IN THIS POST
– About the Chevening Scholarship
– Chevening Scholarship Coverage
– Eligibility Criteria
– Work Experience
– Choosing the Universities
– Required Documents
– Application Process
– Application Timeline
– Contact Details
Have you ever thought about enrolling in a Master’s course at an international university but couldn’t do so due to lack of funds? If you are a qualified individual with leadership qualities, impeccable academic history and two years’ worth of full-time work experience under your belt, you can consider applying for the Chevening Scholarship for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study at a prestigious university in the United Kingdom.
Since the applications for Chevening Scholarships 2021 are opening on August 2, 2021, we are bringing you a detailed guide focusing on the eligibility criteria, work experience requirements, application process and timeline of the programme.
So, get your degrees and transcripts in order because you only have until November 2, 2021, to submit your online application for Chevening Scholarship.
About the Chevening Scholarships
Introduced in 1983, Chevening is an international scholarship programme funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK Government. Since its inception, over 50,000 professionals from across the world have been a part of the Chevening Programme – including at least 17 current and former heads of the state or government.
The Chevening offers two types of awards, Chevening Scholarships and Chevening Fellowships, to emerging leaders and outstanding professionals from more than 160 countries. The recipients for each of the programmes are handpicked by the British embassies and high commissions based on the applicant’s exceptional academic background, the potential for leadership, strong drive, and ambition.
The Chevening Scholarship allows the leaders of tomorrow to enrol in a one-year Master’s programme at a partner university in the UK. The applicants are free to choose any subject that suits their future goals and aspirations. For the duration of the award, the recipient will live and study in the UK, which is a great opportunity as it would allow them to develop academically, grow professionally, experience the diverse culture of Great Britain, and build a strong network.
At the end of the award, the scholars will have to return to Pakistan and stay here for at least two years.
Moreover, it is important to mention that the Higher Education Commission (HEC) serves as the nominating partner for Chevening in Pakistan. You can find out more about HEC scholarships in Pakistan here.
What Does the Chevening Scholarship Cover?
These UK Government scholarships for international students allow successful applicants to study and explore the UK without worrying about their tuition fee and other expenses.
Here is what the Chevening Scholarships for Pakistani students cover:
- Tuition fees
- Monthly stipend
- Cost of visa application
- Economy class return airfare to and from the UK
- Arrival allowance
- Departure allowance
- Travel grants to attend Chevening events
Eligibility Criteria for the Chevening Scholarship
If you want to study in the UK, you must fulfil the following eligibility criteria for Chevening Scholarships.
- The applicant must be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country or territory. Pakistan is among the countries included on the program’s eligibility list
- After the award ends, the recipient must return to their country of citizenship for a minimum period of two years
- The applicant must have completed all components of their undergraduate degree, typically equivalent to an upper second-class 2:1 honours degree in the United Kingdom, by the time they submit their Chevening Scholarship application.
- They must have at least two years of work experience, equivalent to 2,800 hours
- The applicant must apply to three different Chevening-eligible university courses in the UK and receive an unconditional offer from at least one of them by July 15, 2021
- They must meet the English language requirement by taking the IELTS Academic (or another) test by July 15, 2021
Here are some more conditions that can determine your eligibility to be a Chevening scholar.
- The applicant must not hold British or dual British citizenship
- They must not be a refugee in a non-Chevening eligible country. However, it is pertinent to point out that citizens of a Chevening-eligible country living as a refugee in any of the Chevening-eligible countries are eligible for these UK Government scholarships for international students
- The current and former employees of the British Government, as well as their families, are not eligible to apply for the award
- The current and former employees of the Chevening Partner Organizations, as well as their family members, may apply to study in the UK. However, they will not be eligible to apply through the said organisation
- The applicant must not have previously studied in the UK through a UK Government-funded scholarship programme
Required Work Experience
Though most international scholarships for students in Pakistan only require a brilliant academic record, the Chevening Scholarship also focuses on the applicant’s work experience.
In order to apply for the Chevening Scholarship, the applicant must have at least two years of full-time work experience – or a longer period, in case of part-time employment. They must meet the minimum work-experience requirement to be eligible to submit their online application.
Now, you do not need to be employed at the same organisation for two years to be able to apply. Fortunately, the Chevening Scholarship accepts all types of work experiences the applicant may have completed before, during or after their undergraduate studies. However, any mandatory employment experience as a part of their degree programme will not be acceptable.
Moreover, the applicant can submit as many as ten different employment periods to meet the criteria. If currently employed, they are also not required to resign as long as their employer is fine with it.
Here the types of work experiences that can help you win a Chevening award:
- Full-time employment
- Part-time employment
- Voluntary work
- Paid internships
- Unpaid internships
Depending on the type of employment, the required duration may vary a lot. Therefore, the easiest way to make sure you are eligible to apply for the Chevening Scholarship is to calculate your total work hours.
For your reference, a working day comprises about 8 hours, which means a 5-day work week consists of 40 hours. If you work about 35 to 60 hours per week, your job will be deemed full-time employment. Anything above that, however, will be deemed ineligible.
In total, one must have 2,800 working hours under their belt.
How to Choose Your University Courses
This is perhaps the most crucial (and overwhelming) part of the entire Chevening Scholarship application process.
As mentioned above, the applicant is required to select three Masters-level courses at the Chevening partner universities in the UK. This means you can either select three different courses at the same university, three similar courses at three different universities, or any other combination that works for you. Just ensure the programmes you chose perfectly reflect your future ambitions and career goals.
The list of partner universities offering one-year eligible postgraduate courses in the UK can be found on the official Chevening website under the ‘Course Finder.’
Furthermore, a point that a lot of students seem to miss, is that your scholarship application is not the same as your application to get admission into your chosen university.
Once you have selected the three courses you want to apply for, make sure to carefully read their admission criteria and then submit an individual application for each course, fulfilling all of their documents and language test requirements. If you want to receive a Chevening Scholarship, you must have an unconditional offer from at least one of your chosen programmes by July 15, 2021.
Your chosen programme must be:
- Full-time
- Starts between September and October
- Taught-Master’s with a duration of 9 to 12 months
- Based in the UK
Pre-sessional courses are usually not allowed, but you can directly contact the Chevening Secretariat for further confirmation.
List of Required Documents for the Chevening Application
Let’s take a look at the list of required documents for the Chevening Scholarships 2021:
- Valid green passport or CNIC
- University transcripts
- Degree certificates
- Three choices for master’s courses
While you must upload the documents above at the time of submitting your online application, the ones mentioned below can be uploaded at any time before their respective deadlines.
- English language test results for Academic IELTS/ TOEFL iBT/ Pearson PTE Academic/ Trinity ISE II (B2) or C1 Advanced
- Unconditional offer from the selected university
- Two reference letters
- Educational certificates (if any)
The scanned copies of these documents must be uploaded in JPG/PNG/PDF formats. You also need to make sure the attached files are under the size of 5 MB and have titles shorter than 51 characters.
How to Apply for the Chevening Scholarship Programme
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to apply for the Chevening Scholarships through the Online Application System (OAS).
Before we begin, please note that you can complete your application over some time. All you need to do is save your progress before logging out and hitting the submit button preferably a few days before the due date to avoid any issues at the last moment.
Step 1: Visit the official Chevening website and click on the ‘Apply’ tab in the top navigation menu
Step 2: Select ‘Pakistan’ from the first drop-down menu and then select ‘Scholarship’ from the second. Click the ‘Search button.’
Step 3: Register for the scholarship programme by entering your details in the relevant fields. It is recommended to write down your username and password somewhere safe
Step 4: Start filling your online application form. Make sure to click ‘Save’ before logging out and refrain from using the Back/Forward button on your browser. Instead, utilize the arrow keys appearing on the OAS
Step 5: Upload the required documents. The reference/recommendation letters for the Chevening Scholarship can be uploaded until late April 2022.
Step 6: Someone’s application questions have a certain word count. It is recommended to write your answers offline and then copy/paste them on the OAS. However, you must avoid plagiarism
Step 7: Choose three Master’s courses and confirm the status of your application
Step 8: Once your application is complete, carefully read it before clicking the ‘Submit’ button
Candidates shortlisted for the interviews will be informed through email.
Chevening Scholarship Application Timeline 2022
Here is the application timeline for the Chevening Scholarships 2022:
- Applications open on August 2, 2021
- The Chevening Scholarship 2022 deadline is November 2, 2021
- The applications will be sifted and assessed between mid-November and December.
- The applicants are shortlisted for interviews from early to mid-February 2022.
- The deadline for submitting the pending reference letters and education documents is from February till late April 2022.
- The interviews will take place between February 28 and April 29, 2022.
- The Chevening Scholarship results will be announced in June 2022.
- The deadline to receive an unconditional university offer is July 14, 2022.
- Studies will commence in the UK between September and October 2022.
Chevening Contact Details
Instead of trying to contact your local British embassy or high commission to ask about the scholarship programme, you should visit the official Chevening website and click on ‘Contact Us’ to submit an online query.
This brings an end to our guide detailing all about the Chevening Scholarship Programme. If you have any queries or suggestions, you can write to us at blog@zameen.com.
Meanwhile, if you cannot apply for the Chevening Scholarship due to your insufficient work experience, you can still study for free in the UK by applying for the Commonwealth Scholarships.
You can also take a look at the Fulbright Scholarship Program and Chinese government scholarships if you are interested in pursuing higher education in the United States or China. Those looking for opportunities in domestic universities may find our guide on scholarships in Pakistan rather useful.
To learn more about different scholarship programmes, stay connected to Zameen Blog – the best lifestyle and real estate blog in Pakistan. You can also subscribe to the Zameen Newsletter and Facebook page for more updates.
