Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships to boost study opportunities across the globe

Young people will have access to new scholarships to study abroad at a wide range of universities across the Commonwealth, thanks to a scheme announced today by HRH Prince Harry, in his first speech as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador.

Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships will provide life-changing experiences for young leaders with the energy and talent to make a difference in their home countries and beyond. The scheme will offer study opportunities not previously available and widen collaboration across the Commonwealth.

By 2025, an additional 150 Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholars from across the Commonwealth will have studied at leading universities in low and middle income countries.

The scholarships are being named after HM The Queen as a fitting tribute to her immense contribution as Head of the Commonwealth, and her longstanding dedication to education and youth. The first Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholars will begin their studies in 2019, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the Commonwealth and the 60th anniversary of the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP).

Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships will be supported by an expansion of the CSFP endowment fund, which was established by Commonwealth governments including Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Brunei Darussalam, Cameroon, Kenya, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mauritius, the Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and the UK. The CSFP endowment fund, which is managed by the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), will be able to support even more scholarships from 2019 thanks to an additional £5 million contribution from the UK government.

Dr Joanna Newman, Chief Executive and Secretary General of the ACU, said ‘Scholarships have a transformational impact on the lives of individuals and also, more importantly, on their wider communities and societies, thanks to the skills and knowledge gained. I am delighted that the ACU will play a vital role in securing these educational opportunities for young people across all member countries.

‘The Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships scheme is a valuable, inclusive programme which will have a far-reaching impact for generations to come.’