview is your last opportunity to change your three chosen courses or their ranking-once your course choices are confirmed with the interview panel, they cannot be changed again

Applying to a variety of courses and universities increases your chances of getting an unconditional offer, which is required for the scholarship. While you’ll only list three courses on your Chevening application, you can apply to more programs overall to keep your options open. Don’t hesitate to aim for top universities, including those in the Russell Group, which are known for academic excellence and global reputation. However, Chevening doesn’t require you to pick a Russell Group university-choose the programs that best match your goals!

A few extra restrictions to keep in mind:

· Previous UK Government Funding:
You cannot apply if you have previously received funding from another UK government scholarship program to study in the UK. This includes any scholarship where the UK government paid for your studies, not just Chevening. However, if you completed a UK government-funded scholarship more than five years ago, you may be eligible for a Chevening Fellowship, but not for another Chevening Scholarship.

· British Citizenship:
You are not eligible if you hold British or dual British citizenship. The only exceptions are if you are a citizen of a British Overseas Territory or hold BN(O) status and are applying from Hong Kong.

· Refugee Status:
If you have refugee status in a country that is not eligible for Chevening, you cannot apply. However, if you are a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country and hold refugee status in another Chevening-eligible country, you are eligible to apply.

· Employment Connections:
You are not eligible if you are, or have been within the last two years, an employee, former employee, or relative of an employee of the UK government, British Embassies/High Commissions, the British Council, the Association of Commonwealth Universities, or sponsoring UK universities.
Relatives are defined as parents, step-parents, siblings, step-siblings, children, step-children, spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner (where the couple has lived together for at least two years).
If you are related to or have worked for a Chevening Partner organization, you may still apply, but you cannot receive a Chevening Partner Award from the organization you are connected to if the employment or relationship was within the last two years.

· Receiving Other Publicly-Funded Awards:
You must not accept any other form of publicly-funded award during your Chevening Scholarship. If you receive additional significant awards, bursaries, or prizes while on Chevening, your scholarship may be reduced or withdrawn.

If any of these restrictions apply to you, unfortunately, you will not be eligible for the Chevening Scholarship.

Worried about your age or English test scores?

Good news-there’s no age limit for applying to Chevening! Learning has no age cap, so don’t let that hold you back. As for English tests, Chevening itself no longer requires an English language test score. However, the universities you apply to might still need IELTS, TOEFL, or another test, so check their requirements and prepare accordingly

That’s a wrap for today’s Chevening update! I hope this helped clear up the eligibility details and gave you a better idea of what to expect on your Chevening journey. If you’re just joining or missed my last post, feel free to check it out for a full introduction to Chevening and how this amazing scholarship works.

Chevening Decoded: Your Guide to Nailing the Application (From a Real Alumna!) (PART 1)

As always, if you have any questions or want to share your thoughts, drop them in the comments-I love hearing from you! Good luck with your application and stay tuned for more tips and updates. You’ve got this!