13 Best Masters Scholarships for African Students

A few days ago, I was inquiring about some scholarships in Nigeria, I had to speak to a friend of mine who was a recipient. She told me that it wasn’t the well-known scholarships we do hear about that is advertised everywhere that she got, she told me that it was a scholarship that only a certain few knew that is organized by her Local Government, and the money was worth covering tuition fee.

The best part was that she told me the exam was just simple, a few current affairs questions and some questions about her LGA.

The essence of this story is to let you know that there are scholarships for everyone, and you don’t only need to rely on our list of masters scholarships for African students, ask around, ask your local government, your friends, families, even ask your boss, etc. You might be shocked to get some unclaimed scholarships, and if you are afraid of writing an essay, then taking advantage of some no-essay scholarships could be a good fit.

Moreover, we would advise you to learn some primary scholarship requirements before applying for any of these financial aid.

masters scholarships for African students

Masters Scholarships for African Students

1. Commonwealth Distance Learning Master’s Scholarships

This scholarship is awarded to eligible low and middle-income Commonwealth countries, to undertake part-time taught Master’s study with UK universities while remaining in their home countries. The scholarship is mostly for African students, and scholars will receive full-tuition scholarships.

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2. Chevening Scholarship

Chevening Scholarship is one of the masters scholarships for African students provided by the United Kingdom government to several students from lots of countries including students from Africa. The scholarship is totally funded to study for a 1-year master’s degree in the UK, and after your scholarship, you will join their more than 50,000 global alumni.

The scholarship will also provide a monthly stipend, travel costs to and from the UK, an arrival allowance, a travel grant to attend Chevening events in the UK, etc.

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3. MSFS – African Student Scholarship

The Master of Science in Foreign Service @ Georgetown University has been providing a full-tuition scholarship for a talented graduate student from sub-Saharan Africa since 2014. They give Special consideration to applicants from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa.

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4. London School of Economics and Political Science Scholarships for African Students

LSE provides several masters scholarships for African students which range in value from 10% of the tuition fee to a full fees and maintenance award. Whether you’re pursuing Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Research program, there’s a scholarship for you.

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5. Rotary Peace Fellowships

The Rotary Peace Fellowships awards several scholarships to dedicated leaders from more than 140 countries in the world, including those in Africa to study at one of their peace centers. The fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and internship and field-study expenses.

You can either choose to take advantage of their fellowships for master’s degrees or their certificate studies at premier universities.

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6. University of Glasgow African Excellence Award

If you’re intending to start a 1 year postgraduate taught Master’s programme, then the University of Glasgow could be a nice place to do it due to their provision of up to 15 scholarships for International students from Africa. Also, it doesn’t matter the discipline you’re enrolling in, and the scholarship will completely waive your tuition fee.

However, the scholarship is very competitive and applicants need to demonstrate academic excellence and achieve grades equivalent to a UK 1st Class Honours.

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7. DAAD Scholarship for East Africa

This scholarship is awarded to East African students that have already obtained their bachelor’s degree and intend to obtain their master’s program in Germany. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a citizen of Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, or a refugee in one of these countries.

These DAAD masters scholarships for African students will support you during your study experience in Germany both financially and professionally. Also, before you arrive, you’ll be oriented on how to apply at German universities for a Master’s degree program.

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8. EAC Scholarship Programme

The East African Community Scholarship Programme was created to contribute towards training leaders that will foster the EAC Regional integration, it will also help students to study in countries other than their home country. The project offers a comprehensive package including scholarships for Master’s programs, internships, mentoring, networking events, and further leadership training activities.

This scholarship will cover University tuition fees, a monthly stipend worth €380, allowances for study materials & research, Medical insurance, etc.

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9. Aga Khan Foundation Scholarship Program

If you’re a citizen of Egypt, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania, or Uganda, who has no other means of financing your education to pursue full-time master’s or postgraduate studies, then you need to take advantage of this scholarship. Not only do you need to have a genuine financial need, but you also need to have excellent academic records.

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10. Africa London Nagasaki (ALN) Fund

The Africa London Nagasaki (ALN) Fund was created to support African scientists to undertake a Master’s degree in a subject relevant to the control of infectious disease in Africa. These masters scholarships for African students are for candidates who will enroll in a Master of Tropical Medicine degree at the School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Japan, or an MSc at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.

Scholars will receive a maximum of US$50,000 each that will cover their tuition fees, travel, and living expenses.

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11. The Beit Trust Scholarships

The Beit Trust Scholarship is partnering with some prestigious universities in both the UK and South Africa to provide Master’s and Postgraduate scholarships to study in one of these schools. Some of these universities include the University of Cambridge, The University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow, the University of Oxford, the University of Cape Town, Rhodes University, etc.

The scholarship will cover several academic fees and tuition costs, scholars will also get a personal allowance, and many others.

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12. The Mandela Rhodes Scholarship

This scholarship doesn’t only provide financial support to the winners, it also provides a free leadership program that will challenge them, grow them, and connect them to young African changemakers – just like them. The Scholarship covers tuition for a one-year Honours degree or a two-year Master’s degree in any field at a recognized South African institution of higher education, and it also covers other educational expenses including some personal allowance.

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13. The Bartlett Promise Sub-Saharan Africa Master’s Scholarship

This scholarship is open to applicants who are nationals and residents of a Bartlett-approved list of Sub-Saharan African countries who have admission to a Bartlett master’s program. Just like most master’s scholarships for African students we have listed, this one also takes care of the entire tuition fees, then pays an additional allowance of £16,008 to cover living and study expenses for the normal duration of the program at UCL.

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Conclusion

Even though we have provided 13 master’s scholarships doesn’t mean there are only 13, you should perform more research, perhaps even as your friends, local organization, or even places of worship. You might be shocked to receive some scholarships no one talks of just like we shared in the introduction. 

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