Pakistan's Higher Education Commission (HEC), acting as the nominating agency for the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC), has opened applications for the Commonwealth Scholarship Programme 2027-28, offering fully funded Master's and PhD study in the United Kingdom. The programme is open to Pakistani nationals and permanent residents of Azad Jammu and Kashmir; dual nationals are not eligible. There is no upper age limit for applicants. Candidates must hold a first-division result in their most recent degree, meaning no second- or third-division marks are accepted in the terminal qualification. Master's applicants need a first-division 16-year Bachelor's degree, while PhD applicants need a first-division 17- or 18-year Master's, MS, or MPhil degree. Applicants must also hold a valid Higher Education Aptitude Test (HAT) score of at least 60 out of 100. For the 2027-28 cycle, 26 nominations are available for Master's study and 30 for PhD study, with programmes set to begin in September or October 2027. Successful candidates receive full funding covering their study costs in the UK. Applicants must submit two separate applications: one through the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission's online application system, and one through the HEC's online scholarship portal after selecting "Learning Opportunities Abroad." Both the CSC and HEC application deadlines fall on October 20, 2026 -- 4:00 PM British Summer Time for the CSC application and 4:00 PM Pakistan Standard Time for the HEC application.