The United Kingdom remains one of the most popular study destinations in the world, and its scholarship system is unusually generous — but it is also unusually competitive and deadline-driven. The single most important fact for 2027 entry is a timing one: the Chevening Scholarship cycle for 2027-28, which opened on 4 August 2026, closed on 6 October 2026. If you missed that window, you have not lost your chance to study in the UK; you have lost one cycle. This guide explains what each major award actually covers, what it costs to study in the UK even with a scholarship, and how to build a realistic plan for the 2028-29 cycle and for university awards that are still open.
Chevening: the flagship award, and why timing matters
Chevening is the UK government's global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and partner organisations. It is aimed at future leaders: applicants need an undergraduate degree, at least two years of work experience, and a clear plan to return home for at least two years after their studies. A Chevening award normally covers full tuition fees, a monthly living allowance, an economy return airfare, and additional grants for essentials such as arrival and thesis costs. One cap worth knowing: for MBA programmes, Chevening funding is capped at £22,000 towards tuition fees, so an MBA applicant should check the fee of their chosen programme against that ceiling before applying. Because the 2027-28 cycle is closed, the sensible move now is preparation rather than panic: build the two years of experience, shortlist three eligible master's courses, and draft the four Chevening essays — leadership, networking, study plan, and career plan — well before the next cycle opens. Applicants who start essay drafts months early consistently produce stronger applications than those who rush in the final week.
Commonwealth Scholarships: for students from Commonwealth countries
Commonwealth Scholarships are funded by the UK government and administered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission. They are open to citizens of Commonwealth countries, which includes Pakistan, and they mainly support master's and PhD study at UK universities. Unlike Chevening, which is a single brand with one application portal, Commonwealth awards come in several strands — including scholarships for master's study, PhD research, and shared scholarships run jointly with individual universities — each with its own eligibility rules and nominating route. Some strands require nomination through a national agency, while shared scholarships are applied for directly through the partner university. The exact award values, eligible subjects and deadlines for the next cycle are to be confirmed on the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission's official site before you apply, because they change between cycles and differ by strand. What does not change is the core test: academic merit, a development-relevant study plan, and a convincing case for how your degree will benefit your home country.
GREAT Scholarships and university awards
GREAT Scholarships are offered by the UK government in partnership with UK universities, targeted at students from selected countries studying selected subjects. They are partial awards rather than full funding: they reduce tuition fees for a one-year master's degree, and the participating universities and eligible subjects vary each year. Treat GREAT as a strong supplement to — not a replacement for — a full funding plan, and confirm the current country list, participating universities and award value on the official GREAT Scholarships pages before applying, as these details are to be confirmed for each new cycle. The largest single source of scholarship money, however, is universities themselves. Most UK universities run merit scholarships, departmental awards, country-specific bursaries and early-payment or alumni discounts. These are typically partial — a tuition-fee reduction rather than full funding — but they stack: a student can combine a university award with a partial external scholarship, and many universities automatically consider applicants for merit awards when they apply for admission. Always check the scholarship pages of each university you apply to, and ask the admissions office directly about awards that are not advertised prominently.
What it actually costs: verified 2027 figures
Even a fully funded scholarship rarely covers every cost, and a partial award leaves most costs with you. Budget with verified figures, not guesses:
| Cost | Verified figure |
|---|---|
| UK Student visa application fee | £558 (from 8 April 2026) |
| Immigration Health Surcharge | £776 per year of the visa |
| Monthly maintenance funds — London | £1,570 per month (from 30 November 2026) |
| Monthly maintenance funds — outside London | £1,203 per month (from 30 November 2026) |
| UCAS undergraduate application fee | £34.50 |
The maintenance figures are the amounts the Home Office requires you to show for your visa, and they rise with the November 2026 update — an important detail if you prepared your budget from older guidance. Tuition fees vary widely by university and subject and are not stated here as a single figure; check the exact fee on each university's official course page before you commit to an application.
UCAS and the application timeline
Undergraduate applications to UK universities run through UCAS. The equal consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses is 13 January 2027: applications received by that date must be considered equally by universities, while later applications are considered only if places remain. Postgraduate taught applications, by contrast, are made directly to each university, and deadlines vary by institution — some close as early as December, others accept applications into the summer. A realistic 2027 plan looks like this: sit your IELTS or other English test early, prepare transcripts and references by autumn, submit UCAS or direct applications by January where applicable, and apply for scholarships in parallel rather than waiting for an admission offer first. Many scholarship deadlines fall before university decisions arrive, so waiting for an offer before starting a scholarship application is one of the commonest mistakes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for Chevening and Commonwealth at the same time? Yes — they are separate programmes with separate applications, and applying to both is sensible. Just make sure each application is tailored to that programme's own criteria rather than copied across.
Is IELTS required for a scholarship? Most UK universities and scholarship programmes require proof of English proficiency, usually IELTS Academic or an accepted equivalent, at a level set by the university. The exact score is to be confirmed on each university's course page.
What if I missed the Chevening 2027-28 deadline? Prepare for the 2028-29 cycle, and in the meantime apply for university awards and GREAT Scholarships for 2027 entry. A year spent strengthening your profile — work experience, a stronger test score, a clearer career plan — often produces a better Chevening application anyway.
Do scholarships cover dependants? Most major awards are designed for the scholar alone; dependant costs, including additional visa fees and health surcharge, are generally the student's responsibility and should be budgeted separately.
Related guides on Pakunii
Fully Funded Scholarships 2027 · IELTS Academic Guide · UCAS Application Guide 2027 · Canada Study Permit Guide 2027
Sources and verification: Chevening official site (2027-28 cycle opened 4 August 2026, closed 6 October 2026; MBA fee cap £22,000); UK Home Office / GOV.UK (Student visa fee £558 from 8 April 2026; Immigration Health Surcharge £776 per year; maintenance £1,570 London / £1,203 elsewhere per month from 30 November 2026); UCAS (equal consideration deadline 13 January 2027; application fee £34.50). Commonwealth, GREAT and university award values and deadlines are marked to be confirmed on the official programme and university pages, as they vary by cycle and strand.