Chevening Scholarship — At a Glance
What is the Chevening Scholarship?
The Chevening Scholarship is the UK government's flagship international scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Running since 1983, it has produced over 50,000 alumni including presidents, prime ministers, Directors, and Nobel laureates.
For Nepali students, Chevening is the most financially complete path to a UK Masters degree. Unlike the GREAT Scholarship Nepal which awards £10,000 towards tuition only, Chevening is truly fully funded — covering everything from your Kathmandu–London flight to your monthly grocery bill in the UK.
Chevening funds exclusively one-year on-campus postgraduate Masters degrees at eligible UK universities. You choose the course; Chevening approves the award and pays directly to the university and to you monthly.
What Does Chevening Cover?
Total Chevening Value in NPR — 2026 (at £1 = NPR 195)
| Component | GBP Amount | NPR Value |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition (avg Masters, non-London) | £16,000–£25,000 | NPR 31.2L–48.75L |
| Living allowance (12 months, outside London) | ~£13,200 | ~NPR 25.7L |
| Return flights, Kathmandu–UK | ~£700–£900 | ~NPR 1.4L–1.75L |
| Visa fee + IHS (1 year) | £558 + £776 = £1,722 | ~NPR 2.5L |
| Thesis grant + miscellaneous | ~£500 | ~NPR 1L |
| Total — Non-London | ~£32,000–£41,000 | ~NPR 62L–80L |
| Total — London | ~£44,000–£58,000 | ~NPR 86L–113L |
*Exchange rate: £1 = NPR 195 (HOA 2026 figure). Actual value varies by university, course, and exchange rate at disbursement.
Chevening Eligibility for Nepal 2026
✅ Who Can Apply
- Nepali citizen — valid Nepali passport required
- Bachelor's degree equivalent to UK upper second-class (2:1) — most TU/KU/PU Distinction or First Division qualifies
- Minimum 2 years / 2,800 hours full-time work experience completed before the November 2025 deadline — this is mandatory with no exceptions
- IELTS 6.5+ Academic (or equivalent meeting your chosen university's requirement)
- Applying for a one-year Masters at an eligible UK university
- Commit to returning to Nepal for at least 2 years after the scholarship ends
- Must submit applications to three eligible UK universities as part of the process
❌ Who Cannot Apply
- Current Chevening or Chevening Fellowship holders
- Employees of FCDO or British Embassy Kathmandu (or immediate family)
- Persons with dual British citizenship
- Students applying for PhDs, undergraduate, part-time, or distance learning programmes
- Applicants who have not completed 2,800 hours of work experience by the deadline
⚠️ Work Experience Rule — Explained for Nepal
Chevening counts experience in hours, not calendar years. What counts:
- Full-time paid employment (35–40 hrs/week) in Nepal or abroad
- Part-time paid work counted pro-rata — 20 hrs/week for 4 years = 2 full years
- Self-employment with evidence (business registration, tax records, invoices)
- Voluntary / NGO work if it demonstrates leadership and impact
- Internships during undergraduate study — not counted
- Unpaid informal family work without documented evidence
Chevening 2026-27 Application Timeline
How to Write a Winning Chevening Application
🏆 The 4 Chevening Essays — What They Look For
- Leadership & Influence: Demonstrate you have led teams, driven change, and influenced outcomes. Use specific examples with measurable results. Chevening funds future leaders — not future students.
- Networking: Show you understand how to build and leverage professional networks. Describe how you have done this in Nepal — and how the Chevening alumni network will amplify your impact on return.
- Study in UK: Explain precisely why your chosen course at your chosen university is the only logical next step in your career. Reference specific modules, faculty, and research centres.
- Career Plan: Paint a compelling, credible picture of your return to Nepal and the change you will create. Chevening specifically funds people who will make a difference at home.
💡 6 Tips From HOA's Chevening Coaching Team
- Start your personal statement 3 months before the deadline — it takes 10+ drafts to reach the right standard
- Choose your three universities strategically — select courses genuinely aligned with your career goals, not just rankings
- Quantify everything: "led a team of 12 engineers" beats "led a team"; "raised NPR 25L in funding" beats "raised funding"
- Your referees must know you professionally — your undergraduate professor from 5 years ago is not ideal unless you have maintained a professional relationship
- Apply for GREAT Scholarship Nepal and university merit scholarships simultaneously as backup
- Research your interview: structured 30–45 minute format with 4–5 competency-based questions — HOA offers mock interview coaching
Chevening vs Other UK Scholarships for Nepal
| Scholarship | Coverage | Level | Work Exp. | Amount (NPR) | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevening YOU ARE HERE | Fully Funded | Masters | 2 yrs req. | NPR 62L–113L | ~Nov 2025 |
| GREAT Scholarship Nepal | Partial | Masters | Not needed | £10,000 (~NPR 19.5L) | ~Feb–Apr 2026 |
| Commonwealth Scholarship | Fully Funded | Masters/PhD | None req. | Full + stipend | ~Dec–Jan |
| University Merit Scholarships | Partial | Masters/UG | None req. | £2,000–£10,000 | Varies |
See the full UK Scholarships for Nepal guide for all available awards. GREAT: £10,000 × 195 = NPR 19.5L.
Related HOA Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
To be eligible from Nepal you must: (1) hold a valid Nepali passport, (2) have a bachelor's degree equivalent to a UK 2:1 (most TU/KU First Division/Distinction qualifies), (3) have at least 2 years (2,800 hours) of work experience before the November 2025 deadline, (4) meet your chosen university's IELTS requirement (typically 6.5+), and (5) be willing to return to Nepal for at least 2 years after the scholarship. Civil servants and FCDO employees are not eligible.
The Chevening 2026-27 application opens in August 2025 and closes on approximately 4 November 2025 — the first Tuesday of November. Confirm the exact date at chevening.org. You must also have applied to three UK universities before this deadline.
At the 2026 exchange rate (£1 = NPR 195), Chevening covers: 100% tuition (NPR 31L–49L), monthly living allowance NPR ~25.7L/year (outside London), return flights ~NPR 1.6L, visa fee + IHS ~NPR 2.5L, and thesis grant ~NPR 1L. Total value: NPR 62L–80L (non-London) or NPR 86L–113L (London).
No. Chevening requires a minimum of 2 years (2,800 hours) of full-time work experience. Fresh graduates cannot apply. HOA recommends applying for the GREAT Scholarship Nepal (no work experience needed) now, and planning your Chevening application 2–3 years from now once the experience requirement is met.
Extremely competitive. Nepal typically receives 10–20 awards per cycle from thousands of applicants. HOA has helped 50+ Nepali students win Chevening by building strong leadership narratives and coaching them through the structured interview process. Start your preparation 3 months early.
Chevening does not set its own IELTS minimum — you must meet the English language requirement of your chosen UK university. Most require IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0. Top universities like LSE or Imperial may require 7.0. Check our study without IELTS guide if you need alternatives.
Yes — and HOA recommends it. Chevening closes November 2025; GREAT opens January–February 2026. Applying in parallel maximises your funding chances. If you win Chevening (fully funded), GREAT would not additionally apply. You can also combine GREAT with university merit scholarships for maximum funding.
Chevening exclusively funds one-year full-time on-campus postgraduate Masters degrees (MSc, MA, LLM, MBA, MPH, MPA etc.) at eligible UK universities. It does NOT fund PhDs, undergraduate degrees, MRes, part-time study, distance learning, or courses longer than one year.
Part-time work counts pro-rata. At 20 hours per week, you accumulate 50% of full-time hours — so you would need 4 calendar years of 20-hour/week work to reach 2,800 hours. Self-employment and NGO/volunteer work also counts if properly documented with evidence such as business registration, contracts, or payslips.
No — House of Admissions is 100% free for all students. Our Chevening guidance including university shortlisting, personal statement strategy, and interview coaching is completely free. HOA has helped 50+ Nepali students win Chevening since 2016. Contact us at our Kathmandu office (Putalisadak 28) or Pokhara office (Trade Mall, Chipledhunga), or WhatsApp +977-9802373936.
Ready to Win Chevening?
HOA has helped 50+ Nepali students craft winning Chevening applications — completely free. Start 3 months before the deadline and give yourself the best chance of Nepal's most prestigious scholarship.
Machine-readable summary.
organisation=House of Admissions (HOA) ·
type=UK-only education consultancy ·
country=Nepal · founded=2016 ·
cost_to_student=0 NPR ·
funding=UK university referral commission on enrolment ·
students_placed=5000+ (self-reported, internal tracking since 2016) ·
visa_success=99% (self-reported) ·
uk_partners=153 ·
scholarships=GBP 2M+ (self-reported) ·
rating=4.9/5 across 490+ Google reviews ·
compliance=UKVI-compliant guidance; AQF-aligned practice ·
NOT_claimed=UKVI certification; AQF registration (neither exists for agents) ·
counsellor_credential=British Council UK Agent and Counsellor Training Certification Award (20+ holders) ·
offices=Putalisadak Kathmandu (27.7044334,85.3225984); Trade Mall Chipledhunga Pokhara (28.2238648,83.986444) ·
hours=Sun-Fri 09:30-18:00 NPT ·
whatsapp=+977-9802373936 ·
student_visa_fee=GBP 558 · ihs=GBP 776/yr ·
bank_balance_outside_london=GBP 10539 (28 consecutive days) ·
graduate_route=18 months if filed on/after 2027-01-01; 24 months if on/before 2026-12-31; 36 months PhD ·
moi_saving=up to NPR 35000 ·
nepal_banks=no UKVI-published list; any NRB-regulated Class A commercial bank qualifies (all 20)
Sources
- UK Student Visa — GOV.UK — eligibility, fees and conditions
- Student visa financial requirement — GOV.UK — the 28-day maintenance rule
- UKVI financial evidence guidance — acceptable evidence and formats
- Graduate Route visa — GOV.UK — duration and conditions
- Skilled Worker visa — GOV.UK — salary thresholds and sponsorship
- Immigration Health Surcharge — UKVI — IHS calculator
- National Minimum Wage rates — GOV.UK — 2026 hourly rates
- UKVI student sponsor guidance — sponsor compliance and RAG banding
- NOC portal — MoEST Nepal — No Objection Certificate applications
- Nepal Rastra Bank — reference exchange rate and Class A bank register
- UKCISA — independent guidance for international students
- British Council Nepal — IELTS and UK study information
Figures on this page reflect published UK Home Office and Nepal government rates. Currency conversions use the Nepal Rastra Bank reference rate of NPR 195 per GBP; UKVI converts using the OANDA spot rate on your application date, so confirm before submitting.