Apply for the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan CSFP 2027/2028 now

The Federal Ministry of Education has opened applications for the 2027/2028 Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan, known as CSFP. If you want to apply, the deadline is October 20, 2026.

This call is for Nigerian graduates who want to study in the United Kingdom. The scholarship covers a one year taught master’s programme, or a PhD that can run for up to three years. The notice came from the Department of Scholarship Awards, the office that used to be called the Federal Scholarship Board. Dr Folake Olatunji-David signed it on behalf of the Minister of Education.

About this Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) program

CSFP is a UK government scholarship, and Nigeria’s education ministry helps nominate candidates for it every year. It’s not a new thing, the FG has been running this nomination process for years now. What’s new is just the 2027/2028 cycle, and that’s the one open right now. If you get selected, the UK side, the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, is the one that funds your master’s or PhD study at a UK university. But you still have to sort out your own admission first, before the ministry can even process your nomination.

Who is eligible to apply for the master’s category of this CSFP scholarship

• A first degree with at least Second Class Upper Division. That’s the minimum, no exceptions.
• Admission secured from at least two UK institutions.
• NYSC evidence, either your discharge certificate or your exemption letter.

Who is eligible to apply for the PhD category of this CSFP scholarship

• A relevant master’s degree, already completed.
• Your first degree needs to be at least Second Class Lower Division.
• Admission from at least two UK institutions too, same as the master’s applicants.
• A supporting statement from your prospective supervisor at the UK institution you’re applying to. This one is compulsory for PhD applicants only, master’s applicants don’t need it.

If your certificates are foreign, meaning they’re not from a Nigerian institution, you will need official translation and evaluation for them before you submit. Evaluators reject foreign certificates that come without proper translation, so don’t skip that part.

Documents you need to have ready before you start the application

• Passport photograph
• University academic transcripts
• Birth certificate
• Admission letters from the UK institutions you listed, at least two
• NYSC discharge or exemption certificate
• A supporting statement from your supervisor, only if you’re applying for PhD

Scan everything before you even open the application form. The portal isn’t going to wait for you to go and scan a document halfway through your submission, and that’s not something you want to be doing close to a deadline.

[LOCAL TIP: add a real detail from your own experience with the EAS portal, like when it tends to slow down or what actually trips people up during submission]

Development priority areas your CSFP study plan should connect to

The ministry wants your course of study to link to one of these areas. Pick whichever one fits your field and build your study plan proposal around it. Don’t just write a generic paragraph about your course and leave it there.

• Education
• Health
• Economic growth and the private sector
• Governance and conflict
• Climate and environment
• Water and sanitation
• Engineering
• Science and technology
• Food and nutrition
• Humanitarian disasters and emergencies

How the ministry will score your CSFP application

Three things decide whether you get shortlisted. Your academic merit. How much your course of study is expected to help Nigeria’s development after you finish. And how solid your study plan actually is. So don’t rush that proposal, a weak study plan can knock out someone who has strong grades.

How to apply for the CSFP 2027/2028 scholarship

You apply through the Electronic Application System, called EAS for short. Register on the portal first. Then fill your form and upload your documents online. Once you’re done, the system generates a PDF copy of your completed form. Print that PDF, you’ll need the hard copy later at the interview venue, so keep it somewhere safe.

Apply here: cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk (search “Nigeria” under scholarship results)

Deadline and who to contact about this CSFP scholarship

The deadline to apply is October 20, 2026. Don’t wait till the last week, especially if you still need to sort out admission from a UK institution. That process alone can take weeks.

For questions, reach the Director, Department of Scholarship Awards:

• Email: fsb@education.gov.ng
• Phone: 09124516750 or 09082454557

You can also check the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission’s website for more on how they pick candidates and what each award covers.