Scholarships for Bangladeshi Students in UK 2026/2027

The United Kingdom is one of the most popular study destinations for Bangladeshi students, and it is also one of the most expensive. International tuition fees, London living costs, the visa fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge can push the real cost of a one-year master’s degree well beyond what most families in Bangladesh can fund from savings. The good news is that Bangladeshi citizens are eligible for some of the most generous scholarship schemes in the world — including the UK government’s flagship Chevening Scholarship and the Commonwealth Scholarships, both of which are fully funded and both of which explicitly include Bangladesh on their eligibility lists.

This guide covers every major scholarship route open to Bangladeshi students for the 2026/2027 cycle: UK government scholarships, Commonwealth schemes, the GREAT Scholarships, funding from individual universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, and foundation awards. For each scheme you will find who can apply, what it actually covers, and when the deadline falls. You will also find the Bangladeshi-specific steps that generic guides skip — how nomination through the Ministry of Education and the University Grants Commission (UGC) works for Commonwealth awards, which documents need attestation, and how the UK Student visa financial rules apply to money held in Bangladeshi bank accounts.

One honest warning before you start: scholarship deadlines for UK study fall much earlier than most students expect. The Commonwealth Master’s round for 2027/28 closed on 20 October 2026, and the Chevening round for 2027–28 entry closed in early October 2026. If you are reading this in late 2026, your realistic target is the 2027/28 application rounds for entry in autumn 2027 and autumn 2028 — and the students who win those rounds are the ones preparing now. Browse the full list of opportunities in our scholarships directory and read this guide end to end before you shortlist a single university.

Scholarships for Bangladeshi Students in the UK at a Glance

The table below summarises the main schemes covered in this guide. Amounts and dates are taken from the official sources listed at the end of this article; where a round has already closed, the table says so and gives the pattern to expect for the next round.

If your priority is a fully funded package rather than a specific city, also read our companion guide to fully funded scholarships for Bangladeshi students, which compares the biggest awards across all destination countries.

The Main Scholarships Open to Bangladeshi Students

1. Chevening Scholarship — the UK Government’s flagship award

Chevening is the UK government’s global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). It funds a one-year taught master’s degree at any UK university, in any subject, for future leaders from eligible countries — and Bangladesh is a long-standing Chevening partner country with a large alumni network in government, business, media and the development sector.

Chevening is genuinely fully funded. The award pays your university tuition fees in full, a monthly stipend to cover accommodation and living expenses (set at a higher rate for London), an economy return airfare from Bangladesh to the UK, an arrival allowance and a homeward departure allowance, plus the cost of your visa application and the Immigration Health Surcharge. Current stipend rates are published on the official Chevening website each cycle; do not rely on figures quoted by agent websites, which are frequently out of date.

Eligibility is strict and specific. You must be a citizen of Bangladesh, hold an undergraduate degree that allows entry to a UK postgraduate programme, and have at least two years of work experience — Chevening counts this as 2,800 hours, which can include full-time, part-time, voluntary and internship work completed after your degree. You must apply to three different eligible UK master’s courses and, if selected, secure an unconditional offer from one of them by the deadline Chevening sets (usually in July). You must also commit to returning to Bangladesh for at least two years after your scholarship ends. There is no upper age limit. The 2027–28 application round closed on 6 October 2026; applications normally open in August and close in early October, so a Bangladeshi applicant targeting autumn 2028 entry should expect to apply in August–October 2027 — and should spend the months before that building the work experience record and leadership evidence the four application essays demand.

2. Commonwealth Master’s and PhD Scholarships

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) funds talented graduates from low- and middle-income Commonwealth countries who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK. Bangladesh, as a Commonwealth member, is on the eligible country list for both the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships and the Commonwealth PhD Scholarships.

These are development-focused awards. Your chosen course must fit one of the CSC’s six themes — science and technology for development; strengthening health systems and capacity; promoting innovation and entrepreneurship/global prosperity; strengthening global peace, security and governance; strengthening resilience and response to crises; and access, inclusion and opportunity. A polished application that cannot explain how the degree will benefit Bangladesh will not survive selection.

The funding package is comprehensive: approved return airfare between Bangladesh and the UK, full approved tuition fees, and a living allowance of £1,712 per month, rising to £2,000 per month if your university is in the London metropolitan area. Additional support can include a study travel grant, a thesis grant for PhD scholars, a warm clothing allowance, and a child allowance for widowed, divorced or single-parent scholars bringing children under 16 (the CSC publishes the current child allowance rates — £622 per month for the first child at recent rates).

The critical Bangladeshi detail is the nomination route. You do not simply apply to the CSC and stop there: Commonwealth Master’s and PhD applicants must also be nominated. For Bangladesh, the CSC lists the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education as the national nominating agency, and in practice the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh (UGC) publishes the local advertisement, receives applications and runs the national selection. The UGC’s own deadline is earlier than the CSC’s — in the 2027/28 round the CSC deadline was 16:00 BST on 20 October 2026, and Bangladeshi applicants needed their nomination paperwork completed before that. Every year, strong Bangladeshi candidates miss out because they watched the CSC date and ignored the UGC circular. Check the UGC website (ugc.gov.bd) and the Ministry of Education’s Secondary and Higher Education Division pages from August onwards each year.

3. Commonwealth Shared Scholarships

Shared Scholarships are a joint scheme between the CSC and participating UK universities, aimed at students from the least developed and lower-middle-income Commonwealth countries — Bangladesh qualifies. Unlike the main Master’s scheme, Shared Scholarships are tied to a specific list of eligible courses at specific universities, published each cycle. You apply through the CSC’s online system and must also apply for admission to the course itself. The package mirrors the main scheme: full tuition, return airfare and the monthly stipend. The timetable is separate from the agency-nominated schemes and applications have typically closed in December — confirm the current cycle on the CSC website, because the course list changes every year.

4. GREAT Scholarships — £10,000 towards a master’s

GREAT Scholarships are jointly funded by the UK government’s GREAT Britain campaign, the British Council and participating UK universities. For Bangladeshi students they offer £10,000 towards tuition fees for a one-year taught postgraduate course. Bangladesh is a confirmed GREAT country: eight awards were allocated to Bangladesh in the 2026 cycle, and in 2026–27 the programme offered more than 140 scholarships across more than 60 UK universities for students from 18 countries, Bangladesh included.

GREAT is not fully funded — £10,000 reduces your tuition bill but does not touch living costs, flights or visa fees — so treat it as one component of a funding plan, not the whole plan. You apply to the university, not to the British Council: each participating university runs its own GREAT competition with its own eligible courses and its own deadline, usually in the spring before an autumn start. The official list of participating universities for Bangladesh is on the Study UK GREAT Scholarships page.

5. University of Oxford and University of Cambridge funding

Two of the world’s most famous universities run large internal scholarship funds that Bangladeshi students can and do win. At the University of Oxford, the Clarendon Fund offers around 200 fully funded scholarships a year across all subjects and nationalities: it covers tuition and college fees in full and provides a grant towards living costs. There is no separate Clarendon application — you are considered automatically if you apply for your course by the December or January funding deadline. At the University of Cambridge, the Gates Cambridge Scholarship funds outstanding students from outside the UK for full-time postgraduate study, covering the university composition fee, a maintenance allowance and economy airfare; the Cambridge Trust also administers a wide range of country- and subject-specific awards through a single application. For both universities, the decisive action is applying for the course early — most internal funding deadlines fall between October and January, months before Bangladeshi students typically start thinking about applications. Compare both institutions in our global university rankings before choosing where to apply.

6. Other university and foundation awards

Beyond the headline schemes, most UK universities offer international excellence scholarships — automatic tuition discounts or competitive awards typically worth £2,000–£10,000 — and some run awards specifically for South Asian or Bangladeshi students. These change every year, so work from each university’s own scholarship pages rather than from listicles. One foundation award Bangladeshi postgraduates should know is the Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Programme, for which Bangladesh is an eligible country: it supports master’s (and, in limited cases, PhD) study with a package structured as 50% grant and 50% loan, covering tuition and living expenses but not travel, with applications closing around 31 March each year and a preference for applicants under 30. Note that destination coverage rules can change between cycles — confirm on the official AKDN website whether study in the UK is covered in the cycle you apply to.

Eligibility: What Bangladeshi Applicants Must Show

Although each scheme has its own rules, the common eligibility spine for the major UK awards looks like this:

• Citizenship and residence: You must be a citizen of Bangladesh (for Commonwealth awards, also permanently resident there) and, for Chevening, willing to return home for at least two years afterwards.
• Academic record: Commonwealth Master’s applicants need at least an upper second-class (2:1) honours degree, or a second-class degree plus a relevant postgraduate qualification. In Bangladeshi terms, selection panels look for a strong first degree — typically a CGPA around 3.5/4.0 or first-class honours from a recognised university — although no scheme publishes a single Bangladeshi CGPA cut-off, and the UGC applies its own shortlisting standards.
• Financial need (Commonwealth): You must be unable to afford UK study without the scholarship. This is a genuine criterion, not a formality.
• Work experience (Chevening): At least 2,800 hours of post-degree work experience.
• English language: The CSC does not set its own IELTS requirement, but your university will — most UK master’s courses ask for IELTS 6.5–7.0 or an accepted equivalent. Prepare early with the resources in our test preparation section.
• Timing: You must be available to start your course in the September/October of the award year.

A Bangladeshi-specific note on degrees: your university must be recognised, and if you later need your UK degree recognised back home, the UGC handles foreign degree equivalence — keep every transcript and certificate safe from day one.

What the Funding Covers — and What It Does Not

For self-funded and GREAT-funded students, budget honestly for the items no partial scholarship touches: the Student visa application fee (£558 from April 2026), the Immigration Health Surcharge at £776 per year of visa, your flight, and living costs above the visa minimum. A partial scholarship plus no plan for the rest is the most common reason Bangladeshi offer-holders decline places they worked hard to win.

How to Apply: Step by Step

1. Choose your scheme(s) and courses (12–15 months before entry). Shortlist courses that match the scheme’s logic: development themes for Commonwealth, leadership trajectory for Chevening, the published course lists for GREAT and Shared Scholarships. Use our university directory to compare institutions.
2. Watch the Bangladeshi channels. From August, check the UGC website and the Ministry of Education’s Secondary and Higher Education Division for the Commonwealth nomination circular, and note its deadline — it will be earlier than the CSC’s.
3. Apply for university admission in parallel. Scholarship applications do not replace course applications (except that Chevening lets you apply to courses alongside). For Oxford and Cambridge funding, course deadlines in October–January are the funding deadlines.
4. Complete the scholarship application online. Chevening and the CSC both use online application systems. Chevening’s four essays — leadership and influence, networking, study in the UK, and career plan — carry the application; the CSC requires a development impact statement explaining the benefit to Bangladesh.
5. Upload documents and references before the deadline. Both schemes require references on signed documents; the CSC specifies two references and full transcripts. Ask referees at least a month ahead.
6. Attend the interview. Chevening interviews are held at the British High Commission in Dhaka, typically between February and April. Commonwealth selection runs through the nominating agency and the CSC.
7. Secure the unconditional offer and prepare the visa. Once selected, finalise your university place, receive your CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies), complete the TB test and file the Student visa application with financial evidence that meets the 28-day rule described below.

Required Documents — and Bangladeshi Attestation Notes

Across the major schemes you will need: a valid Bangladeshi passport; all higher-education transcripts and certificates; two references; a CV; your English test results (for the university, and sometimes for the scheme); and, for Commonwealth applications, the nominating agency’s own form on top of the CSC application. Practical points that trip up Bangladeshi applicants:

• Attestation: Where a notice asks for attested copies, follow the UGC/Ministry circular exactly — Bangladeshi scholarship circulars typically require attestation by a first-class gazetted officer or notary, and documents in any language other than English need certified translations. If you later study abroad and need foreign documents verified for use in Bangladesh, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation service is the standard route.
• Name consistency: Your name must match across passport, certificates and applications. Bangladeshi students whose SSC/HSC certificates spell a name differently from their passport should fix this early — through the education board correction process — not in the month of a deadline.
• TB test: Bangladesh is on the UK’s tuberculosis testing list, so Student visa applicants need a TB clearance certificate from the approved clinic (IOM-run facilities in Dhaka) — build the appointment into your timeline.
• Bank documents: For the visa, funds in a parent’s account are acceptable with the required consent evidence; funds must meet the 28-day holding rule explained below and statements must show the account holder’s name, the bank’s details and the closing balance.

Deadlines and Timeline for 2026/2027 and Beyond

UK Student Visa and Money Facts for Bangladeshi Students

A scholarship award letter is the strongest possible financial evidence, but self-funded and partially funded students must meet the Home Office rules exactly. Under the financial evidence rules published on GOV.UK, you must show your first year’s course fees (as stated on your CAS, minus anything already paid) plus living costs of £1,529 per month for courses in London or £1,171 per month outside London, for up to nine months. The money must have been held for at least 28 consecutive days, and the closing balance date must be within 31 days of your visa application. A further increase — to £1,570 per month in London and £1,203 outside London — has been announced for applications from 30 November 2026, so verify the figure that applies on the day you apply. The visa application fee is £558 (from April 2026) and the Immigration Health Surcharge is £776 per year of the visa, paid upfront.

After graduation, the Graduate visa lets you stay and work: applications made by 31 December 2026 receive two years (three after a PhD), while bachelor’s and master’s graduates applying from 1 January 2027 receive 18 months. Plan your scholarship choices with that shorter runway in mind — a funded degree with no debt matters more, not less, when post-study time is limited. If you are weighing the UK against North America, compare this guide with our companion article on scholarships for Bangladeshi students in Canada.

How to Improve Your Chances

• Fit the scheme’s mission. Commonwealth panels fund development impact on Bangladesh; Chevening panels fund future leaders with a credible network and career plan. Write to the mission, not to your own wish list.
• Choose courses strategically. For Chevening, your three course choices should form one coherent story. For Commonwealth, the course must sit inside a CSC theme and a Bangladeshi development priority — climate resilience, public health, garments-sector technology, and digital governance all map naturally.
• Build the evidence file early. Leadership claims need proof: employment letters quantifying your 2,800 hours, project documents, media coverage, awards. Assemble them months before the portal opens.
• Use referees who know your work. A famous name who cannot describe your achievements loses to a supervisor who can. Brief your referees and give them the deadline in writing.
• Apply in more than one lane. A realistic Bangladeshi applicant for 2027 entry might combine Chevening, a Commonwealth nomination, two GREAT universities and one university excellence award. The applications reuse the same core evidence.

Common Mistakes Bangladeshi Applicants Make

• Missing the UGC deadline while watching the CSC’s later date — the single most expensive error in the Commonwealth process.
• Trusting agent-quoted amounts. Stipend figures on consultancy websites are often years out of date. The current Commonwealth rate is £1,712/£2,000 per month; verify every figure on the official scheme page.
• Breaking the 28-day rule. Money moved into an account shortly before a visa application, or a balance that dips below the required level on any day of the 28 days, fails the financial requirement.
• Choosing an MBA for Commonwealth funding. MBA programmes are not funded under the Commonwealth Master’s scheme.
• Applying to ineligible courses for Chevening. Part-time, distance-learning and courses shorter than nine months do not qualify; the degree must be a full-time taught master’s in the UK.
• Paying anyone who promises a scholarship. Chevening, the CSC and the British Council charge no application fee and appoint no agents. Anyone in Dhaka selling “guaranteed Chevening selection” is selling a fiction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Bangladeshi students get a fully funded scholarship in the UK for 2026/2027?

Yes. Chevening and the Commonwealth Master’s and PhD Scholarships are fully funded and both include Bangladesh. The 2027–28 rounds have closed (October 2026); the next rounds are expected to open in August–September 2027 for autumn 2028 entry, following the same annual pattern.

What CGPA do I need for the Commonwealth Scholarship from Bangladesh?

The CSC requires at least an upper second-class (2:1) honours degree, or a 2:2 plus a relevant postgraduate degree. In practice, Bangladeshi shortlisting through the Ministry of Education/UGC is highly competitive and successful candidates usually hold first-class honours or a CGPA around 3.5/4.0 or higher — but the agency assesses the whole file, and no single published CGPA cut-off guarantees or bars selection.

How much is the Commonwealth Scholarship monthly stipend?

At current published rates, £1,712 per month, or £2,000 per month if your university is in the London metropolitan area. Rates are reviewed between cycles, so confirm the figure in the terms for your award year on the CSC website.

Do I need IELTS for Chevening or Commonwealth?

Neither scheme sets its own IELTS score — but your UK university sets an English requirement for admission (commonly IELTS 6.5–7.0 for master’s courses), and you cannot take up the award without an unconditional offer. Treat the university’s requirement as the real one and prepare early.

How do I apply for the Commonwealth Scholarship from Bangladesh?

You complete the CSC’s online application AND the nominating-agency process. For Bangladesh, the nominating agency is the Secondary and Higher Education Division, Ministry of Education, and the University Grants Commission publishes the local advertisement and selection process. The agency deadline is earlier than the CSC deadline — follow the UGC circular.

How much money must I show for a UK Student visa from Bangladesh?

Your first year’s unpaid course fees plus £1,529 per month (London) or £1,171 per month (outside London) for up to nine months, held for 28 consecutive days. An increase to £1,570/£1,203 applies from 30 November 2026. Scholarship holders use their award letter as financial evidence instead.

Can I work in the UK after my master’s?

Yes, on the Graduate visa: two years if you apply by 31 December 2026, and 18 months for bachelor’s and master’s graduates applying from 1 January 2027 (PhD graduates receive three years). Chevening scholars, however, must return to Bangladesh for at least two years under their scholarship conditions.

Is the GREAT Scholarship fully funded?

No. It provides £10,000 towards tuition fees for a one-year taught master’s. You remain responsible for the balance of tuition, living costs, flights, the visa fee and the health surcharge, and you must still meet the Student visa financial requirement for the remainder.

Sources & Verification

The facts in this guide were checked against official sources at the time of writing: the Chevening Scholarship website (chevening.org) for eligibility, coverage and the two-year return rule; the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk) for eligible countries, the £1,712/£2,000 stipend rates, funding terms and the 20 October 2026 deadline; the British Council’s Study UK GREAT Scholarships page for the £10,000 value, Bangladesh’s inclusion and the 2026–27 programme scale; GOV.UK’s Student visa financial evidence guidance for the £1,529/£1,171 maintenance figures and the 28-day rule; the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge funding pages for Clarendon and Gates Cambridge; and the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh for the Commonwealth nomination process. Scholarship amounts, deadlines and eligibility lists change every cycle — always confirm the details on the official website before you apply.

Disclaimer: StudyGraduate is an independent information portal, not an agency, university or government body. We do not charge for scholarship applications and cannot promise or influence selection, admission or visa decisions. Decisions rest solely with the scholarship providers, universities and immigration authorities named above.