A British degree can really be the source of a large variety of benefits. That is why the Chevening Scholarship is the aim of many students interested in pursuing their master’s degree abroad, or specifically interested in being part of the great number of international students at UK universities.
Submitting a strong application is not as simple as it might sound, the students should devote their time and attention to it, and make sure they make no errors. Before submitting an application, make sure you go through this Chevening Scholarship application guide so you don’t miss any details or lose any unsaved data.
The Chevening Scholarships are fully-funded scholarships that enable students to undertake any master’s course, at any university in the UK. These scholarships give the possibility to developing leaders around the world, to pursue their master’s degree within the UK.
The aim of the Chevening Scholarships is to create a better future, and they plan to achieve this by giving an opportunity to people who are ambitious to do so. Ensuring the flights, accommodation, as well as course fees are all included, a Chevening Scholarship would make sure you can give your utmost attention to your professional goals. It’s one of the many scholarships the UK offers for international students, and it is highly competitive as well.
Who Can Apply For A Chevening Scholarship?
Before you reach out for the application form, take a look at who is eligible to apply for the scholarship. Note that attributes such as gender, sexual orientation, religion, marriage, caste, or class are not important when applying for the scholarship. There is also no upper age limit either. What they want is someone who has the potential to make a change for the better.
So, what is the criteria that needs to be met before starting the application process? Below you will find the criteria that proves you’re eligible to apply:
You ARE eligible to apply, if:
- You are a citizen of a Chevening-eligible territory or country.
- You will return to your country of citizenship for a minimum of two years after having completed the award.
- You have completed all the components of an undergraduate degree by the time you submit your application.
- You have applied to three different eligible UK university courses and received an offer from one of them by a specific date set by Chevening at the time of application (more on this below).
- You have a minimum of two years of work experience.
- You meet the English language requirement within the time-limitations set by Chevening at the time of application (more on this below).
What Are The English Language Requirement?
Chevening only accepts English language tests from the following five providers:
- Academic IELTS
- Pearson PTE Academic
- TOEFL iBT
- C1 Advanced
- Trinity ISE II (B2)
The test should not be dated more than one year before the time of application. Meaning it should be up-to-date. The test should have a sufficient score result in all four categories, Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing. The sufficiency of score results is set by Chevening and you should check with their website for updates on minimum scores.
More On The Work Experience
Chevening has set a time of minimum two years of work experience per applicant. Meaning, you’re not eligible to apply if you do not meet this criteria. It is important to know, however, that Chevening counts the following as work experience:
- Full-time employment
- Part-time employment
- Voluntary work
- Paid/Unpaid internships
The work experience will be accumulated to meet a minimum of 2,800 hours of work experience. If you have worked part-time, the minimum of working hours is the same, only you will have accumulated it for more than two years.
Do I Need References To Apply For A Chevening Scholarship?
Yes, you will need references to apply for a scholarship. More specifically, they are an essential part of the application process. When you submit your application, you should give the names of two referees. Afterwards, if your application is progressed to the next stage, you will be asked to upload two reference letters to the online application system. Reference letters should be from people you know either professionally or academically, they should not be close friends or relatives.
How To Apply Online?
There are a few things you should keep in mind when using the Chevening Online Application System (OAS). Initially, make sure you’re using a laptop or PC instead of a mobile or tablet. To avoid losing any unsaved work, make sure you navigate through the form using the menus on the form. Below you will find a few other things that are important to remember:
- Remember the username and password in the online application system.
- Make sure you enter a valid email address, so you don’t miss any essential updates.
- Consider preparing your answers offline and then pasting them into the application form.
- Make sure you meet the word counts of the questions in the application. The minimum word count is 100, while the maximum is 500 words per answer.
- Each session will close after 60 minutes, so make sure you save as you go.
- Submit your application in English, otherwise it will be disregarded.
- If you’re unable to complete the application at once, logout of the system and go back later to complete the form.
- The online system only accepts JPG/PNG/PDF documents that are 5MB at most. So, check the files you wish to upload to the application.
- Except for the contact details section, you cannot modify your application after you submit it. So, make sure you submit the final version you’re satisfied with.
- You can only submit one application, and only the first application will be accepted.
- If you want to withdraw from the process, you will be asked for a reason. Keep in mind, though, that once you withdraw, you will not be able to start again up until the following year when the applications open.
- You must not plagiarize. Your application will not be considered if the content you used to answer your questions is plagiarized.
From the application deadline, the process of selecting the Chevening Scholars takes a minimum of eight months. So, make sure you submit a neat and strong application, make sure your personal and contact details are correct and valid, do not plagiarize, and simply give your utmost best.