Scholarships and programmes in the United Kingdom for Africans 2027

Funding for African students in the United Kingdom comes through separate schemes, mostly for master's and PhD study, and each one sets its own nationality list, experience rule and closing hour. The first deadlines fall in October 2026: Chevening Scholarships 2027/28: One-Year UK Master's (closed) closes on 6 October at 11:00 UTC and Commonwealth Master's Scholarships 2027/28 for Study in the UK on 20 October at 16:00 BST. Find the programme whose list includes your country, then plan backwards from its deadline.

Which UK scholarships are fully funded for African students?

Each award below pays tuition and a living allowance, but the details differ.

Chevening covers tuition and a stipend for a 12-month master's and calls its scholarships fully funded. Check the official page for the current stipend rate.

The Commonwealth master's award pays your full tuition fees and a stipend of GBP 1,712 a month, or GBP 2,000 a month in the London metropolitan area, at current rates. Your return airfare is paid. Fares for dependants are not, and neither are journeys made before the award is confirmed.

Gates Cambridge Scholarship 2027/28: Fully Funded PhD and Master's pays the University Composition Fee, a maintenance allowance of GBP 23,152 for 12 months at the 2026-27 rate, an economy airfare at each end of the course, inbound visa costs and the Immigration Health Surcharge. The allowance is set for a single student.

University of Sussex Commonwealth PhD Scholarships 2027 covers full overseas PhD tuition fees, a stipend, return travel to the UK, a Research Training Support Grant and fieldwork costs. WRDTP ESRC PhD Studentships 2027/28 for Social Science Research pays your tuition fees and approximately GBP 20,000 a year, tax-free, to live on, plus money towards research expenses, over 42 months.

Two awards come from St Andrews. St Leonard's College World-Leading Doctoral Scholarships 2027 pairs full tuition with an annual stipend of GBP 20,467 at the 2026-2027 rate, for 42 months. St Leonard's Masters Scholarship 2027, University of St Andrews lists full tuition fees, a GBP 18,000 stipend and a standard room reservation, but accommodation fees are not included.

Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarships for Southern Africa pays tuition and academic fees directly to the university, a living allowance, the UK visa and Health Surcharge, TB test and biometric costs, allowances for arrival, a laptop and departure, and economy flights.

Other programmes pay less, or publish less. A.S. Hornby Scholarship 2027/28 for English teachers, MEd TESOL at Exeter offers up to ten scholarships that the University of Exeter calls fully funded, with tuition covered. Chevening OCIS Fellowship 2027 at Oxford for Professionals (closed) pays living expenses, a return economy airfare and a research allowance for five months. For Software Sustainability Institute Fellowship Programme 2027 (closed) and MATS Residency 2027 Winter Intake for AI safety researchers, confirm the funding on the official page.

When do UK scholarship applications close for 2027?

The October dates sit close together.

• 5 October 2026: Software Sustainability Institute Fellowship
• 6 October 2026: Chevening Scholarships at 11:00 UTC, and the Chevening OCIS Fellowship
• 16 October 2026, 12:00 noon: Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship 2027 at CRASSH, Cambridge (closed)
• 20 October 2026: Commonwealth Master's Scholarships at 16:00 BST, Mohamed Ali Foundation Fellowship 2027 at Durham University by date of receipt, and the Sussex Commonwealth PhD at 16:00 GMT
• 31 October 2026, Anywhere on Earth: MATS Residency
• 22 November 2026: A.S. Hornby Scholarship at Exeter
• 8 December 2026 at 23:59 UK time, or 6 January 2027, depending on the course: Gates Cambridge
• 20 January 2027: WRDTP studentships at 17:00, and St Leonard's College doctoral scholarships
• 3 February 2027: St Leonard's Masters Scholarship
• 12 February 2027: Beit Trust, with the form opening on 1 December 2026
• Rolling: AIXI Labs fellowship

The first week of October is the tightest. Chevening's 11:00 UTC is midday in Lagos and 14:00 in Nairobi, so an East African applicant who plans to submit in the evening will be too late. On 20 October the two official pages word the hour differently: 16:00 BST for the Commonwealth master's awards, 16:00 GMT for the Sussex PhD. BST runs an hour ahead, so work to the earlier reading. The Mohamed Ali Foundation counts the date your application is received. MATS gives the most room, because an Anywhere on Earth deadline stays open until 31 October has ended everywhere.

Who can apply from Africa?

Start with nationality, because the lists do not match.

Gates Cambridge, WRDTP, both St Leonard's awards, the Leverhulme fellowship at CRASSH, the Mohamed Ali Foundation fellowship, the Software Sustainability Institute, MATS and AIXI Labs accept all nationalities. For them, level and field decide.

Chevening has the broadest named list. It covers most African countries, from Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire to Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa, alongside countries on other continents. Two years of work experience is the minimum.

The Commonwealth master's awards name, in Africa, Botswana, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Eswatini, Togo, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa and Zambia. The Sussex PhD list is shorter: Gambia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zambia. Applicants from Botswana, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, Eswatini and South Africa can use the Commonwealth route for a master's but not for this PhD.

The OCIS fellowship takes professionals with at least five years of experience from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan and Tunisia, as well as Malaysia and Türkiye. The Beit Trust is limited to Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi and asks for three years of experience. Zimbabwe is on neither Commonwealth list, which leaves Chevening and the Beit Trust as the named-country schemes open to Zimbabweans. Hornby awards go to teachers from developing countries with three years of experience.

Master's or PhD: which UK route fits you?

For a one-year master's, compare Chevening and the Commonwealth award first. Both fund 12 months. Chevening wants two years of work experience, so recent graduates should also look at Gates Cambridge and the St Leonard's Masters Scholarship. English teachers have a dedicated route in the Exeter MEd TESOL for September 2027 entry.

For a PhD, your field narrows the choice. WRDTP funds social sciences only, and the Beit Trust covers health and medicine, economics, and environment and climate. Gates Cambridge, Sussex and St Leonard's College accept any field, and Gates funds PhD scholars for up to 4 years. St Leonard's offers only 6 awards and calls the scheme student-led, so read how to apply before you approach a supervisor.

If you already hold a doctorate, Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowship 2027 at CRASSH, Cambridge (closed) is for humanities and social sciences. Fellowships begin on 1 September 2027, and fellows are normally placed on Scale Point 41, moving up one point each year. Mohamed Ali Foundation Fellowship 2027 at Durham University provides accommodation, all meals, a research travel grant and an honorarium on completion, but its collection needs good reading knowledge of Arabic, Ottoman Turkish, French and English.

For professionals, the Software Sustainability Institute fellowship in computer science and IT runs from 1 January 2027 to 31 March 2028. AI safety researchers can try MATS, hosted in the UK and the United States, or AIXI Labs, which can be done remotely.

How do you prepare a strong UK application in time?

Documents take longer than essays, so start there. A four-week plan for an October deadline:

1. Week one: confirm nationality, level, field and experience on the official page, and order transcripts and certificates.
2. Week two: write. Answer the exact question with evidence from your own work, such as a project you led or a result you measured.
3. Week three: brief any referees on the deadline, the hour and the time zone. For Sussex, book an IELTS test now if you have no valid certificate.
4. Week four: submit two days early. A failed upload in the last hour cannot be fixed.

For Gates Cambridge, check the Course Directory: your course decides whether you apply by 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027.

Budget before you accept. Compare each stipend with UK living costs, not prices at home. Family costs sit outside the award: the Gates allowance is set for a single student, and the Commonwealth award does not pay the fares of dependants.

Frequently asked questions about UK scholarships for Africans

Can African students get a fully funded master's in the UK?

Yes. Chevening, the Commonwealth master's awards, Gates Cambridge and the St Leonard's Masters Scholarship cover tuition and a stipend. The Beit Trust does the same for Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

Do UK scholarships require IELTS?

The Sussex Commonwealth PhD asks for a valid IELTS certificate. For the other programmes, check the English-language rule on each official page before you book a test.

Can I apply without work experience?

Chevening asks for at least two years, the OCIS fellowship for five, and Hornby and the Beit Trust for three each. Check the others on their official pages.

Is there a UK fellowship I can do remotely?

Yes. AIXI Labs Remote Research Fellowship in AI Safety can be done remotely from anywhere or in London, with a monthly stipend of GBP 2,000 to GBP 3,500 and rolling review. The other programmes are held in person.