FAQs

We accept applications for each scholarship during a short window of time each year, which is indicated on the scholarship page. You must complete the online application form, upload all supporting documents and submit your application online before the deadline. Details of how to fill in the application form, and what supporting documents you need to provide, can be found in the guidelines for each application process. Please note: You can only access the online portal when we are accepting applications. Please do not contact us requesting application forms if they are not on the website, as this means the application process is not yet open.

The dates for each application process vary each year. Please visit the individual scholarship page to see indicators of when to start preparing applications. The following dates are not final and are provided only as a guide to assist you in preparing your documentation:

• Canon Collins Scholarships for Postgraduate Study in South Africa: The application process normally opens in June and closes in August.
• Commonwealth Scholarships: The application process normally opens in October. However we are a nominating agency and do not run this scholarship program so please check the Commonwealth Scholarship website for details.
• Leigh Day Law Scholarships: The application process opens in September and closes in October.

We normally ask candidates to supply the following documents in support of their application:

• One academic reference
• One employment reference
• A copy of your transcripts from any previous university degrees
• A copy of your degree certificate from any previous university degrees
• The last two months’ payslips, if you are employed.

The supporting documents we require vary for each scholarship and are liable to change. This list is an indication of what we normally ask for, to allow candidates to begin to prepare their applications in advance. A full list will be made available in the guidelines when they are published.

Yes, we will need translated copies of all supporting documents. However we do not require an official/certified translation.

Ideally, you should submit an academic reference (preferably from your current supervisor) and a reference from an employer. If you have never been employed, we will accept a reference from voluntary work, or two academic references.

Yes, we will accept your application if you haven’t been accepted by your university yet. However, if you are successful in your application for our scholarship, this will be conditional on your being accepted and attending your chosen course of study.

Unless you are a national of, or have refugee status in, one of the countries listed in our eligibility criteria we will be unable to accept your application. We also require that you be a resident of one of the countries in the region. To see a list of eligible countries for each scholarship, click on the individual scholarship pages in the drop-down list above.

Yes, but only for the LLB Law programme at the University of the Western Cape or the University of Fort Hare.

Yes. Please see the relevant web pages for details.

No. We do not place any age restrictions on our scholarships.

No. We are only able to offer scholarships for study South Africa, UK or Ireland. However you can apply for a scholarship to study at any university in South Africa.

No. We work with several universities in the UK to offer scholarships, and are only able to accept applications for these institutions.

We will accept applications for distance learning degrees for Canons Collins Scholarships for Postgraduate Study in South Africa. The University of London LLM Scholarship is a distance learning programme. We do not accept distance learning applications for Canon Collins UK Scholarships.

Please consult this list of alternative funding sources. Please note that we cannot provide any guidance on applying for these grants.

The reference should include a brief description of the nature of the relationship between applicant and referee. It should also evaluate the applicant’s suitability for the bursary or scholarship they are applying for. It should outline their strengths as an applicant, demonstrate their capacity to study at the level required, how they would benefit from further study, and identify their potential impact in the future.

There is no set format or word limit for references.

Applicants must upload all references to the ‘Documents’ section of the online application form. The references must be attached in JPEG, PDF or Word format, signed and on headed paper.

Referees must have a professional relationship with the applicant. We are unable to accept references from friends, family or religious or spiritual leaders, such as pastors or vicars.