The UK Government Chevening Scholarships is a fully funded scholarship awarded to students of foreign origin to study in the United Kingdom. It is a very competitive scholarship program and in order to win or better still, give yourself the best chance of being shortlisted for an interview and eventually being offered the scholarship it is important to prepare adequately for each of the steps involved in the scholarship process.
Applications for 2024/25 Chevening scholarships is open for application. It is recommended that you learn some of the tips that will help you smash the application! This article is to help you in your choice of course for your application, choice of suitable references, and how to avoid common errors that others make during the scholarship process.
For all Chevening Scholarships awardees, it is usually a requirement that they agree to the terms and conditions of the award. Applicants are usually encouraged to review the terms and conditions before even submitting their application. You can also proceed HERE to find out what was required in the last application phase to better equip yourself for the next phase.
Helpful Tips for Applying to Chevening Scholarships 2024-2025
Selecting the Right Courses
Choose your three courses carefully. You will not be able to change your course choices after submitting your application unless you are granted permission to do so at the interview stage. You will need to apply separately to your selected courses directly via the university. Please apply as soon as possible to ensure you get a place. To be awarded a scholarship, you must get an unconditional offer for one of your course choices.
It is recommended that applicants select three similar courses at three different universities to increase the likelihood that you will gain entry into one of them. Please note that the course titles do not have to match exactly, but all three courses should be similar in content. You should select courses that reflect your current or future career goals.
In order to be eligible, the courses you choose must be full-time; Start in the autumn term (usually September/October); Taught master’s (i.e. not research-focused MRes programmes); Lead to a master’s degree qualification; Based in the UK
Courses cannot be: Part-time; Distance learning; Less than nine months in duration, more than 12 months in duration; PhD or DPhil; Taught with more than one month of study outside the UK. Applicants are not permitted to enrol in pre-sessional courses to fulfil your university’s English language requirement or any other conditions of a university offer.
Apply for a Chevening Scholarship
Unconditional offers: The Secretariat will need to see evidence of an unconditional offer from one of your three course choices in order to finalise your Chevening Scholarships.
Using the Online Application System
All Chevening applications must be submitted through the online application system (OAS). The OAS system will be used throughout the application and selection process. Applicants will be required to log back in at various points during the process to receive updates on your application status, or to submit documents.
Applicants are advised to:
1) Where possible when applying for Chevening Scholarship 2024, use the Google Chrome web browser, as this is recommended for the best experience. Using a laptop or PC is recommended, rather than a mobile or tablet.
2) When completing your application form, work in a full-sized window. It will make the application form easier to read in its intended format.
3) Don’t use your browser’s ‘back’ and ‘forward’ buttons. This will take you out of the system and you will lose all unsaved work.
4) Remember your username and password. This saves time when you want to log back into the online application system.
5) Enter information accurately, especially your contact details. Please ensure that you enter a valid email address.
6) The application form may take some time to complete, so consider preparing your answers offline and then pasting them into the online form.
7) Application questions have word counts. In the application form, there is a set of questions you are required to answer. Please adhere to the word count.
8) Save as you go! There is no automatic save function on the system and each session will close after 60 minutes.
9) You do not have to complete the form in one session
10) Do not plagiarise
11) Applications must be submitted in English. Any application not submitted in English is ineligible.
12) Check the size and format of the files you intend to upload and ensure they meet the requirement. The online system will only accept JPG/PNG/PDF documents of no larger than 5MB. Please ensure that the length of file names do not exceed 50 characters.
13) Only submit your application once you’re completely satisfied with it. When you are satisfied with your application, click the ‘Submit’ button.
14) Remember, you can only submit one application and we will only accept your first application.
References
References are an integral part of Chevening’s selection process. Applicants are to supply the names of two referees when they submit their application. Kindly note that Chevening will not contact your referees to complete or upload references. It is the applicant’s responsibility to obtain and upload references on behalf of referees.
Applicants are to carefully select their referees who can comment on their general suitability to receive a Chevening Scholarship or Fellowship. They should be known to you, either in an academic or professional capacity and should not be relative or close friend.
The Chevening Interview
Applicants shortlisted to interview for a Chevening Scholarship will be invited to attend an interview in the city/town where the British embassy or high commission has a representation. The interview will be a competency-based panel assessment conducted in English. The interview panel will include representatives from the British embassy or high commission, who will use the global Chevening criteria to assess your answers.
Invited applicants will receive an email with instructions on how to book their interview. Interview slots are available on a first-come-first-served basis, so it is suggested that you book your slot as soon as possible.
Prior to attending the interview, applicants will be asked to upload their educational documents (copies of certificates and/or transcripts); two reference letters; a short biography that tells more about you.
While preparing for your interview, applicants will need to take their Passport/national ID to the interview.
Avoid Common Errors
Applicants are to avoid the common errors that past applicants have made. They include:
- Pre-screen Error: Applicants must correctly answer all parts of the eligibility pre-screen to be able to access the application form.
- Application Form Errors: Applicants must correctly fill all parts of the application form to be considered eligible as only eligible applications will be processed. Below are the sections of the application form where applicants have made the most common errors:
- Personal details: Applicants who have dual citizenship from the United Kingdom cannot be considered for an award.
- Work experience: Applicants are required to have worked a minimum of 2,800 hours. Work experience is calculated automatically by multiplying the number of weeks worked by the number of hours worked per week.
- UK university: Applicants who registered for duplicate courses at the same universities cannot be considered for a scholarship. Applicants must select three different courses.
- Declaration: This section of the application form requires that applicants answer correctly to a number of statements to be considered eligible. If an applicant is not able to confirm that these statements apply to them, they will be deemed ineligible.
- Application questions word count: Applicants are to meet the minimum word count required in the essay questions to be eligible.
- Plagiarism: Applicants are to guard against plagiarizing any of their contents as all applications will be subjected to plagiarism test. Applicants are allowed to insert quotations but must acknowledge the source as they would in an academic essay.
- Use of English language: Applicants must complete all aspect of the application form in English to be eligible.
To apply for a Chevening Scholarship 2024, applicants may visit the official website when the portal opens.
