The Student Room Group

Chevening Scholarship - Has someone not come back to your home country?

I'm considering applying to Chevening Scholarships to pursue a Master's degree in UK. The problem is that Chevening requires each applicant to come back to their home country and stay there during two years, at least.

But I'd like to continue studying in the UK (a PhD) or maybe in another different country then Brazil, my home country, because, unfortunately there aren't postgraduates programs in my field of study (!) and I want to become a professor at University.

So, does anyone know what can I do? How Chevening "knows" that the applicant has returned and is living in their home country?

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You may want to check properly how they go about doing this. You may have to sign a waiver or such. The last thing you want to do is break your agreement with an organisation that has helped your career and who may be able to help you in the future.
Reply 2
Original post by rods2292
I'm considering applying to Chevening Scholarships to pursue a Master's degree in UK. The problem is that Chevening requires each applicant to come back to their home country and stay there during two years, at least.

But I'd like to continue studying in the UK (a PhD) or maybe in another different country then Brazil, my home country, because, unfortunately there aren't postgraduates programs in my field of study (!) and I want to become a professor at University.

So, does anyone know what can I do? How Chevening "knows" that the applicant has returned and is living in their home country?


Your study visa will be for the duration of your Masters course. You would always have to return to Brazil, in order to apply for another study visa to cover a PhD.

The Chevening Scholarship is run and administered by a UK government department. It would be unwise to think that they do not monitor the issuing of work/study visas to Chevening graduates. You sign a contract when you accept the scholarship.

The idea of the Chevening is that it benefits your country by establishing you as a specialist there, in your field. If your country has no such postgraduate field to go back to, your chances of landing the scholarship is slim.
Reply 3
Original post by Klix88
Your study visa will be for the duration of your Masters course. You would always have to return to Brazil, in order to apply for another study visa to cover a PhD.

The Chevening Scholarship is run and administered by a UK government department. It would be unwise to think that they do not monitor the issuing of work/study visas to Chevening graduates. You sign a contract when you accept the scholarship.

The idea of the Chevening is that it benefits your country by establishing you as a specialist there, in your field. If your country has no such postgraduate field to go back to, your chances of landing the scholarship is slim.


The first part is so wrong. The visa also covers several months after the end of the course. So you can apply for another study visa in the UK. Of course there are some rules but basically you can apply for a new visa before your current visa expires and no more than 3 months before the course start date on your CAS.
Reply 4
I am also trying to see if i can do my PhD here ( University of Birmingham ) and i am also a chevening scholar as well. I want to do my PhD here but the good ones are already taken and trying to see if i can work and raise the cash on my own ( 15,000 ). But i really hope Chevening is ok with this, i really can't return to my country and miss an opportunity like this. :/

Any thoughts?
Reply 5
I am also trying to see if i can do my PhD here ( University of Birmingham ) and i am also a chevening scholar as well. I want to do my PhD here but the good ones are already taken and trying to see if i can work and raise the cash on my own ( 15,000 ). But i really hope Chevening is ok with this, i really can't return to my country and miss an opportunity like this. :/ Any thoughts?
Reply 6
Sorry to be rude.

You can go back to your home town and work for 2 years to fulfill the agreement, then go for your PhD. If you cannot go back to contribute, then, leave it for someone else who can.

Your reason is not a reason, just an excuse of your own in my opinion.
Reply 7
Actually no, i am rather open to the input, as far as development goes, i can not go back because for all intents and purposes i feel i can do more with a PHD in combination to a completed towards my country, that should be fairly obvious. Additionally, it is about context, research is my specialization to which i have contributed immensely towards in relation to the creation public policy and massive project management with International Institutions. So yeah, i somewhat feel that i have the potential and passion to contribute to my country in a far greater way. So THAT is my opinion Mr Newapps. Opportunities are very fickle things in nature and taking the time to assess it is not a reflection of ill or greedy intent, it comes from somewhere genuine.
Original post by Newapps
Sorry to be rude.

You can go back to your home town and work for 2 years to fulfill the agreement, then go for your PhD. If you cannot go back to contribute, then, leave it for someone else who can.

Your reason is not a reason, just an excuse of your own in my opinion.
Reply 8
Hi,I think you can not get the visa for PhD, while you sign an agreement to come back to your own country for at least 2 years. I am also a Chevening scholar and haven`t heard anybody staying at UK after graduation.
hello were you able to find out if chevening waivers this condition?
Hi. I am also interested to know if previous cheveners could get phd from another country.
Original post by polarko
Hey there, I am in the exact same shoes (research, contribution-wise etc.) trying to renew my visa but I'm really not sure if it will happen. I actually do know of several people who have managed to continue into PhD but haven't managed to reach them yet.... :/


Do u mean they continue into PhD in UK or other countries?
How about working in uk? is it possible?
Original post by polarko
Yeah both UK and other countries. I think you need a consent letter from your sponsor in order to switch from tier 4 to working visa. Even with the tier 4 renewal, you still need consent from your sponsor within the past 12 months. I'm not sure if it's possible, no. Are you staying in the UK for work?


I am chevener 2017 and will move to London this September, but i like to find a job in UK ;I know there is a need for sponsor's letter; I just wanted to know whether staying in UK for work is possible or not (after chevening year)
I think your opinion is flawed, and quite parochial. There are a lot of reasons, situations (and opportunities) that could emerge within a year that one would want to take advantage of.
Chevening is funded as part of Overseas Aid - that is why there is the requirement to go home, because otherwise there was no point in funding you.

I think you really do have to think carefully before you accept this sort of funding and in particular about what the longer term implications are for you. If you want a long-term career in Europe etc, that's perfectly okay - but don't use overseas aid money to fund it.
Reply 15
I am a chevening Scholar from Nigeria. During the application process, you must have filled a form that requires you to return back to your home country because the whole idea about the chevening scholarship is to benefit your home country. If you are looking at not returning immediately and proceeding to PHD, maybe you should look at commonwealth scholarship or commonwealth shared scholarships.
Sorry if this is unrelated, but could I qualify for the Chevening scholarship with dual US citizenship? I've spent most of my life in the states, but have spent the past few years in my country of birth. I am certainly open to returning for at least 2 years.
Original post by UStoUK123
Sorry if this is unrelated, but could I qualify for the Chevening scholarship with dual US citizenship? I've spent most of my life in the states, but have spent the past few years in my country of birth. I am certainly open to returning for at least 2 years.


U can apply for Marshal students scholarship which is exactly as cheveningbut designed for us students.
I finished my chevening scholarship program almost 9 months ago. A lot has gone wrong in my life since returning home. On a whim, I applied for a job in the UK that I ran across. I didn’t expect to hear back about this job at all, but I was invited to an interview. I bit the bullet and bought a ticket to the uk for the interview. But now, I’m wondering what happens if they actually offer me the job. It would be an amazing opportunity to gain experience in my area of study. Experience which would be respected in my home country. I’m not sure what will happen. If I get the job I will need to apply for a work visa. I can maybe delay the application to make it so that I apply after 12 months have passed since the end of my scholarship. But what then? Will I still need to write to chevening? Saying what? .... I’m at a real loss. Does anyone have anything to mention that might assist me in my dilemma?
I finished my chevening scholarship program almost 9 months ago. A lot has gone wrong in my life since returning home. On a whim, I applied for a job in the UK that I ran across. I didn’t expect to hear back about this job at all, but I was invited to an interview. I bit the bullet and bought a ticket to the uk for the interview. But now, I’m wondering what happens if they actually offer me the job. It would be an amazing opportunity to gain experience in my area of study. Experience which would be respected in my home country. I’m not sure what will happen. If I get the job I will need to apply for a work visa. I can maybe delay the application to make it so that I apply after 12 months have passed since the end of my scholarship. But what then? Will I still need to write to chevening? Saying what? .... I’m at a real loss. Does anyone have anything to mention that might assist me in my dilemma?

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