UNIVERSITY ADMISSION SUPPORT

Scholarships for 2027 Entry

Explore selected undergraduate, master's and PhD/research scholarship opportunities with published 2027 closing dates or 2027 annual rounds. We focus on opportunities that can be relevant to international students, including applicants from Nigeria and other African countries.

Important: Scholarship deadlines, funding amounts, eligible courses and country lists can change. The opportunities below are based on official university information checked in September 2026. Always open the official scholarship page before applying.
2027 opportunities

Undergraduate scholarships

Full and partial opportunities for students seeking a bachelor's degree.

Radcliffe Camera, University of Oxford
University of Oxford / Radcliffe Camera image: Mike Peel, CC BY-SA 4.0.
University of Oxford · UK

Reach Oxford Scholarship

FULL FUNDINGBACHELOR'S
  • For nationals of eligible low-income/OECD-DAC countries; Nigeria is listed as eligible.
  • New undergraduate students with an Oxford offer and very strong academic ability.
  • All subjects in the course listing except Medicine.
  • Covers course fees, living-cost grant and one return airfare per year for 3 or 4 years.
Closes: 26 January 2027

Official scholarship page →

University of Sydney Main Quadrangle
University of Sydney Main Quadrangle image via Wikimedia Commons.
University of Sydney · Australia

Vice-Chancellor's International Scholarships

PARTIALBACHELOR'S / MASTER'S
  • International students with an unconditional offer for an eligible onshore coursework degree.
  • Eligible study includes bachelor's and coursework master's degrees.
  • Awards range from AUD $5,000 up to AUD $60,000, depending on ranking and cohort.
  • Automatic consideration; no separate scholarship application is required.
2027 Semester 2 rounds: 15 Feb, 22 Mar & 3 May 2027

Official scholarship page →

Dalhousie University campus
Dalhousie University image: Ryan Sharpe / Wikimedia Commons.
Dalhousie University · Canada

General Entrance Awards & International Awards

PARTIAL / VARIESBACHELOR'S
  • International students are eligible to apply for entrance awards; individual awards have their own criteria.
  • Typical criteria include academic achievement, leadership, extracurricular involvement, community service and/or financial need.
  • Examples include international awards such as the Sankofa Scholarship.
  • Award values vary; some renewable awards can reach significant multi-year totals.
General Entrance Award deadline: 15 February 2027

Official scholarship page →

Maastricht University campus
Maastricht University image: Brightlands / Wikimedia Commons.
Maastricht University · Netherlands

UM NL Global Studies Scholarship

FULL COVERAGEBACHELOR'S
  • For non-EU/EEA nationals from countries eligible for OECD Official Development Assistance; Nigeria qualifies.
  • For the Global Studies bachelor's programme for 2027–28.
  • Applicants must meet programme admission requirements and have no previous equivalent bachelor's degree.
  • Covers tuition, living expenses, insurance, visa costs and pre-academic training under the published 2027–28 scheme.
Closes: 1 February 2027

Official scholarship page →

2027 opportunities

Master's scholarships

Examples of full, partial and tuition-discount opportunities.

University of Manchester buildings
University of Manchester buildings image: Benjamin Shaw / Wikimedia Commons.
University of Manchester · UK

Global Futures Scholarships 2027

PARTIALBACHELOR'S / MASTER'S
  • For international fee-paying students from listed countries, including Nigeria.
  • Africa list includes Botswana, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
  • Undergraduate awards can be up to £36,000 over three years; African master's awards are £19,000 tuition discounts.
  • Requires an offer for an eligible full-time, on-campus course in Manchester.
UG Round 2: 8 April 2027 · Master's: 20 April 2027

Official Nigeria scholarship page →

Maastricht University campus
Maastricht University image: Brightlands / Wikimedia Commons.
Maastricht University · Netherlands

UM NL Brightlands Talent Scholarship

FULL COVERAGEMASTER'S
  • For non-EU/EEA, non-Switzerland and non-Surinam students admitted to participating 2027–28 master's programmes.
  • Applicants need excellent prior results; the published scheme specifies GPA 7.5/10 or higher.
  • Two full-coverage scholarships are offered for the participating Brightlands programmes.
  • Covers tuition, living expenses, insurance, visa costs and other listed support.
Closes: 1 February 2027

Official scholarship page →

University of Leeds campus
University of Leeds campus image.
University of Leeds · UK

Masters International Excellence Scholarships

PARTIAL TUITIONMASTER'S
  • For international students applying for eligible full-time taught master's courses starting September 2027.
  • Requires a conditional or unconditional offer and strong academic performance, normally equivalent to a UK 2:1 bachelor's degree.
  • Awards are £3,000, £6,000 or £16,000 as first-year tuition-fee discounts.
  • Self-funded or partially funded applicants can apply, subject to the terms.
Round 1: 28 February 2027 · Round 2: 16 May 2027

Official scholarship page →

University of Sydney Main Quadrangle
University of Sydney Main Quadrangle image via Wikimedia Commons.
University of Sydney · Australia

Vice-Chancellor's International Scholarships

PARTIALMASTER'S
  • Open to international students commencing eligible coursework master's degrees.
  • Applicants need an unconditional offer by the relevant closing round.
  • Awards range from AUD $5,000 to AUD $60,000 depending on the published award level.
  • Automatic consideration for eligible applicants.
2027 Semester 2: final round closes 3 May 2027

Official scholarship page →

University College London
University College London campus image.
University College London · UK

UCL Global Master's Scholarship

PARTIALMASTER'S
  • For prospective international students from lower-income backgrounds.
  • 85 scholarships are listed, valued at £15,000 for one year.
  • Available for eligible full-time master's study; all graduate taught courses are stated as eligible.
  • Selection is based on financial need and recommendation by the Student Funding Office.
Expected to close: early May 2027

Official scholarship page →

Monash University campus
Monash University campus image.
Monash University · Australia

Monash International Tuition Scholarship (MITS)

FULL TUITIONRESEARCH MASTER'S / PHD
  • For international students undertaking Research Doctorate or Research Master's degrees at a Monash Australia campus.
  • Covers course tuition fees and a single Overseas Student Health Cover policy.
  • Applicants are automatically considered when they submit the graduate research admission/scholarship application.
  • Selection considers academic excellence, research outputs and prior research experience.
Annual international rounds: 31 March 2027 and 31 July 2027

Official scholarship page →

2027 opportunities

PhD & research scholarships

Research funding can include tuition-fee waivers, stipends and research-related allowances.

King's College, University of Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge image: Nine402 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
University of Cambridge · UK

Gates Cambridge Scholarship

FULL COSTPHD / MASTER'S
  • For eligible applicants from outside the UK; approximately 55 awards are available in the international round for 2027/28.
  • Supports eligible postgraduate study, with around two-thirds of awards typically going to PhD students.
  • Funding includes University Composition Fee, maintenance and additional support such as visa and health surcharge costs under the scheme.
  • Assessment includes academic excellence, course choice, commitment to improving lives and leadership capacity.
Main 2027/28 funding deadline: 6 January 2027 for applicable courses; exact deadline follows your course.

Official funding information →

Monash University campus
Monash University campus image.
Monash University · Australia

Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend

STIPENDPHD / RESEARCH MASTER'S
  • Open to international students as well as eligible domestic applicants.
  • Supports Research Doctorate and Research Master's students with a living allowance; international tuition scholarships can be packaged with the stipend.
  • Applicants must meet Monash selection and English-language requirements.
  • Selection considers academic excellence, research outputs and prior research experience.
Annual international rounds: 31 March 2027 and 31 July 2027

Official scholarship page →

University of Melbourne campus
University of Melbourne campus image.
University of Melbourne · Australia

China Scholarship Council – Melbourne PhD Scholarship

FULL TUITION + LIVING SUPPORTPHD
  • For citizens of the People's Republic of China with a PhD offer from Melbourne.
  • Requires at least a four-year undergraduate degree with a significant research component and minimum H2A/75% equivalent, plus English requirements.
  • University provides full tuition for up to four years plus supplementary living support; CSC provides living allowance, OSHC and airfare subject to its rules.
  • This is country-specific and is not available to Nigerian applicants.
Closes: 31 January 2027

Official scholarship page →

University of Manchester buildings
University of Manchester buildings image: Benjamin Shaw / Wikimedia Commons.
University of Manchester · UK

PhD / Research Funding

BURSARIES / STIPENDSPHD
  • Manchester states that PhD funding is available through individual Schools and research groups for well-qualified candidates.
  • Applicants should search the University's postgraduate research funding database and the relevant academic School.
  • Some faculty, school and programme-specific scholarships are available to students from Africa.
  • Funding and deadlines vary by research area.
Deadline: varies by School/research project; use the 2027 funding listing and submit by the stated 2027 deadline.

Official Nigeria funding information →

Country eligibility

Who can apply?

🇳🇬 Nigeria

Examples: Oxford Reach, Manchester Global Futures, Maastricht UM NL Global Studies/Brightlands, Leeds international awards, Sydney international awards and many Dalhousie awards.

Eligibility still depends on the individual scholarship, academic profile, course and admission offer.

🌍 Other African countries

Manchester's 2027 Africa Global Futures list includes Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Oxford Reach also lists many DAC-eligible African countries.

🇨🇦 Canada

Dalhousie's 2027 entrance-award programme accepts international applicants. Individual awards can have additional nationality, programme or financial-need criteria.

🇳🇱 Netherlands

Maastricht's 2027–28 UM NL scholarships are primarily for non-EU/EEA applicants, with specific nationality and programme conditions.

🇨🇳 China

University of Melbourne's CSC PhD scholarship is specifically for Chinese citizens. Do not treat country-specific scholarships as open to all international students.

🌐 General international

Leeds, Sydney, Cambridge Gates and Oxford Clarendon have broad international eligibility, but each has its own admission, academic and course requirements.

Typical requirements

What students should prepare

Academic documents

Passport, certificates, transcripts, grading scale where requested, CV and evidence of academic achievement.

Personal statement

A clear scholarship or personal statement explaining goals, motivation, achievements, leadership, community impact and why the course fits the applicant.

References

Academic or professional references when the scholarship or university requires them. Check who is allowed to write the reference.

English-language evidence

IELTS, TOEFL, PTE or another accepted qualification may be required, depending on the university and applicant's background.

Research proposal

For many PhD/research scholarships, prepare a focused research proposal, evidence of research ability and potential supervisor/faculty fit.

Financial / eligibility evidence

Some scholarships assess financial need, country of residence, age, previous study, work experience or other specific conditions.

ARFET Scholarship Guidance — No Guarantee of Award

ARFET does not guarantee that any student will receive a scholarship. Scholarships are awarded by universities, governments, foundations or other independent organisations. Meeting the published requirements does not guarantee selection.

ARFET can guide students on how to search for suitable scholarships, understand eligibility, organise documents, structure a scholarship letter or personal statement, prepare a CV, identify supporting evidence, and review an application for clarity and completeness.

Students should always submit through the official university or scholarship provider and verify the latest deadline and requirements before paying any fee or sending documents.

Planning for 2027

Do not wait until the deadline

Some 2027 scholarship cycles close as early as January and February. Start university admission and scholarship preparation early, especially when nomination, references, research proposals or separate scholarship forms are required.

Last checked: September 2026. Scholarship information can change; official university pages are the final authority.