Scholarships restored for doctoral studies in the UK

Those of you in Commonwealth countries may be aware of the Commonwealth Scholarship program. The UK government has offered scholarships for citizens of all Commonwealth countries for nearly 50 years.

In March the British Foreign Secretary announced that his department would no longer fund Commonwealth Scholarships for students from the ‘developed' Commonwealth to study in the United Kingdom. These scholarships specifically relate to eight countries: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, Malta, New Zealand, Singapore and the Bahamas. However, as a result of an initiative by UK universities, funding has been secured and the scholarships will, after all, be available in 2009.

Due to the uncertainty over these Commonwealth Scholarships the recruitment timeline for 2009 is now extremely tight with applications closing next month. Further details can be obtained from the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission website.