Last checked: 15 August 2026. If you are considering a UK master’s degree and you have seen posts saying “Chevening is open,” pause long enough to check the official details. The Chevening timeline confirms that applications for the 2027/28 scholarship cycle opened on 4 August 2026 at 11:00 UTC and close on 6 October 2026 at 11:00 UTC. Use that official deadline, not a forwarded screenshot or a private agent’s message.
Chevening is the UK government’s scholarship programme for one-year master’s study in the United Kingdom. It is competitive. An application is not a scholarship offer, a university admission letter or a visa approval. For applicants in Nigeria, the useful first step is to work through the official Chevening country/territory application route, choose the appropriate award, and read the guidance before creating or submitting an application.
Key dates for the 2027/28 cycle
The closing time is as important as the date. Chevening says its online application system will not be accessible after 6 October 2026 at 11:00 UTC. Nigeria uses West Africa Time, which is one hour ahead of UTC, so applicants should check the time conversion themselves and avoid leaving submission to the final hour.
After the deadline, the published timeline places eligibility sifting from October 2026, reading-committee assessments from mid-October 2026 to January 2027, shortlisted-interview notifications from mid-February 2027, and interviews from March to April 2027. Successful interview candidates are expected to receive results from mid-June 2027. The timeline also says that an unconditional UK university offer must be submitted by 8 July 2027 at 17:00 BST if an applicant progresses successfully. These dates explain why it is sensible to plan early, but they do not predict an individual result.
Who should check eligibility before applying?
Chevening’s official eligibility page sets the rules that matter. Applicants must be citizens of an eligible country or territory and must commit to returning to their country of award for at least two years after the scholarship ends. They must also hold an undergraduate degree that qualifies them for a UK master’s course. Chevening says the undergraduate study must have been completed at least two years before the application deadline, even where the final certificate is not yet in hand at application time; the certificate is needed by interview.
The work-experience requirement is another point that is often oversimplified. Chevening requires at least 2,800 hours of work experience acquired after completing an undergraduate degree. According to its work-experience guidance, this is roughly two years of full-time work, but it may be built across full-time roles, part-time roles, voluntary work and paid or unpaid internships. The site permits up to 15 employment periods to be entered. Do not count experience first and ask questions later: read the official calculation guidance and make sure the dates follow your degree completion.
How to prepare a careful application
- Read Chevening’s eligibility page in full. This is especially important for applicants with UK government funding history, UK residence history or an employment connection to a listed ineligible organisation.
- Choose courses deliberately. Chevening requires applicants to apply to three different eligible UK university courses and, if selected, to have an unconditional offer from at least one choice by the deadline in the official timeline. Research course entry requirements separately; Chevening does not replace a university’s admissions process.
- Document experience honestly. Keep accurate dates, weekly hours and role descriptions. A well-presented application is not a reason to guess, inflate hours or rewrite employment history.
- Give yourself room for references and documents. Candidates invited to interview must upload specified documentation before the interview, including photo identification, undergraduate education evidence and reference letters. Avoid rushing these checks in the last week.
- Use only the official website. Start from Chevening, confirm the web address before signing in, and do not share passwords, bank-card data or passport scans through social-media inboxes claiming to “process” an application.
What Chevening says the award covers
Chevening’s award-cover page lists tuition fees, approved-route economy travel to and from the country of residence, arrival and departure allowances, the scholar’s visa-application cost, a contribution of up to £75 for a required TB test, a travel top-up allowance and a monthly living allowance. The stipend varies according to whether study is inside or outside London and is subject to annual review. That is why applicants should avoid publishing or relying on fixed personal-budget figures unless they are on the current official page.
Use the deadline as a checkpoint, not a promise
A strong Chevening application starts with the official rules and an honest assessment of your academic and professional record. If you do not yet meet the hours, degree-timing or course requirements, it is better to build toward a future cycle than to submit an ineligible application. If you do meet them, use the official guidance, keep your documents accurate, and submit through Chevening’s own system before the deadline.
Practical tips before you act
- Calculate your qualifying post-undergraduate work experience from accurate dates and weekly hours before beginning the application.
- Research three eligible UK courses early, but remember that Chevening and a university use separate assessment processes.
- Apply through Chevening’s official country route and do not send login credentials, passport scans or money to an unofficial application agent.
Frequently asked questions
Can a recent graduate apply for Chevening 2027/28?
Check the official degree-timing and 2,800-hour post-undergraduate work-experience rules carefully. Applicants who do not meet the stated criteria can be rejected.
Does Chevening selection guarantee a UK visa or university offer?
No. The scholarship application, university admission and visa process have separate requirements. Follow Chevening’s timeline and the official rules for each stage.
Official sources
- Chevening application timeline
- Chevening eligibility criteria
- Chevening work-experience guidance
- What a Chevening Scholarship covers
Jobviza provides this guide for information. It cannot assess eligibility, issue an award, obtain a university offer or influence a UK visa decision.
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