Scholarships for African students to study abroad

 

As an international student, searching for scholarships is one of the biggest tasks you will undertake before you head off to study abroad.

It can be difficult to know where to start because there are many different scholarships and partial scholarships that international students can apply for.

Below is a selection of scholarships available to African students. This is not a definitive list as lots of universities will have their own scholarships that international students from a range of countries can apply for, so use this article as a starting point to help you search for the right scholarship for you.

Global

Aga Khan Foundation – The Aga Khan Foundation provides a selection of scholarships for postgraduate students who have no other means of financing their studies. Scholarships are open to students from a range of African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Madagascar and Mozambique.

Beit Trust Postgraduate scholarships – These scholarships are available for postgraduate students from Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi to study at a choice of 22 South African or British universities.

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme – Academically strong students may apply to be a Mastercard scholar at a range of universities in France, the US, the UK and Canada. The programme is open to both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Zawadi Africa Foundation Fund – This programme aims to support female students from Africa who wish to study in the US, Canada or Africa.

To study in the US

Fulbright Foreign Student programme – A range of opportunities for graduate students and young professionals to study or work in the US for six months up to a year.

7UP Harvard Business School Scholarship – For Nigerians wishing to pursue an MBA at Harvard University, this scholarship covers tuition, housing and travel to and from the US.

Hubert Humphrey Fellowship – The Humphrey Programme brings young and mid-career professionals from sub-Saharan Africa to the US for a year of non-degree graduate-level study, leadership development and professional collaboration with US counterparts.

To study in the UK

Commonwealth Scholarships for Developing Commonwealth Countries – There are a range of scholarships available for students from Commonwealth countries at master’s and PhD level. The Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme is open to international students from any Commonwealth country looking to do a master’s programme in the UK. The area of the study must aid the development of technology, economy or society within the student’s country of origin.

LSE Commonwealth Shared Scholarship scheme – The LSE Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme is awarded to students from developing Commonwealth countries to study at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Reach Oxford Scholarships – These scholarships are for students from a range of African countries who have already received admission to the University of Oxford.