Fully funded UK master's scholarships still open for 2027 entry, with deadlines

If you are aiming for a UK master's in September 2027 without paying a kobo of tuition, the calendar matters more than anything else right now. Some of the biggest names have already closed for this round, and the ones still open have deadlines between November 2026 and January 2027. Here is what is actually still open as of 23 October 2026, checked against each funder's own page.

Still open: the ones to work on this week

These four are the realistic options for 2027 entry if you are starting today.

None of these is a sure thing. They are competitive, and each one has its own rules on top of getting a place on the course.

Already closed for 2027 entry

No shaking, but be honest with yourself about these. If you missed them, they are next year's project, not this year's.

Chevening closed on 6 October 2026 at 11:00 UTC, and Chevening's Nigeria page now says applications for 2027/28 are closed. The next cycle's dates are not out yet. Our Chevening 2027/28 guide explains who should prepare for the next round.

Commonwealth Master's Scholarships closed at 16:00 BST on 20 October 2026. This is the route where you also apply through a national nominating agency, and the CSC does not take direct applications.

Rhodes Scholarship (West Africa) opened on 1 June 2026 and closed at 23:59 GMT on 27 August 2026. West Africa, which includes Nigeria, gets 3 Rhodes Scholarships a year.

Mastercard Foundation at Edinburgh is effectively closed to newcomers. For 2027/28, you had to attend a mandatory information session between 15 and 24 September 2026 to be invited to apply. If you attended and were invited, the main application closes at 5pm UK time on 19 November 2026.

What "fully funded" actually covers

"Fully funded" is not one standard. Read the list for each award, because the gaps are where people get stranded.

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships pay full tuition fees, a stipend of £1,712 a month (£2,000 a month in the London area), an approved return airfare, a study travel grant, a thesis grant and warm clothing allowance where applicable, and a contribution towards a required TB test. Widowed, divorced or single-parent scholars with children living with them in the UK get £622 a month for the first child and £154 a month for the second and third child under 16. Fares for dependants are not covered.

Gates Cambridge covers the university fee, a maintenance allowance of £23,152 for 12 months at the 2026/27 rate (reduced for shorter courses), one economy fare at the start and end of your course, and your inbound visa and Immigration Health Surcharge. There is no funding for a partner.

Mastercard Foundation at Cambridge covers full tuition, a monthly maintenance allowance, visa costs, the Immigration Health Surcharge, travel to the UK and a laptop allowance. There are about 80 awards for 2027/28.

Clarendon covers course fees and maintenance for your full fee liability period, according to Oxford's Law Faculty.

The point: the visa fee, the health surcharge and your flight are real money. If a scholarship does not list them, budget for them, and read our guide on UK student visa proof of funds before you assume you are sorted.

Commonwealth Shared: the one most Nigerians should look at first

This scheme is built for people who could not otherwise afford UK study. To qualify you need to be a citizen of, and permanently resident in, an eligible Commonwealth country, and hold at least a 2:1 (or a 2:2 with a relevant postgraduate qualification) by September 2027. You must not have studied or worked for more than one academic year in a high-income country, and you must be able to show you cannot afford UK study without it.

You also apply to an approved master's course at a participating UK university, and you need your passport or ID, full transcripts and at least two signed references in by the closing date.

Take Ada, a pharmacist in Enugu with a 2:1 and three years in a community pharmacy. She has never studied abroad, she cannot pay international fees herself, and if a course that fits her career is on the approved list when it is published, she fits the profile. What will sink her is leaving the references until December. Ask your referees now.

Gates Cambridge and Mastercard at Cambridge: one application, two chances

At Cambridge, both awards are tied to your course application, so one strong application gives you two chances. Gates Cambridge's international round opened on 11 September 2026, with a deadline of 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027 depending on the course. Results come by 8 March 2027 and offers by early April 2027.

The Mastercard Foundation programme at Cambridge uses the same course funding deadline, with results expected in March to April. You must be a citizen of an African country and normally resident in one. The funding deadline is usually earlier than the latest date you can apply for the course itself, so check the course page and work to the funding date.

Oxford's Clarendon: no separate form, but timing is everything

Clarendon is open to new graduate students of any nationality and any subject. There is no separate application. You are considered automatically when you apply for your Oxford course by its deadline. Oxford's Law Faculty, for example, tells applicants to submit by the January deadline. Each course sets its own date, so check your course page and do not leave it to the last week.

If you have missed everything this year

It happens. A year spent preparing properly is not a wasted year, and a rushed application is worse than none. If your goal is to japa through study, use the gap to build the work record, references and clear career story that Chevening, Commonwealth and Rhodes all reward. Then you go in early next cycle instead of scrambling.

For courses, costs and what the visa needs, start with our UK student route page, and look at staying on after your degree if that matters to your plans. Our scholarships list for Nigerians is updated as new windows open.