University Scholarship Opportunities You Should Apply For NOW
There are scholarship opportunities floating around all the time – but finding one for which you fully meet the criteria and most suits your programme of study can sometimes be tricky. We will build on and keep updating this list – you never know when you may find something that suits where you are or where you want to be. You have nothing to lose. Get applying!
1. Fulbright Foreign Student Programme
The Fulbright Programme is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the US government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the US and other countries. It provides grants for South African university graduates to pursue a Masters or Doctoral degree at a US university in any subject (but excludes studies that require contact with patients). Grants are awarded for two years toward one degree and are renewable each year. Students are selected through a rigorous application and interview process and receive a high level of support ranging from visa processing and health insurance to a comprehensive pre-departure orientation and re-entry session.
To be eligible, you need to have at least an undergraduate qualification. Some of the entry criteria include academic excellence, interest and experience in community and other extra activities, leadership potential, and a desire to give back in South Africa.
The selection committee and the interview panel will also be looking for clear reasons for selecting your US university preferences. The Fulbright Awards Programme expects candidates to conduct a thorough university search and to identify institutions which are a strong fit for their academic, personal and professional goals.
Final application submissions take place between February and April 2024, dependent on the programme of choice. For more information, click this link or apply here.
2. Get a Bachelors, Masters, or PhD in Hungary
The South African and Hungarian governments are offering 100 students the opportunity to study at participating public universities in Hungary in various fields of study, including natural sciences, engineering, IT, business management, agriculture, human resources and food sciences – among others. The scholarships are available for students at all levels of study, from Bachelors to Masters and PhD, and include tuition, accommodation, a monthly stipend, and medical insurance.
Students from other African countries including Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Morocco, Algeria, Angola, Ghana, Kenya and Namibia are also eligible to apply. For specifics and more information, check out the official page.
Students applying for studies conducted in Hungarian will be required to do a one-year preparatory course before commencing with their degree studies. Application for the scholarship is open to all, so long as you have a strong academic record and an interest in studying in Hungary. Applicants should also demonstrate commitment to the development of their home country and must be available to study abroad from September 2024. Furthermore, all applicants must meet the minimum academic requirements for entry into a similar programme at a university in their home country.
The deadline for this one is 5 March 2024. South African applicants can apply at this link.
3. Shanghai Government Scholarship for Bachelors, Masters, and PhD: International Students 2024/2025
The government of Shanghai is offering a range of scholarships to non-Chinese citizens in good health, across the board, from humanities to the sciences – for a full listing of the programmes and course, click here.
Students from all over the world – excluding China – are eligible for the scholarship, which can be awarded either fully or partially. The full scholarship – for postgraduate courses – offers tuition, accommodation, a stipend, and medical insurance. The partial scholarship includes tuition and medical insurance. Bachelors applicants should be under 25 years old, Masters applicants under 35, and PhD applicants under 40. Applicants should be excellent in academic and extracurricular performance, and yet not be rewarded any other scholarships offered by the Chinese government.
The application deadline is 15 April. To apply and find out more, check out the official page and portal.
4. The Cattolica Africa Scholarship Program 2024/2025 for African students to obtain a Masters degree in Italy
Open to students in all African countries, this partial scholarship (it covers tuition but not living expenses) will enable students to study for undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes taught in English at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore’s Milan, Piacenza and Cremona campuses. This is as part of the university’s mission to foster relationships with developing countries.
Up to 47 applicants will be selected to receive the scholarship, which includes study in one of seven Masters programmes:
- MSc in Banking and Finance (Milan Campus) – commencement in September 2024
- MSc in Economics (Milan Campus) – commencement in September 2024
- MSc in Management (Milan Campus) – commencement in September 2024
- MSc in Global Business Management (Piacenza Campus) – commencement in September 2024
- MSc in Agriculture and Food Economics (Cremona Campus) – commencement in September 2024
- MSc in Healthcare Management – Laurea Magistrale in Management dei Servizi (Roma Campus)- commencement in September 2024
- MSc in Methods and Topics in Arts Management – Laurea Magistrale in Economia e Gestione dei Beni Culturali e dello Spettacolo (Milan Campus) – commencement in September 2024
Applicants are required to already hold a Bachelors degree, and apply by 15 April 2024, here.
5. London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) Full Masters Scholarship for Developing Countries 2024/2025
The Jeroen Ensink Memorial scholarship is offered to students from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia who are committed to improving public health in developing countries and wish to undertake the MSc Public Health for Development course.
This one-year, full scholarship covers full-time overseas tuition fees for 2024-25 (including the mandatory field trip fee), and flights from the student’s home country to the UK, and return on expiry of the scholarship (to be booked by the Scholarships team in Registry), and a tax free stipend (living allowance) of ￡16, 500.
This scholarship is open to applicants from most African countries – for more information, and how to apply, see the official page.