Scholarships for African Students to Study in the UK

In this article, we discuss the top 20 undergraduate scholarships for African students to study abroad. The United Kingdom provides high-quality higher education, it is regarded as one of the most popular study destinations for African students. Universities in the UK are ranked as some of the best universities in the world. The Universities in the UK offer comprehensive courses in various fields such as Engineering, law, architecture, and so on.

Scholarships for African Students to Study in the UK are funded by the UK government, institutions, and other organizations. This post will also examine scholarships in the United Kingdom for foreign students from Africa and underdeveloped nations. Please keep in mind that some of these scholarships pay the entire cost of tuition, while others just cover a portion of it. The majority of these scholarships are supported in part by the United Kingdom government and private entities.

Top 20 Scholarships for African Students to Study in the UK

1. Commonwealth Scholarship

This Scholarship is spearheaded by the commonwealth and one of the best Scholarships for African Students to Study in the UK. The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission urges each nominating agency, university, or university body to submit a certain number of nominations for the Commonwealth Scholarship for Developing Countries each year. Each nominating agency/university/university body is in charge of its selection procedure, and most will set a deadline in the months leading up to the CSC’s nomination deadline. As one of the Scholarships for African Students to Study in the UK, the commonwealth scholarship deadline is set to December 7th

2. Commonwealth Professional Fellowships for Commonwealth Developing Countries

The Commonwealth Professional Fellowships are offered by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission to let mid-career professionals from developing Commonwealth nations spend a length of time working in their area with a UK host organization as part of a professional development program. Fellowships last three months on average, although they can last anywhere from one to six months and involve restricted time for attending short courses or conferences, as well as trips to other organizations. 

This scholarship is recommended for Africans looking to also further their education. This is one of the Scholarships for African Students to Study in the UK with its deadline of 1st October.

3. Chevening Scholarships for Commonwealth Countries

The Chevening Scholarship program is one of the best Scholarships for African Students to Study in the UK. Created by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1983, has grown to become a globally acclaimed program with over 41,000 graduates. Chevening Scholarships are available in around 110 countries at the moment. Chevening grants allow Scholars to pursue a one-year postgraduate Master’s degree at any UK university in any field.

4. Africa Graduate Scholarships at UCL

The scholarships exist to support African nationals with a high-quality academic and professional background who would not be able to study at UCL without financial assistance. The Scholarship is a one-off award for the academic year September-September to study at the UCL Institute for Global Health. These undergraduate scholarships for African students to study abroad, are designed for master’s programs.

5. Canon Collins Trust Scholarships

The Canon Collins Trust is one of the Scholarships for African Students to Study in the UK. The Canon Collins Trust is accepting applications for Masters’s scholarships from students from Southern Africa (Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe). There are scholarships available for studies at the following institutions: SOAS, University of Sussex, University of Edinburgh, University of Leeds, University of Sheffield, Queen Mary, University of London, DICE at the University of Kent.

6. British Council/NLNG Scholarships for Nigerian graduates

From September, the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) group will grant ten graduate students the opportunity to study for a Masters’s degree at a UK institution. The British Council now administers the NLNG Scholarship, which covers your studies and helps with living expenses for the duration of your Masters’s degree.

7. Irish Aid Postgraduate Fellowships

The Department of Foreign Affairs awards Irish Aid Fellowships, which are primarily for countries where Ireland has developed development cooperation programs, such as Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Timor Leste, and Vietnam, as well as the Palestinian territories. These aid fellowships are among Scholarships for African Students to Study in the UK aiding students aiming for masters. 

8. Masters: Africa London Nagasaki (ALN) scholarship fund for African scientists

The Africa London Nagasaki (ALN) scholarship fund assists African scientists who are pursuing a Master’s degree in infectious disease control in Africa. Each year, up to four scientists will receive up to $50,000 in funding to cover tuition, travel, and living expenses. The scholarship pays for a candidate to study for an MSc at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Nagasaki, Japan, or the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in London, UK, in a field related to infectious disease prevention in Africa.

This Scholarship is one of the Scholarships for African Students to Study in the UK, which also allows studying in Japan. LSHTM offers both residential and remote learning MSc programs. Candidates who are accepted into a program at Nagasaki’s Institute of Tropical Medicine will be expected to live in Japan for the duration of the program. On completion of the course, successful applicants must prepare a written report. 

9. Mo Ibrahim Foundation Scholarship

The Ibrahim Scholarships are a set of programs aimed at assisting young African leaders. These Scholarships for African Students to Study in the UK represent a variety of African development agendas. The Foundation is dedicated to displaying the greatest talent from throughout the African continent, particularly from those groups that are frequently denied the chance to contribute to the development of their societies. London Business School, School of Oriental and African Studies, and the University of Birmingham all provide scholarships.

10. Full Beit Trust Scholarship for Students from Malawi, Zambia, or Zimbabwe

The Beit Trust awards a limited number of scholarships each year to Malawian, Zambian, and Zimbabwean graduates who wish to pursue postgraduate study or research overseas (the beneficial area). Scholarships are used to study at a university in the United Kingdom, Ireland, or South Africa in a field of the student’s choosing that is relevant to the requirements of the benefited region.  This Scholarship is one of the few Scholarships for African Students to Study in the UK, that has an option to study in South Africa.

11. Fellowships in International Human Rights in UK and US

Human Rights Watch, a non-profit organization that monitors and advocates for human rights across the world, is accepting applications for its undergraduate scholarships for African students to study abroad. Human Rights Watch is noted for its unbiased and trustworthy human rights reporting on over 70 nations throughout the world, as well as its creative and high-profile advocacy campaigns and effectiveness in influencing the US and other important governments’ policies toward human rights violators.

12. Windle Trust International Scholarship

The Windle Trust International is a charity located in Oxford, United Kingdom, that also has offices in Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya. The Windle Trust Overseas Scholarship is given to international students who have been affected by African violence. It helps them with education and training. At the universities and vocational colleges listed, there are a variety of activities, including sponsorship for refugees and displaced persons. Many programs teach English as a second language.

Internal postgraduate sponsorship of refugees and displaced individuals from the Horn and East Africa is available through universities in the United Kingdom. Applicants seeking scholarships to study in the UK must have at least two years of relevant professional or volunteer experience in the field of study. Candidates for postgraduate studies should be under the age of forty.

13. Eni Scholarship at University of Oxford

St Antony’s College Oxford, in collaboration with the multinational integrated energy business Eni, is offering three students from African institutions in Angola, Ghana, and Nigeria the chance to pursue postgraduate studies at the Master’s level at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Strengthening African Leadership is the goal of the Eni Masters scholarship. This scholarship is one of the few scholarships to study in the UK, that accepts students from just the three aforementioned nations. 

14. Reach Oxford Scholarships for Low-Income Countries

Several Oxford colleges provide Reach Oxford scholarships (previously Oxford Student Scholarships) to students from low-income countries who are unable to study for a degree in their home country due to political or financial constraints or a lack of adequate educational facilities. Scholarship recipients will be able to pursue any undergraduate subject at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, except for medicine, which is too long and expensive.

15. Waverley Fund Scholarship in African Studies

The Waverley Fund will provide Masters (MSc) in African Studies scholarships each academic year to academically outstanding individuals from underprivileged backgrounds who have demonstrated the ability to make a substantial contribution in their future professions. The African Studies Centre, based at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, was founded in October 2004 and draws exceptionally qualified graduates. The Centre is a division of the Social Sciences Division’s School of Interdisciplinary Area Studies (SIAS).

16. Gates Cambridge Scholarships

The Gates Cambridge Scholarships are full-fee, extremely competitive scholarships. They are given to excellent applicants from outside the United Kingdom who wish to study a full-time postgraduate degree at the University of Cambridge in any discipline. The program’s goal is to create a global network of future leaders dedicated to making the world a better place. 

17. Mandela Magdalene College Scholarship for South Africa

This is another one of many undergraduate scholarships for African students to study abroad. Nelson Mandela, then-President of the Republic of South Africa, consented to donate his name to the Mandela Magdalene College Scholarships when they were announced in March 1995. Mr. Chris von Christierson and other philanthropists, as well as the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust and Magdalene College, Cambridge, collaborated on the initiative.

The initiative seeks to assist South African graduate students with exceptional academic performance and potential for leadership who would otherwise be unable to attend Cambridge University. The scholarships are offered to South African nationals and residents under the age of 35 who have or plan to acquire a first-class or high second class honors degree or its equivalent from a recognized university by 1 October 2007. After finishing the Cambridge course, successful candidates will be asked to return to South Africa to work or study.

18.  Rwanda Cambridge Masters & Ph.D. Scholarships

This is another one of many undergraduate scholarships for African students to study abroad. The Rwandan Ministry of Education and the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust have agreed to grant Rwandan students postgraduate scholarships to study at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. The grant is accessible for universities’ postgraduate degree programs. Candidates can apply for a 1-year postgraduate taught degree (Masters) or a 3-year research degree (Ph.D.). 

19. Boustany Foundation MBA Scholarship

International students can apply for a Boustany Foundation MBA scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge. The MBA is a 12-month curriculum that covers all aspects of general management that are significant in today’s corporate world. The MBA scholarship at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom will allow you to pursue areas of specific interest through project work and electives while also offering a solid foundation in business fundamentals. The deadline for this scholarship to study in the UK is 15th May.

20. Westminster Scholarships for Developing Countries

For students from underdeveloped nations, the University of Westminster offers postgraduate (Master’s) scholarships. These substantial prizes are intended to cover the whole cost of a full-time Masters’ degree at the University for scholarship winners from disadvantaged countries. Prospective students who can demonstrate how the information they gain from their studies in Westminster can benefit the development of their home nation will be given special consideration. 

The University of Westminster also provides full scholarships to overseas students wishing to study in the United Kingdom at the postgraduate level. If a student is especially well-qualified, the university provides a handful of full tuition fee waiver scholarships.

Masters in the UK

In the United Kingdom, a master’s degree is a one to a two-year full-time degree (3 years part-time degree) that can be research-based, course-based, or a combination of both. Master’s degree programs at UK universities provide a wide range of specialties, disciplines, and courses, allowing foreign students to pick a degree program that suits them. In the United Kingdom, pursuing a master’s or master’s degree might cost anything from 15,000 to 35,00 GBP each year. This is primarily due to the cost of these courses’ tuition.

Over 35% of the overall student population seeking an MS in the United Kingdom are overseas students. MSc- masters in science, MPhil- masters in philosophy, MBA- masters in business administration, masters in law in the United Kingdom, and others are some of the most common master’s degrees or courses provided in the United Kingdom. Among them, management and STEM courses garner the most applicants.

To pursue a master’s degree in the United Kingdom, international students must demonstrate competency in the English language. GRE/GMAT scores are also necessary for admission to some of the UK’s most prestigious Master’s programs. To apply for an MS at a UK university, you must have a three- to four-year bachelor’s degree in a comparable discipline with a minimum of 60% to 75%.

Why Study in the UK?

There is a myriad of reasons why studying masters is beneficial to you, here are some:

1. University rankings

University rankings in the United Kingdom are among the best in the world. Some of the primary characteristics that make the UK one of the most popular study destinations in the world are the quality of education and academic excellence. International university rankings analyze higher education institutions every year and compile lists based on variables such as international friendliness, student focus, average graduate salary, amount of published research articles, and so on.

Every year, UK institutions rank in the top ten, demonstrating their commitment to providing students with the finest possible experience and the most up-to-date information.

2. Scholarships and grants.

International students can apply for scholarships and awards from a variety of colleges, private organizations, non-governmental organizations, and government agencies. Each scholarship or grant has its own set of requirements; some are given for academic achievement, while others are given for financial necessity, and yet others are given to students from poor or undeveloped countries.

Don’t be afraid to apply for financial help or inquire about it with your university. You can use the money you save toward other hobbies or interests, or into a personal savings account.

3. Acquire Queen’s English

The Queen’s English (also known as BBC English) is the highest level of English that may be spoken. It contains Received Pronunciation, a distinct accent used by the Queen and those who have studied and attained a particular degree of English proficiency. It’s the type of accent you hear in movies, with a sophisticated tone and flawlessly accurate language that draws people’s attention.

While you do not need to speak Queen’s English to live in the UK, learning it while studying there is significantly simpler. It’s also a fun method to wow your friends or acquaintances and makes yourself stand out when speaking in English.

4. Explore the United Kingdom’s splendor.

England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland make up the United Kingdom, and each has its own set of attractions for international students and tourists. When you’re not in class, you may visit the Tower of London, the British Museum, the London Eye, the Big Gen, Stonehenge, Loch Ness (renowned for the Loch Ness Monster), the Snowdonia National Park, and other attractions.

What to Study in the UK

Short courses, certifications, and diplomas, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, are all available. The versatility of British study programs is well-known. Students can also choose from a variety of career-focused education options. Students who desire to complete their education in fewer years might enroll in intensive academic programs. Some graduate degree programs last as little as a year. Courses to study in the UK include Masters in Computer Science in the UK, Masters in International Relations in the UK, Masters in Psychology in the UK Masters in Business Administration in the UK, Masters in Journalism in the UK, and lots more.

How Much Does a Master’s Cost?

For an overseas student, the average cost of a postgraduate and master’s degree in the UK is £14,620. Postgraduate tuition costs vary depending on the sort of Master’s degree you want to pursue, where you want to reside in the UK, and which university you attend. Postgraduate education in the UK is significantly less expensive than in the United States, and studying in the UK can be 30 to 60% less expensive than in the United States.

Conclusion

In addition to the scholarship schemes mentioned above, the United Kingdom has a plethora of other scholarship opportunities. For starters, there are various scholarship programs for students from specific nations that are financed by governmental or non-governmental organizations. The general rule in higher education nowadays is that the better the quality of education, the higher the cost. Universities in the United Kingdom are an excellent example of this formula. They are routinely ranked among the greatest colleges in the world for educational excellence, but they are also among the most costly to attend. These Scholarships for Africans will lessen the load. 

Frequently Asked Question

How can I get a scholarship in the UK?

To see if you are qualified for a scholarship, go to the UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) website. Many institutions also provide financial aid, which you may learn more about by visiting their websites.

How can an international student get a full scholarship in the UK?

When you study in the UK, you may apply for a postgraduate scholarship from the UK government to help pay for things like course fees and living expenses. These scholarships are not available to international students from the European Union. You can still apply for Commonwealth Scholarships if you are from Malta or Cyprus.

How hard is it to get a scholarship UK?

Obtaining a scholarship in the United Kingdom is challenging yet prestigious. Some scholarships are only available for specific programs and are only available for a limited time. You will very certainly not be able to move to another course or extend the scholarship time once you have obtained it and begun studying.

Which country is easy to get a scholarship in?

These days, China is the simplest to apply to. International students are offered fully financed scholarships by the Chinese government and institutions. These scholarships pay for your whole stay and education in China.