Scholarships for Bangladeshi Students in UK | 2027 Guide

Scholarships for Bangladeshi students at UK universities can range from partial tuition fee discounts to fully funded awards covering tuition fees and, in some cases, additional study-related costs.

For 2027 entry, major scholarship opportunities follow their own application timelines. Chevening applications are expected to open in August 2026 and close in October 2026. Commonwealth applications typically open later in the year, while GREAT Scholarships and university-specific awards usually have deadlines between early 2027 and spring.

The highest scholarship value does not always mean the lowest overall cost. For example, a £10,000 award at a university with higher tuition fees may leave a larger remaining balance than a smaller scholarship at a more affordable institution.

When comparing scholarships, start by calculating the total study cost, available funding, and the amount you may still need to cover.

UK Scholarship Deadlines for 2027 Entry

Only the Chevening dates in this table are confirmed for the 2027-28 cycle. The other periods are practical planning windows based on recent official application cycles.

They are designed to help you prepare early, not replace the provider’s final deadline. The date published on the official scholarship or university website always takes priority.

Scholarship	Funding	Best suited to	2027 application timing
Chevening Scholarship	Fully funded	Experienced graduates with leadership evidence	Confirmed: 4 August to 6 October 2026
Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship	Fully funded	Development-focused master’s applicants	Usually September to October
Commonwealth Shared Scholarship	Fully funded	Applicants to selected development-related courses	Usually early November to mid-December
GREAT Scholarships	Usually £10,000 or more	One-year taught postgraduate applicants	University deadlines commonly fall between April and June
Gates Cambridge Scholarship	Fully funded	Exceptional Cambridge postgraduate applicants	Applications usually open in September; funding deadline commonly falls in December
Oxford Clarendon Scholarships	Fully funded	Academically outstanding Oxford graduate applicants	Apply by the relevant December or January course deadline
Nottingham Developing Solutions	50% or 100% of tuition	Development-focused master’s applicants	Usually January to mid-April
UCL Global Master’s Scholarship	£15,000 in the latest cycle	Overseas students from lower-income backgrounds	Usually opens early in the year and closes in early May
Manchester Global Futures Scholarship	£10,000 for master’s; up to £30,000 for undergraduate study in the latest cycle	Offer-holders domiciled in Bangladesh	Usually available to offer-holders during spring
Bristol Think Big Scholarships	£6,500 to £26,000 in the latest cycle	Undergraduate and master’s applicants	Usually January to April

These annual windows are more useful than guessed dates. They remain valid as a preparation guide even when the provider moves a deadline by a few days.

Which UK Scholarship Fits Your Profile?

Do not apply to every scholarship with the same essay. Match the award to the evidence you actually have.

Your strongest evidence	Scholarships to prioritise
Professional experience, leadership and influence	Chevening
Academic merit and development impact	Commonwealth Master’s
Financial need and an eligible development-related course	Commonwealth Shared
Strong academics and admission to a participating university	GREAT Scholarships
Exceptional academic and intellectual ability	Clarendon or Gates Cambridge
A practical proposal that addresses problems in Bangladesh	Nottingham Developing Solutions
Financial need with a strong UCL admission application	UCL Global Master’s
Strong results and an offer from Manchester or Bristol	Global Futures or Think Big

A candidate with three years of employment and strong community leadership may suit Chevening better than Clarendon. Someone with an exceptional research record but limited professional experience may be a stronger fit for Oxford or Cambridge funding.

That distinction saves time.

Fully Funded Scholarships in UK for Bangladeshi Students

Fully funded scholarships in UK for Bangladeshi students normally cover tuition fees and living costs. Some scholarships may also provide additional benefits such as travel support and study-related expenses, depending on the scholarship provider’s terms and conditions.

Competition for fully funded scholarships is intense. However, these opportunities can be a valuable option for students who need financial support to pursue higher education in the UK.

Chevening Scholarship Bangladesh 2027-28

Chevening funds a one-year taught master’s degree at a UK university.

Applications for the 2027-28 academic year open at 11:00 UTC on 4 August 2026 and close at 11:00 UTC on 6 October 2026. Interviews take place between March and April 2027, with results expected from mid-June. Successful applicants must submit at least one unconditional university offer by 8 July 2027.

The standard award normally covers:

• Tuition fees
• Economy travel between Bangladesh and the UK
• A monthly living allowance
• Arrival and departure allowances
• A contribution towards an eligible tuberculosis test

Applicants must have at least 2,800 hours of work experience gained after completing their undergraduate degree. This is roughly equivalent to two years of full-time work.

For the 2027-28 application cycle, applicants who completed their undergraduate degree after October 2024 will not have had enough time to meet the work-experience requirement.

Full-time employment, part-time work, voluntary roles, and paid or unpaid internships may count. Applicants must select three different eligible UK master’s courses and agree to return to their country of award for at least two years after completing the scholarship.

Chevening no longer has its own English-language test requirement. Applicants must, however, meet the English-language and admission conditions set by their chosen university.

Always check the latest requirements and guidance from the official Chevening website and your selected university before applying.

A job title will not win the scholarship by itself. Evidence will.

For example:

“I coordinated six volunteers to deliver flood-relief supplies to 180 families across two villages within five days.”

That sentence gives the selector scale, action, and outcome. “I am a passionate leader” does not.

Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship

The Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship supports applicants from eligible lower and middle-income Commonwealth countries who could not otherwise afford postgraduate study in the UK. Bangladesh is eligible.

Applications usually open in September and close in October. The Bangladesh nominating organisation may set an earlier internal deadline, so applicants should monitor both the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission and the relevant national nominator.

The latest published financial package includes:

• Full approved tuition fees
• Return airfare
• A monthly stipend of £1,452
• A monthly stipend of £1,781 for scholars studying in the London metropolitan area
• A warm-clothing allowance where applicable
• Approved study-related travel support

These are the latest published stipend rates and may be revised for 2027.

Commonwealth selectors consider academic merit, the quality of the study plan and the likely development impact.

Do not stop at “this course will improve my career”. Explain how the course will help you address a specific problem in Bangladesh.

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships fund selected one-year taught master’s courses at participating UK universities.

Candidate applications usually open in early November and close in mid-December. The list of eligible courses commonly appears shortly before the application window.

The award normally covers:

• Full tuition fees
• Approved return airfare
• A monthly living allowance
• A warm-clothing allowance where applicable
• Study travel support
• Additional support in certain eligible circumstances

You cannot select any UK course and attach a Shared Scholarship to it. The course must appear on the approved list for that cycle.

Applicants also need to apply for admission to the participating university. The scholarship application does not replace the university application.

For more options covering tuition and living costs, compare funding routes available to Bangladeshi applicants.

Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Gates Cambridge offers full-cost postgraduate scholarships to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK, including Bangladesh.

The scholarship supports eligible PhD, master’s and other full-time postgraduate courses at the University of Cambridge. Applicants are assessed based on academic excellence, reasons for choosing the course, commitment to improving the lives of others, and leadership potential.

The award normally covers:

• The full University Composition Fee
• A maintenance allowance
• One economy flight at the beginning and end of the course
• Additional support for family, academic development, or fieldwork where applicable

For applicants from Bangladesh, Cambridge postgraduate applications usually open in September, while the main funding deadline commonly falls in early December. The exact date depends on the chosen course and admission cycle.

Applicants apply through the Cambridge graduate application process. Gates Cambridge also requires a scholarship statement and an additional reference as part of the application requirements.

Oxford Clarendon Scholarships

Oxford automatically considers eligible applicants for Clarendon when they apply for a new master’s or DPhil course by the relevant December or January funding deadline.

There is no separate Clarendon application.

The award covers:

• Full course fees
• A living-cost grant
• Funding for the period of the course’s fee liability

Clarendon is open to all nationalities and subject areas. Selection focuses heavily on academic merit and potential.

This makes the course application itself critical. Your grades, references, written work and research proposal, where required, must stand on their own.

GREAT Scholarships for Bangladeshi Students

GREAT Scholarships usually provide at least £10,000 towards the tuition fees of a one-year taught postgraduate course.

For the 2026-27 academic year, the British Council listed seven postgraduate scholarships for applicants from Bangladesh. Individual universities controlled their courses, procedures and deadlines.

Most deadlines fell between April and June.

The value can also differ. Although £10,000 is the standard GREAT award, the University of Manchester offered a £15,000 GREAT Scholarship for eligible Bangladeshi students in the latest published cycle.

GREAT does not normally cover all study costs.

Consider a student with these figures:

Cost	Amount
Tuition fee	£25,000
GREAT Scholarship	£10,000
Remaining tuition	£15,000
Estimated living expenses (London)	£13,761

Even after receiving the scholarship, students should carefully plan for remaining tuition fees, living expenses, travel, accommodation deposits, and other personal costs.

This is why the headline scholarship value alone tells you very little about the total financial planning required for studying in the UK.

University Scholarships for Bangladeshi Students in UK

University scholarships offer the widest range of options. They may support undergraduate, taught postgraduate or research students.

Some awards require a separate application. Others automatically consider eligible offer-holders.

You can explore wider scholarship routes across UK universities while preparing your shortlist.

Nottingham Developing Solutions Scholarship

The University of Nottingham’s Developing Solutions Scholarship targets applicants who can propose solutions to economic, environmental, structural, social or political challenges in their home countries.

In the latest cycle, the university offered awards covering 50% or 100% of tuition fees. The deadline was 15 April.

The scholarship is particularly relevant to Bangladeshi applicants who can connect their chosen master’s degree to a measurable development problem.

A vague ambition to “help society” will struggle. A proposal to improve cyclone-resilient housing, rural healthcare access or digital public services gives the application direction.

UCL Global Master’s Scholarship

The UCL Global Master’s Scholarship supports overseas students from lower-income backgrounds.

The latest published award was £15,000 for one year, with an early May deadline. Applicants needed to submit a complete admission application, including references, before applying for funding.

Financial need drives the selection, but applicants must still present a credible academic case.

University of Manchester Global Futures Scholarship

Manchester’s latest Global Futures programme included applicants domiciled in Bangladesh.

The published awards included:

• £10,000 for eligible taught master’s students
• Up to £30,000 for eligible undergraduate students, normally £10,000 per year over three years

Applicants needed to receive an eligible course offer before accessing the scholarship form.

For undergraduate recipients, continuation depended on satisfactory academic performance. Always check whether a multi-year award renews automatically or carries a grade condition.

University of Bristol Think Big Scholarships

Bristol’s latest Think Big awards included:

• £6,500 or £13,000 for eligible undergraduate students
• £6,500, £13,000 or £26,000 for eligible postgraduate students

The main scholarship deadline fell in April.

Some undergraduate awards applied for multiple years, while postgraduate awards generally covered the first year. That difference can matter more than the headline figure.

A £6,500 award paid for four years may be worth more than a £13,000 one-year discount.

Undergraduate Scholarships in UK for Bangladeshi Students

Most large UK government scholarships focus on postgraduate study. Undergraduate students will find more options through university merit awards, international fee reductions and subject-specific funding.

Strong examples include Manchester Global Futures and Bristol Think Big. Cambridge Trust scholarships may also offer full-cost or part-cost support to eligible international undergraduates, but applicants normally need a Cambridge offer before the funding process moves forward.

Fully funded undergraduate scholarships remain rare.

Build your plan around three questions:

1. Is the award paid once or every year?
2. What tuition balance remains after the award?
3. Does renewal depend on your grades?

Students still comparing courses and admission routes should first plan the wider UK study journey, then narrow the funding search.

UK Scholarship Eligibility for Bangladeshi Students

There is no universal CGPA, IELTS score or work-experience requirement for every UK scholarship.

Providers may assess:

• Academic results
• Leadership and community impact
• Professional experience
• Financial need
• Research ability
• The relevance of the proposed course
• References
• English-language ability
• A university offer
• Nationality and residence

Avoid treating a UK 2:1 degree as one fixed Bangladeshi CGPA. Universities assess Bangladeshi qualifications differently.

A student with a CGPA of 3.20 may meet one university’s requirement but not another’s. Scholarship standards may also be higher than the minimum admission requirement.

Check admission eligibility first. Then write the scholarship application.

What IELTS Score Is Needed for a UK Scholarship from Bangladesh?

No single IELTS score guarantees a UK scholarship for Bangladeshi students.

For planning purposes, IELTS 6.5 to 7.0 overall is a sensible competitive range for many postgraduate courses. Some programmes require a higher score or minimum marks in each component.

Chevening and Commonwealth do not impose one universal IELTS score across every applicant. Your university controls the English condition for the course.

Some institutions also accept PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT or other evidence. Before paying for a test, confirm the English qualifications accepted by your university.

The British Council’s current Bangladesh fees include:

Test	Published fee
IELTS Academic on computer	BDT 29,600
IELTS General Training on computer	BDT 29,600
IELTS for UKVI Academic	BDT 33,200
IELTS for UKVI General Training	BDT 33,200

Most degree applicants take IELTS Academic. Do not book IELTS for UKVI unless your university or immigration circumstances require it.

Documents Needed for a UK Scholarship Application

Commonly requested documents include:

• Passport
• Academic transcripts
• Degree certificates
• CV
• Personal statement
• Scholarship essays
• References
• English-language result
• University offer, where required
• Employment evidence
• Research proposal, where relevant

Prepare references early.

In practice, applicants often finish the essay before their referees submit the letters. Give each referee your CV, course information, scholarship criteria and deadline.

A reference that simply says you are “hard-working and honest” adds little. It should explain what you did, how well you performed and why you are ready for the proposed programme.

How to Apply for UK Scholarships from Bangladesh

1. Choose the right course

Start with the degree, university and intake.

A scholarship for an unsuitable course is not a good outcome. The programme should fit your previous study, career direction and plans in Bangladesh.

Applicants targeting the main academic cycle can use a September application planning guide. Students who need a later start may also consider courses beginning in January.

2. Build a balanced funding list

Use three groups:

• Fully funded scholarships with intense competition
• University awards that match your profile
• Affordable courses with automatic or lower-value discounts

Do not depend on one Chevening application.

3. Record the official requirements

For every scholarship, note:

• Application opening period
• Deadline
• Eligible course
• Funding value
• Required documents
• Whether an offer is needed
• Whether a separate scholarship form is required

A simple spreadsheet is enough.

4. Write with evidence

Replace abstract claims with examples.

Weak:

I have always wanted to improve education in Bangladesh.

Stronger:

I introduced weekly reading sessions for 45 secondary-school pupils, recruited four volunteers and increased regular attendance from 18 to 37 students within three months.

The second version gives the selector something to assess.

For a more detailed process, follow a structured approach to building a scholarship application from Bangladesh.

5. Submit before the final day

Scholarship systems become busy near the deadline. References can arrive late. Files may fail to upload.

Submit early enough to correct a mistake.

How Much Money Do You Need After a Partial Scholarship?

A partial scholarship can reduce your tuition costs, but careful financial planning is still important when preparing for overseas study.

Students should consider the remaining tuition balance, living expenses, accommodation, travel costs, and other essential study-related expenses before confirming their plans.

The total amount required will depend on factors such as:

• Study destination and location
• Remaining tuition fees after scholarship deductions
• Expected living and accommodation costs
• Personal expenses and travel arrangements
• Any official financial requirements applicable to the student’s circumstances

Example Cost Calculation

Study cost factor	Amount
Original tuition fee	£22,000
Scholarship received	£8,000
Remaining tuition balance	£14,000

Students should also consider additional costs such as accommodation, daily living expenses, travel arrangements, and other preparation costs.

Students receiving partial funding should calculate the remaining cost of studying abroad and review official university and government guidance before making financial commitments.

UK Scholarship Application Calendar for 2027

Period	Recommended action
August 2026	Complete Chevening essays, work history and course choices
4 August 2026	Chevening applications open
August to September 2026	Prepare references, IELTS and university documents
September to October 2026	Monitor Commonwealth Master’s applications
6 October 2026	Chevening applications close
October 2026	Submit early university applications
November to December 2026	Monitor Commonwealth Shared opportunities
December 2026 to January 2027	Meet Oxford, Cambridge and other early funding deadlines
January to April 2027	Apply for university scholarships such as Nottingham and Bristol
April to June 2027	Monitor GREAT and later university deadlines
March to April 2027	Chevening interviews
Mid-June 2027	Chevening results expected
8 July 2027	Chevening unconditional-offer deadline
September or October 2027	Successful students begin their UK courses

This calendar uses recurring application patterns where providers have not confirmed an exact 2027 date. It should guide preparation, while the linked official page controls submission.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Bangladeshi students get a fully funded scholarship in the UK?

Yes. Chevening, Commonwealth Master’s, Commonwealth Shared, Gates Cambridge and Clarendon can cover full tuition and living costs. Coverage and eligibility vary.

When does Chevening 2027 open?

Chevening applications for 2027-28 open on 4 August 2026 and close on 6 October 2026.

When should I apply for Commonwealth Scholarships for 2027?

Commonwealth Master’s applications usually run during September and October. Commonwealth Shared applications commonly open in early November and close in mid-December. Check the official cycle because national nominators may set separate deadlines.

What is the easiest UK scholarship to get?

No competitive scholarship is easy. Partial university awards and automatic tuition discounts are normally available to a wider range of applicants than fully funded government scholarships.

Can I apply without IELTS?

Some scholarships allow you to apply before taking IELTS. Your university may accept another test or different English evidence. You must meet the university’s final English condition before enrolment.

What CGPA is required?

There is no universal CGPA. The requirement depends on the university, course and scholarship. Competitive funding often expects results above the minimum admission standard.

Does a £10,000 scholarship cover the full cost?

Usually not. It reduces tuition fees, but students may still need to plan for the remaining tuition balance, accommodation, living expenses, healthcare-related costs, and travel expenses.

Can undergraduate students from Bangladesh receive UK scholarships?

Yes. Universities such as Manchester and Bristol offer undergraduate awards. Full funding is less common than partial tuition support.

Can I apply for several scholarships?

Usually, yes. Some providers restrict applicants from holding two awards that pay for the same expenses. Declare other funding when required.

Do I need a bank statement with a fully funded scholarship?

An official sponsorship letter may cover some or all of the financial evidence requirement if it clearly states the funding provided. A partial scholarship normally requires evidence for the remaining tuition and maintenance amount.

Choose the Smallest Funding Gap

The strongest scholarships for Bangladeshi students in UK universities include Chevening, Commonwealth, GREAT, Gates Cambridge, Clarendon and high-value university awards.

Do not rank them only by prestige.

Compare eligibility, course suitability, total funding and the amount left for your family to pay. Apply for at least one fully funded award, several realistic university scholarships and an affordable backup option.

Verify the final deadline on the official provider’s website. Start references early. Use specific examples in every essay.

Applicants who need help comparing course fees, scholarships and the remaining funding gap can request individual application guidance.