Scholarship to Study Abroad for Nigerian Students 2024

Educational tourism is an expensive expedition for Nigerian students studying abroad.

The tuition fees for international students at ivy league schools abroad is over $15,000 on average. That is way above what many parents can afford for a university education.

The good news is that there are many undergraduate and postgraduate scholarship opportunities to study abroad for Nigerian students.

Academic scholarships abroad are fully funded or subsidized tuition fees.

It is necessary to research the countries and universities that offer scholarships to students in Nigeria.

Also, you need to know the colleges abroad that Nigerian students work in while they study. This opportunity will enable you to earn stipends as an international student.

In this post, I will walk you through the scholarships available for Nigerian students to study abroad in the USA, Canada, Germany, UK, Finland, Cyprus, Ukraine, Malaysia, Russia, Hungary, Finland, Spain, Norway, France, etc.

I would love to hear from you. Let me know in the comment box if you have any questions or need further assistance.

Good luck to you as you begin your journey to studying abroad.

There are a lot of resources here at Studentship on admission, student life and scholarships abroad.

Scholarships Abroad

There are two categories of Nigerian students that seek scholarship opportunities abroad;

  • Undergraduate Students
  • Postgraduate Students

Undergraduate scholarship opportunities are not many like the postgraduate scholarships available for Nigerian students abroad.

Many countries offer tuition-free scholarships for Nigerian postgraduate students at the Master and PhD levels.

To apply for any scholarships, you must check that you meet the minimum academic requirements.

Types of Scholarships Abroad

There are three (3) kinds of scholarships for students in Nigeria who want to study abroad;

  • Fully Funded Scholarship
  • Tuition-Free Scholarship
  • Subsidized Scholarship

Fully Funded Scholarship

Fully funded scholarships are bursaries that cover full tuition, accommodation and stipends.

A full scholarship is the best study grant opportunity for Nigerian students to study abroad.

A fully-funded scholarship will take care of your expenses in school. You do not have to worry about school fees, accommodation costs, etc.

This kind of scholarship is by multinational companies and international missions in Nigeria.

Tuition-Free Scholarship

Tuition-free scholarships are bursaries that cover tuition fees only.

This kind of scholarship covers your school fees through your academic programme. It does not cover other costs like accommodation, school materials, stipends, etc.

Tuition-free scholarships are by many countries abroad like Germany, Finland, etc.

Subsidized Scholarship

The subsidized scholarship is a low budget scholarship for Nigerian students to study abroad.

This kind of scholarship does not pay for your full tuition or cover other expenses. It is to help finance your academics partially.

Abroad Scholarship for Nigerian Students

Here is the list of master abroad scholarships available for Nigerian postgraduate students, their criteria, eligibility and how to apply;

  1. Commonwealth Scholarship
  2. Gates Cambridge Scholarship
  3. Fullbright Program
  4. Chevening Scholarship
  5. Swedish Scholarship for International Students
  6. Clarendon Scholarships at University of Oxford (UK)
  7. Ivan D Jankovic PhD Studentship (for any nationality)
  8. Wellcome Sanger Institute 4-Year PhD Studentships
  9. University of Sweden International Scholarship
  10. American Insttute for Foreign Study
  11. Kanders Churchill
  12. PhD Programme Scholarship for Health Practitioner
  13. University of Maastricht High Potential Scholarships (Netherlands)
  14. ETH Zurich Excellence Masters Scholarship Program (Switzerland)
  15. Jesus College Harvard-Cambridge Scholarship: John Eliot
  16. Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship
  17. Cultural Experiences Abroad
  18. Warwick Chancellor’s International Scholarships (UK)
  19. EMBL International PhD Studentships
  20. Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees
  21. Westminster Full International Scholarships (UK)
  22. Amsterdam Excellence Scholarships (Netherlands)
  23. TU Delft Excellence Scholarships (Netherlands)
  24. International Leader of Tomorrow Award at the University of British Columbia (Canada)
  25. Malati Kanbur Fund
  26. Yale University Scholarships USA
  27. QS Leadership Scholarship
  28. Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship Program at the University of Toronto (Canada)
  29. Peterhouse Postgraduate Studentship Competition
  30. Adelaide Scholarships International
  31. Government of Brunei Darussalam Scholarship
  32. Erik Bleumink Scholarships at the University of Groningen (Netherlands)
  33. Great Wall Program
  34. Marshall Scholarship
  35. Rhodes Scholarship
  36. Schwarzman Scholarship
  37. Knight-Hennessey Scholars
  38. Churchill Scholarship
  39. Euraxess UK
  40. The Royal Society Grants
  41. Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship
  42. Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
  43. Chinese Government Scholarships
  44. Cambridge Political Economy Society Trust 3 year Research Scholarship
  45. QS Undergraduate Scholarship
  46. MEXT Scholarship Japan
  47. International Leader of Tomorrow Award at the University of British Columbia
  48. Japan and the World Graduate Scholarships
  49. Croucher Cambridge International Scholarship
  50. Shell Postgraduate Scholarship Schemes
  51. Bangkok Government Scholarship

Shell Niger Delta Postgraduate Scholarship

The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), operator of the SPDC Joint Venture, is delighted to announce the tenth annual NNPC/SPDC_JV Niger Delta Postgraduate Scholarship for applicants from Bayelsa, Delta, Imo and Rivers states.

The objective of the scholarship programme is to provide postgraduate study opportunities in courses that are relevant to the oil and gas industry for qualifying students from these Niger Delta states.

In the ten years of this programme, 100 students have won the opportunity to study at top-rated universities in the UK on full scholarship.

SPDC, in partnership with three universities in the UK, Imperial College London, the University of Leeds and the University of Aberdeen, will award scholarships for one-year post-graduate M.Sc. studies.
The following courses qualify for the award of scholarships at the three institutions:

UniversitiesDegree
Imperial College LondonMSc Petroleum Engineering
MSc Applied Computational Science and Engineering
University of AbeerdeenMSc GeophysicsMSc Safety & Reliability Engineering for Oil & Gas
MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering
University of LeedsMSc Exploration Geophysics
MSc Electronic/Electrical Engineering

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the scholarship, applicants must;

  • Display intellectual ability and leadership potential
  • Have an adequate standard of English (at least 6.5 in IELTS) and meet the College’s language requirement
  • Have been offered admission to study on one of the Eligible Courses at the College, having applied through the normal application process
  • Already hold (or expect to hold by the time of taking up the Scholarship) a degree of an equivalent standard to a UK Upper Second Class Honours degree
  • Must have completed the National Youth Service
  • Be ordinarily resident in Rivers, Imo, Delta or Bayelsa State of Nigeria, and intend to return to Nigeria at the end of the period of study
  • Have not already had the chance to study in the UK or another developed country
  • be aged between 21-28 years
  • Currently reside in Nigeria
  • Plan to return to Nigeria on completion of the proposed programme of study
  • Have a Nigerian international passport
  • Employees, employees’ relatives (or former employees who have left employment less than 5 years) of SPDC, Royal Dutch SHELL Group of Companies or the College will not be eligible to apply for the scholarships.

Application Process

  • Submit an application for admission to any of the participating universities for any of the qualifying courses.
  • Application forms for the scholarship will ONLY be available through the websites of the Imperial College London, the University of Leeds and the University of Aberdeen, following a formal offer of admission by the university.
  • The universities will process applications and select candidates who will attend interviews with SPDC before being considered for final selection.
  • Completed scholarship application forms must reach participating universities.

The scholarship will cover tuition; one economy return flight ticket from Nigeria to the UK and a contribution towards living expenses only*.

Gates Cambridge Scholarship

The Gates Cambridge Trust was established in October 2000 by donating US$210m from the Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge.

This remains the largest single donation to a UK university.

Application

You can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship if you are:

  • A citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom
  • Applying to pursue one of the following full-time residential courses of study at the University of Cambridge:
    • PhD
    • MPhil/MLitt
    • One year postgraduate course (with some exceptions)

How to Apply

Applicants submit their application for admission and funding (Gates Cambridge and other funding) via the University’s Graduate Application Portal.

To be considered for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, you must complete the section to apply for admission to a course, a College place, and the Gates Cambridge part of the funding section. Gates Cambridge has access to the full application for admission and funding when reviewing applications.

PhD Programme for Health Professionals

This programme is designed to allow clinical health professionals to pursue a successful career in health research. Up to seven fully-funded fellowships are offered yearly with a single round of admissions.

Award Details

  • Award Value – £290,000 (one-off)
  • Award Duration – One-off award
  • Award Purpose – Maintenance Research costs Other (see below)

The Programme provides:

  • A clinical salary
  • University Composition Fee (UCF) 
  • Research expenses
  • Contribution towards travel for research meetings
  • Contribution towards general training costs

A project proposal form outlining the chosen PhD project, to be completed by the fellow in consultation with their PhD project supervisor, will need to be submitted by 31 January of the year after the fellow commences on the Programme.

Eligibility

Who can apply? Prospective applicant

Level of Study – PhD Mode of study Full Time

Country of Residence – Only, United KingdomCoursePhD Programme for Health Professionals

Application Deadline – same as funding deadline for the course application results date March – April

Commonwealth Shared Scholarship

Commonwealth Shared Scholarships are offered in partnership with select UK universities.

Purpose: Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Commonwealth Shared Scholarships enable talented and motivated individuals to gain the knowledge and skills required for sustainable development and are aimed at those who could not afford to study in the UK.

Intended beneficiaries: Commonwealth Shared Scholarships allow candidates from least developed and lower-middle-income Commonwealth countries to undertake full-time Master’s study on selected courses at a UK university.

These scholarships are offered under six development themes.

Application

You must apply for your scholarship to be tenable at one of the following approved courses at a participating UK university.

You can apply for more than one course and to more than one university through the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships Scheme, but you may only accept one offer of a Shared Scholarship. Note these awards are only for Master’s courses and not for undergraduate or PhD study.

You must also secure admission to your course and apply for a Shared Scholarship. Please check with your chosen university for their specific advice on when to apply, admission requirements and rules for applying.

You must make your application using the CSC’s online application system and any other application you are required to complete by your nominating body.

The CSC will not accept applications not submitted via the online application system.

Scholar Eligibility

To apply for these scholarships, you must:

  • Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person
  • Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country
  • Be available to start your academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year
  • Hold a first degree of at least upper second-class (2:1) honours standard or a lower second-class degree (2:2) and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree).
  • Not have studied or worked for one (academic) year or more in a high-income country
  • Be unable to afford to study at a UK university without this scholarship
  • Have provided all supporting documentation in the required format

Chevening Scholarship

Chevening brings together leaders from 160+ countries and territories, creating networks, friendships, and shared memories and missions that span the world.

Application

Chevening enables outstanding emerging leaders worldwide to pursue one-year master’s degrees in the UK.

There is no such thing as a ‘typical’ Chevening Scholar, but successful people tend to have ambition, leadership qualities, and a passion for influencing positive change in their home countries.

We encourage you to apply if you meet our eligibility criteria and other requirements. Your gender, age (no upper age limit), sexual orientation, religion, marriage or parenthood status, caste, class, or other attributes do not matter to us. What matters is your ability to submit a thoughtful application that demonstrates that you can excel on an intense master’s course in the UK and that you have a clear vision for your future.

Learn more about Chevening’s eligibility and work experience requirements to assess your eligibility, and learn more about what a Chevening Award covers.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a Chevening Scholarship, you must:

  • Be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country or territory.
  • Return to your country of citizenship for a minimum of two years after your award has ended.
  • Have completed all components of an undergraduate degree that will enable you to gain entry into a postgraduate programme at a UK university by the time you submit your application. This is typically equivalent to an upper second-class 2:1 honours degree in the UK but may differ depending on your course and university choice.
  • Have at least two years (equivalent to 2,800 hours) of work experience.
  • Apply to three different eligible UK university courses and receive an unconditional offer from one of these choices.

Fulbright Foreign Student Scholarship

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program enables graduate students, young professionals and artists from abroad to study and conduct research in the United States.

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program operates in more than 160 countries worldwide. Approximately 4,000 foreign students receive Fulbright scholarships each year.

Application

The Fulbright Program for Foreign Students and Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs) is administered by binational Fulbright Commissions/Foundations or U.S. Embassies. These offices process all Foreign Student and FLTA Program applications.

Address(es):

Public Affairs Section
U.S.Embassy
Plot 1075 Diplomatic Drive Central District Area
Abuja

FLTA Information

Address(es):

(Hausa)
Cultural Affairs Assistant, U.S. Embassy
Plot 1075 Diplomatic Drive,
Central Area, Abuja

(Yoruba)
Fulbright Program Officer
Public Affairs Section, U.S. Consulate General
2 Walter Carrington Crescent
Victoria Island, Lagos

Email(s):

[email protected]

Universities that offer Full Scholarships to Nigerian Students

Here is the list of Universities that offer full scholarships to Nigerian students;

  • University of Toronto
  • Harvard University
  • Michigan State University
  • Duke University
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Cambridge University
  • Imperial College London
  • University of Aberdeen
  • University of Leeds
  • Swedish Institute
  • University of Chicago
  • University of Cambridge
  • Califonia Institure of Technology
  • University of Oxford
  • Imperial College London
  • University of Virginia
  • King’s College London
  • University of Michigan
  • London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
  • University College London (UCL)
  • Boston University
  • University of Bristol
  • Aberystwyth University
  • Aston University
  • University of Oxford
  • Bangor University
  • University of Wolverhampton
  • Bath Spa University
  • University of Warwick
  • Bishop Grosseteste University
  • University of Leicester
  • Bournemouth University
  • University of Portsmouth
  • Brunel University London
  • Coventry University
  • University of Leeds
  • Cranfield University
  • Durham University
  • University of Nottingham
  • Falmouth University
  • University of Southampton
  • Goldsmiths, University of London
  • King’s College London
  • London School of Economics and Political Science
  • Liverpool Hope University
  • University of Derby
  • London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
  • Oxford Brookes University
  • University of Glasgow
  • Newcastle University
  • University of Exeter
  • Queen Margaret University
  • Sheffield Hallam University
  • University of Chester

Other universities abroad also offer scholarships for Nigerian students.

Let me know if you have any questions or need further clarification. I would love to assist you.

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65 thoughts on “Scholarship to Study Abroad for Nigerian Students 2024”

  1. my course is electrical electronic engineering ,I would like to get a scholarship in the UK or canada but I don’t which school to choose please help me in any way possible. Thank you

    Reply
  2. Am in jss3 right now, i don’t know if this is fake or real. Please i need a scholarship to study in any secondary schools in uk please i need your help.

    Reply
  3. hello I’ve gotten an admission in a university in the united states but with no scholarship/ financial aid what should i do? are there any agency/grant that sponsors someone’s education abroad in Nigeria

    Reply
  4. Hello sir, I am an HND holder in Agricultural Engineering with lower credit. Please what type of international scholarship can I apply for progression? Or is any scholarship available in Canada for a master’s degree or PGD?

    Reply
  5. Hello sir, I am an HND holder in Agricultural Engineering with lower credit. Please what type of international scholarship can I apply for progression? Or is any scholarship available in Canada for a master’s degree or PGD?

    Reply
  6. Pls I want to apply to the university of Toronto
    Fully funded,pls the requirements and I don’t no how to apply pls
    Undergraduate

    Reply
  7. Pls help me I font even know if this is real or fake. But I need your help. I am currently in SS3 and I want to study neurosurgery in any university in Canada pls help me. Are we in for any tutor. Pls I need your reply fast

    Reply
  8. Pls i want to study abroad and i dont know if this is real or fake. I am currently in sss3. I am going to be through next year. How can you help me pls.

    Reply
  9. Pls sir am so much interested in an Australian scholarship, but the problem i have is where to apply for it and the requirement that might be needed.

    Reply
  10. I graduated from secondary school in 2020 but not financially capable to further more. How I wish to study in one of this schools .please sir which of these schools has a fully funded scholarship award that I can apply for.

    Reply
  11. Sir I have passion to study.
    I don’t want to end my education half way but Nigeria economy have destroy my plan of studying

    Please sir, i need this scholarship

    I’m a science student that just graduated from secondary school and I’m going for electrical engineering.
    Thank you sir and God bless you. AMEN.

    Reply
  12. How I pray I can study in the prestigious university of Harvard on scholarship for my university education, am currently in ss 3

    Reply
    • Dear Yusuf,

      Currently, the scholarship available for application to Harvard is for Postgraduate students.
      If there’s an undergraduate scholarship program, we’ll let you know.

      Reply
  13. I really wish to study abroad on fully funded scholarship, I have so much passion for Marketing. Have been trying to apply but am unable too and am loosing hope already. Someone should guide me please.

    Reply
    • Hello Zainab,

      Do you have any university in mind to study Marketing in Australia?

      What scholarships have you previously applied for in Australia?

      Reply
  14. Am applying for various fully funded scholarship for undergraduate both African and international student ..am alone no one to talk to or seek guidance..I wish u to be my guidance sir

    Reply

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