Scholarship season is here. Most fully funded scholarships for 2027 study close between November 2026 and February 2027, so now is the time to apply. We’ve rounded up 22 fully funded scholarships open to Africans right now, from undergraduate study in Kigali to master’s degrees at Oxford, Sciences Po and Swedish universities, and funded PhDs across the UK, Germany and Europe.
Each one covers tuition plus a living stipend, or pays a stipend generous enough to live on. Some are for specific countries, such as Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi (Beit Trust) or South Africa (SA-CERN), and we say so in each entry. Every scholarship links to our full guide, with eligibility, documents and step-by-step application tips.
Quick List: Deadlines at a Glance
| # | Scholarship | Level | Where | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at ALU 2027 | Undergraduate | Kigali, Rwanda | 30 Nov 2026 |
| 2 | DAAD In-Country/In-Region Scholarships 2027 | Master’s | Partner universities in 8 African countries | 12 Nov 2026 |
| 3 | University of Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027/28 | Master’s | Edinburgh, UK | 19 Nov 2026 |
| 4 | Sciences Po Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program 2027 | Master’s | Paris, France | 14 Dec 2026 |
| 5 | NOHA Erasmus Mundus Master’s in International Humanitarian Action 2027 | Master’s | Universities across Europe | 15 Dec 2026 |
| 6 | France Excellence Eiffel Scholarship 2027 | Master’s | France | 6 Jan 2027 |
| 7 | Oxford-Weidenfeld and Hoffmann Scholarships 2027–28 | Master’s | Oxford, UK | 6 Jan 2027 |
| 8 | Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals 2027/28 | Master’s | Sweden | 15 Jan 2027 |
| 9 | Swedish Institute Pioneering Women in STEM Scholarship 2027 | Master’s | Sweden | 15 Jan 2027 |
| 10 | Beit Trust Scholarships 2027/28 | Master’s | UK and South Africa | 12 Feb 2027 |
| 11 | VLIRUOS ICP Connect Scholarships 2027/28 | Master’s | Flanders, Belgium | 28 Feb 2027 |
| 12 | Germany-CGIAR++ Hub PhD Scholarship 2027 | PhD | Germany and CGIAR centres | 30 Nov 2026 |
| 13 | City St George’s, University of London PhD Studentships in Economics 2027 | PhD | London, UK | 30 Nov 2026 |
| 14 | Imperial College Business School Fully Funded PhD 2027 | PhD | London, UK | 2 Dec 2026 |
| 15 | E5 Doctoral Training Partnership PhD Studentships 2027, University of Edinburgh | PhD | Edinburgh, UK | 2 Dec 2026 |
| 16 | University of Exeter EPSRC PhD Studentships 2027 | PhD | Exeter, UK | 8 Dec 2026 |
| 17 | LSE MPhil/PhD in Demography 2027/28 | PhD | London, UK | 13 Jan 2027 |
| 18 | Berlin School of Economics PhD Programme 2027 | PhD | Berlin, Germany | 15 Jan 2027 |
| 19 | CEU Yehuda Elkana Fellowship 2027 | PhD | Vienna, Austria | 15 Jan 2027 |
| 20 | AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards 2027, Birmingham City University | PhD | Birmingham, UK | 20 Jan 2027 |
| 21 | LJMU Vice-Chancellor’s PhD Scholarships 2027 | PhD | Liverpool, UK | 29 Jan 2027 |
| 22 | SA-CERN Programme Excellence Bursary 2027 | Country-specific | South Africa, with trips to CERN | Rolling |
Undergraduate Scholarships
1. Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at ALU 2027
Deadline: 30 November 2026
A full Mastercard Foundation scholarship to study Software Engineering or Entrepreneurial Leadership at the African Leadership University, for young Africans facing financial hardship.
Read our full ALU Mastercard Foundation Scholarship guide
Master’s Scholarships
2. DAAD In-Country/In-Region Scholarships 2027
Deadline: 12 November 2026
DAAD pays tuition, a stipend and research costs for Sub-Saharan African graduates to study a master’s at partner universities in eight African countries.
Read our full DAAD In-Country/In-Region guide
3. University of Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation Scholarship 2027/28
Deadline: 19 November 2026 (main application, for invited applicants)
Fully funded master’s study at Edinburgh for young Africans. Our guide covers the key dates, what’s covered, eligible programmes, documents and interview tips for invited applicants.
Read our full Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation guide
4. Sciences Po Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program 2027
Deadline: 23 November or 14 December 2026, depending on your programme
A fully funded two-year master’s at Sciences Po in Paris for African citizens.
Read our full Sciences Po Mastercard Foundation guide
5. NOHA Erasmus Mundus Master’s in International Humanitarian Action 2027
Deadline: 15 December 2026
A two-year joint master’s for careers in humanitarian work. Erasmus Mundus scholarships are reported at €1,400 a month for 24 months, plus participation costs, insurance and travel support. Open worldwide.
Read our full NOHA Erasmus Mundus guide
6. France Excellence Eiffel Scholarship 2027
Deadline: 6 January 2027 (through your French university)
The French government pays international master’s and PhD students up to €2,000 a month. You’re nominated by the French university you apply to, so start early.
Read our full Eiffel Scholarship guide
7. Oxford-Weidenfeld and Hoffmann Scholarships 2027–28
Deadline: By your course deadline, from December 2026 to January 2027
Covers course fees, a living stipend and a 200-hour leadership programme for a one-year master’s at Oxford, mainly for students from low- and middle-income countries, including in Africa.
Read our full Oxford-Weidenfeld and Hoffmann guide
8. Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals 2027/28
Deadline: 15 January 2027 (after applying to your programme)
Full tuition, SEK 12,000 a month and a travel grant for master’s study in Sweden. Citizens of 12 African countries can apply.
Read our full Swedish Institute Global Professionals guide
9. Swedish Institute Pioneering Women in STEM Scholarship 2027
Deadline: 15 January 2027
Full tuition and SEK 12,000 a month for STEM master’s degrees in Sweden, for women from Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa (and six Asian countries).
Read our full SI Women in STEM guide
10. Beit Trust Scholarships 2027/28
Deadline: Opens 1 December 2026, closes 12 February 2027
Master’s degrees at Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Cape Town, Stellenbosch and other partner universities, for nationals of Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
Read our full Beit Trust guide
11. VLIRUOS ICP Connect Scholarships 2027/28
Deadline: 28 February 2027 (varies by programme)
Fully funded English-taught master’s programmes in Belgium from September 2027, for nationals of 25 countries including Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa and Uganda.
Read our full VLIRUOS ICP Connect guide
PhD Scholarships
12. Germany-CGIAR++ Hub PhD Scholarship 2027
Deadline: 30 November 2026
Ten PhDs at German universities with research at CGIAR centres: €1,800 a month for three years plus up to €25,000 for research. For agricultural research.
Read our full Germany-CGIAR++ Hub guide
13. City St George’s, University of London PhD Studentships in Economics 2027
Deadline: 30 November 2026 (funding deadline)
Four fully funded economics PhD studentships for October 2027, open to international students.
Read our full City St George’s PhD guide
14. Imperial College Business School Fully Funded PhD 2027
Deadline: 2 December 2026
Every admitted student gets a full fee waiver and a tax-free stipend for up to five years.
Read our full Imperial Business School PhD guide
15. E5 Doctoral Training Partnership PhD Studentships 2027, University of Edinburgh
Deadline: 2 December 2026
Fully funded four-year environmental science PhDs, open to all nationalities, with no master’s required.
16. University of Exeter EPSRC PhD Studentships 2027
Deadline: 8 December 2026
Up to 16 fully funded PhDs in engineering, computer science, physics and maths, open to international students.
Read our full Exeter EPSRC guide
17. LSE MPhil/PhD in Demography 2027/28
Deadline: 13 January 2027 (funding deadline)
International students can compete for LSE PhD Studentships covering fees and a stipend.
Read our full LSE Demography PhD guide
18. Berlin School of Economics PhD Programme 2027
Deadline: 15 January 2027
A €1,650 monthly stipend, paid research work and no tuition fees across nine Berlin institutions. International applicants welcome.
Read our full Berlin School of Economics guide
19. CEU Yehuda Elkana Fellowship 2027
Deadline: 15 January 2027
A fully funded four-year PhD on higher education policy with a €2,002 monthly stipend.
Read our full CEU Yehuda Elkana guide
20. AHRC Doctoral Landscape Awards 2027, Birmingham City University
Deadline: Expression of interest by 16 November 2026; application by 20 January 2027
Six fully funded arts and humanities PhDs, including one for an international student with a full fee waiver and a £21,805 stipend.
Read our full AHRC Birmingham City University guide
21. LJMU Vice-Chancellor’s PhD Scholarships 2027
Deadline: 29 January 2027
Up to 20 funded PhDs covering fees, a stipend and research costs, open to international students (a few countries excluded).
Country-Specific Scholarships
22. SA-CERN Programme Excellence Bursary 2027
Deadline: Rolling
Covers the full cost of MSc (up to R150,000 a year) and PhD (up to R200,000 a year) study, with research trips to CERN, for South African citizens.
Read our full SA-CERN Bursary guide
Eligibility: What These Scholarships Usually Ask For
- Nationality: many are open to all Africans; some are limited to certain countries, such as the Swedish Institute (12 African countries) or Beit Trust (Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi).
- A strong academic record: usually a good first degree for master’s study, and a master’s (or strong bachelor’s) for PhDs. E5 at Edinburgh doesn’t require a master’s.
- Admission first: for Eiffel, the Swedish Institute and many PhD awards, you must apply to the university or programme before, or at the same time as, the scholarship.
- English: most UK and European programmes ask for IELTS or TOEFL, though some accept proof of English-medium study.
- Leadership and commitment to Africa: Mastercard Foundation, Oxford-Weidenfeld and Swedish Institute scholarships look for people who’ll use their education to serve their communities.
Benefits: What “Fully Funded” Covers
- Tuition fees, in full or through a fee waiver
- A monthly stipend for living costs, from about €1,400 a month (Erasmus Mundus) to SEK 12,000 (Sweden) and £21,805 a year (UK AHRC)
- Travel, visa and insurance for many programmes
- Research or leadership extras, such as Oxford’s leadership programme or CGIAR’s research budget
How to Apply: Tips for a Winning Application
- Make a deadline calendar. Five close in November, so start with DAAD (12 November), Edinburgh (19 November) and the three 30 November deadlines.
- Get your documents ready now: transcripts, degree certificate, passport, CV, English test results and two or three referees.
- Write a specific personal statement. Explain what you’ll study, why this programme, and what you’ll do with it afterwards, ideally back home.
- Brief your referees early. Send them your CV and statement, and give them at least two weeks.
- Apply to several. Fully funded scholarships are very competitive; five or six strong applications beat one perfect one.
- Never pay an agent to “guarantee” a scholarship. Real scholarships don’t charge application fees.
Want to see only the scholarships you qualify for, based on your nationality, level and field? Try the OpportunityLab Portal; it’s free, with no sign-up needed to see your matches.
