Funding is usually the biggest barrier standing between a talented student and a world class education. The good news is that a genuine wave of fully funded opportunities exists for African students each year, covering everything from Master's study in Germany to postgraduate research at Oxford. Below is a roundup of some of the strongest options currently open, along with who each one is for and what it actually covers. Deadlines and requirements shift slightly every cycle, so always confirm the latest details on each scholarship's official page before you apply.
World Bank Group Africa Fellowship Program
This fellowship is built for PhD candidates in their final year, or recent PhD graduates within three years of completing their doctorate, who hold nationality from a Sub Saharan African country. Selected fellows spend six months at World Bank Group headquarters in Washington, D.C., or at a country office, working on research, economic policy, and lending operations across sectors like agriculture, energy, health, and education. The fellowship covers consultant fees and round trip economy class airfare, and applicants must be under 32 by the deadline. Women are especially encouraged to apply. Applications for the next cycle opened in mid July and typically close in late August. Read more on our World Bank Africa Fellowship Program page.
Ninety One Changeblazers Bursary
This one is specific to South African matriculants rather than the whole continent, but it is worth including given how comprehensive the support is. It is aimed at Grade 12 learners entering their first year of university, who are South African citizens from households with a combined income under a set threshold, and who achieved strong grades in English and Mathematics or Science in Grade 11. The bursary covers tuition, accommodation, meals, and learning materials, along with mentoring and career support, and applications typically close around the end of August each year. See our Ninety One Changeblazers Bursary page for full details.
Advertisement
Chulabhorn Graduate Institute International Scholarship
CGI in Bangkok offers around 15 fully funded Master's scholarships each year to international students, including applicants from Africa, in applied biological sciences, environmental health, and chemical sciences. Applicants must be under 30, hold a Bachelor's degree with a strong GPA in a related science field, and demonstrate laboratory research experience. The scholarship covers tuition, a monthly stipend, accommodation and relocation allowances, round trip airfare, and health insurance, and typically runs for two years plus a six week preparatory course. Applications generally open in May and close at the end of August. More detail is on our Chulabhorn Graduate Institute Scholarship page.
MEXT Scholarship at the University of Osaka
The Japanese government's MEXT scholarship funds undergraduate, Master's, and doctoral study at the University of Osaka, and is open to students from countries with diplomatic ties to Japan, which includes most of Africa. Most applicants go through the Embassy Recommendation route, meaning you apply through the Japanese embassy or consulate in your home country first, generally between February and June, before requesting a Letter of Acceptance from the university. The scholarship covers full tuition, a monthly stipend, and round trip airfare. Full details are on our MEXT Scholarship at University of Osaka page.
Schwarzman Scholars
Advertisement
This is a highly competitive one year Master's in Global Affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, open to applicants worldwide, including African students, between 18 and 29 years old with an undergraduate degree. It is designed around leadership potential and an interest in global affairs rather than any specific academic field, and no Chinese language ability is required since classes are taught in English. The scholarship covers tuition, accommodation, travel to and from Beijing, health insurance, a laptop, and a stipend for personal expenses. The main application window for non Chinese passport holders generally runs from April to early September. See our Schwarzman Scholars Scholarship page for the current cycle.
United Nations Nippon Foundation Fellowship
This fellowship targets mid level professionals, typically aged 25 to 45, working in government, academia, or NGOs on ocean affairs, the law of the sea, or sustainable development, and applicants from developing countries across Africa are strongly encouraged to apply. It combines training at UN Headquarters in New York with a research placement at a partner academic institution over nine months, and covers a monthly stipend, round trip airfare, book allowance, and accommodation support. Applications generally close in mid September each year. Read more on our United Nations Nippon Foundation Fellowship page.
DAAD STEM Scholarship
Germany's DAAD offers fully funded Master's scholarships in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and engineering for high achieving students from developing and emerging countries, which includes most African nations. Applicants must have already completed a Bachelor's degree recognised in Germany, and must not already hold a Master's degree. Funding covers tuition, a monthly stipend, health insurance, and a travel allowance, for the full duration of the Master's programme. Applications generally open mid year and close in October, with funding beginning the following October. Full details are on our DAAD STEM Scholarship page.
Advertisement
University of Milan DSU Regional Scholarship
This is a need based regional scholarship in Italy, open to international students, including many from Africa, who have already secured admission to a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD programme at the University of Milan. It is funded by the Lombardy Region and the Italian Ministry of University and Research, and provides full or partial tuition exemption, free daily meals, and a cash grant, with the exact value depending on your assessed financial need. You apply for admission first, then submit a separate DSU application through the university's portal, generally by the end of September. See our University of Milan DSU Regional Scholarship page for the process.
Rhodes Scholarship for West Africa
Three Rhodes Scholarships are awarded each year specifically to candidates from West African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and several others in the region, for fully funded postgraduate study at the University of Oxford. Selection focuses heavily on leadership potential and commitment to service alongside strong academic achievement. The scholarship covers all university and college fees, an annual living stipend, a settling in allowance, health insurance, visa costs, and return flights to the UK. Applications typically open in June and close in late August. More detail is on our Rhodes Scholarship for West Africa page.
A quick note on accuracy
Scholarship deadlines, eligibility rules, and funding amounts are reviewed by each provider on their own annual cycle, and small details like age limits, required test scores, or exact opening dates can shift from one year to the next. Treat everything above as a starting point rather than a final answer, and confirm the current cycle's exact requirements on each scholarship's official page before you invest time preparing an application.