Top 10 Study Abroad Scholarships If You’re a Black Student, Like Free Money & Want to Study Abroad (African Nationals Edition)

Hey Black Students! Three weeks ago, I made a list of the Top 10 Study Abroad Scholarships If You’re A Black Student Like Free Money and Want to Study Abroad. That list is highly concentrated on study abroad programs for U.S. Citizens. This week, I decided to focus on scholarships for African Nationals. The scholarships below are for African students over the age of 15 who would like to study abroad. Most of these programs will help with the visa process (and actually pay for it too!)! 

SIDE NOTE:  This list is not ranked in any particular order. Each scholarship is very unique and some may be applicable to some students and some may not. Nonetheless, check them all out and apply to as many as you can. Additionally, some of the scholarships do not have a concrete deadline available just yet. Please take time to look for deadline frequently on each scholarship’s given website. I based the deadline information by comparing the dates of previous deadlines between 2011-2018.

10. YES Program(U.S.)

Award: A one-year scholarship to study in a US high school, live with the host family, visa fees, flights and monthly stipend.

Degree/Age Eligibility: Must be 15 – 18 years old.  (Must be a citizen of the following  African countries: Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone. South Africa, Tanzania, and Tunisia.)

Application Deadline: Varies (Click here to sign up to be notified when applications open) 

The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program was established by Congress in October 2002 in response to the events of September 11, 2001. The program is funded through the U.S. Department of State and sponsored by the Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs (ECA) to provide scholarships for high school students from countries with significant Muslim populations to spend up to one academic year in the United States. Students live with host families, attend high schools, engage in activities to learn about American society and values, acquire leadership skills, and help educate Americans about their countries and cultures. Starting in 2009, the YES Abroad program was established in order to provide a similar experience for U.S. students (15-18 years) to spend an academic year in select YES countries.

9.Schwarzman Scholarship (China)

Award: Tuition Fees, Room and Board, Travel to and from Beijing at the beginning and end of the academic year, An in-country study tour, Required course books and supplies, Health insurance, A stipend of $4,000 for personal expenses

Degree/Age Eligibility: Bachelor’s Degree and seeking to pursue a masters.  

Application Deadline: Early September

Designed to prepare the next generation of global leaders, Schwarzman Scholars is the first scholarship created to respond to the geopolitical landscape of the 21st Century. Whether in politics, business or science, the success of future leaders around the world will depend upon an understanding of China’s role in global trends. The program gives the world’s best and brightest students the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and professional networks through a one-year Master’s Degree at Tsinghua University in Beijing – one of China’s most prestigious universities. Students pursue a Masters in Global Affairs, with concentrations in one of the following disciplines: public policy, economics and business, and international studies. The concentration gives students an opportunity to focus on aspects of global affairs they may not have previously studied.

8.Community College Initiative Program (U.S.)

Award: A one-year scholarship to study in at a community college in the US, visa fees,  flights and a monthly stipend.

Degree/Age Eligibility: 18 years old and with a high school diploma.

Application Deadline: Varies (Depends on which community college you want to attend. Check with the closest US Embassy in your country)

The Community College Initiative Program (CCI) provides scholarships to spend up to one academic year at U.S community colleges. Participants build technical skills and may earn certificates in their fields of study.  Through professional internships, service learning, and community engagement activities, participants strengthen English language proficiency and immerse themselves in the culture and day-to-day life of the United States.

7.Confucius Institute Scholarship Program(China)

Award: An award for one of their following programs: Four-Week Study, One-Semester Study Bachelor’s Degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages, Scholarship for Master’s Degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages

Degree/Age Eligibility: 16-35 (see website for age restrictions for certain programs)

Application Deadline :

a) April 20^th (for those commencing in July)

b) June 20^th (for those commencing in September)

c) September 20^th (for those commencing in December)

d) December 20^th (for those commencing in March 2019)

For the purpose of cultivating qualified Chinese language teachers and facilitating the promotion of Chinese language and culture, the Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) launches “Confucius Institute Scholarship” (CIS) to support outstanding students, scholars and currently employed Chinese language teachers recommended by Confucius Institutes, independently operated Confucius Classrooms as well as some HSK test centers (hereinafter to be collectively referred to as “recommending institutions”) to study in Chinese universities and colleges (hereinafter referred to as “host institutions”).

6.Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD)(U.S.)

Award: Fully-funded scholarship for one semester of non-degree academic study at an assigned U.S. college or university.

Degree/Age Eligibility: Undergrad student (Must be a citizen of following African countries: Egypt, Kenya, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Tunisia, Zimbabwe) 

Application Deadline: Varies (Depends on which community college you want to attend. Check with the closest US Embassy in your country)

The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD) is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.  It is a fully-funded scholarship for one semester of non-degree academic study at an assigned U.S. college or university. Participants are emerging leaders committed to their home communities. During the Program, Global UGRAD participants challenge themselves to explore U.S. society, culture, and academic learning. They also participate in community service and enhance their professional skills.

5.African Women’s Public Service Fellowship by Oprah Winfrey (US- NYU)

Award: The Fellowship provides full tuition, fees, housing or a housing stipend (if enrolling in the Global EMPA program), travel to and from the United States, and a small stipend to cover books and miscellaneous expenses.

Degree/Age Eligibility: Must have a high school diploma and seeking to earn a degree

Application Deadline: December 1st, 2018

The African Women’s Public Service Fellowship, made possible by a donation from the Oprah Winfrey Foundation, expands the opportunity for African women to impact for public service in their home countries. Fellowship recipients commit to return to their respective home countries at the conclusion of the program with the goal of assuming a leadership position on the continent where they can meaningfully contribute to the challenges currently confronting Africa. This fellowship is only available to degree-seeking students. Advanced professional certificate and non-degree programs are not applicable for this fellowship.

4.Peace, Security and Development Fellowships for African Scholars(U.K.)

Award: Covers tuition

Degree Level: Seeking to earn a graduate degree

Application Deadline: Around the end of April

The Peace, Security and Development Fellowships for African Scholars seeks to nurture junior African Scholars interested in pursuing careers in peace and security and to equip them with the skills necessary to achieve this. An essential component of the Fellowship experience consists of attaching the Fellows to Universities in Africa that run programs in the areas of development, peace and security; and where Fellows participate in teaching and research. The program seeks to contribute to building academic expertise on peace and security that is grounded in the pursuit of excellence and integrity. Funding for this initiative is provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

3.UNIL Master’s Grants (Switzerland)

Award: Amounts to CHF 1,600 per month from 15 September to 15 July (or 10 months a year)

Degree/Age Eligibility:  Seeking to earn a graduate degree

Application Deadline: November 1st, 2018

The University of Lausanne in Switzerland offers the UNIL Master’s Grants on a competitive basis to international students who wish to pursue a Masters Degree at the University. Masters scholarships are scholarships for excellence awarded exclusively to students who have graduated from a foreign university and whose academic results are of a very high level. UNIL grants around ten scholarships a year.

2. Chevening Scholarships (U.K.)

Award: Full finical support for a graduate program in the UK

Degree/Age Eligibility: Seeking to earn a master’s degree

Application Deadline: November 6th, 2018

Chevening Scholarships are awarded to individuals with demonstrable leadership potential who also have strong academic backgrounds. The scholarship offers full financial support to study for any eligible master’s degree at any UK university whilst also giving access to a wide range of exclusive academic, professional, and cultural experiences.

1.Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program (Various Countries)

Award: Travel costs, tuition, student fees, visa and SEVIS fees, housing, food, living expenses, and cohort signature programs which will focus on leadership topics.    

Eligibility: African students seeking secondary school, an Undergraduate degree ( under 29 )  or Graduate degree ( 35 years or older)

Application Deadline: Varies and Depends on which school you are applying for. ( Click here to see the list of partner schools ) 

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is developing Africa’s next generation of leaders. The program allows students whose talent and promise to exceed their financial resources to complete their education. With a vision that education is a catalyst for social and economic change, the program focuses on developing leaders who are transformative, encouraging them to be active contributors in their communities.

By: Ermida Koduah, Founder of Being Black In