Scholarships and Student Funding in Burkina Faso

Who manages student funding in Burkina Faso

The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation sets scholarship policy, and CIOSPB (Centre national de l'Information, de l'Orientation Scolaire et Professionnelle et des Bourses) administers the national scholarship (bourse nationale) on the ground. This is selective financial aid the state grants to Burkinabè students it judges most deserving, for study inside Burkina Faso or abroad, according to CIOSPB .

The 2026 reform of the scholarship rules

The government adopted a decree in the Council of Ministers on 25 June 2026 that revises the scholarship decree from 2021. The reform removes parental or household income from the list of eligibility factors and restructures the order in which the remaining criteria apply, according to Sidwaya . If you applied for a bourse before this date, check with CIOSPB whether the new criteria apply to your file, since a rule change like this shifts who qualifies.

FOSER: the new channel for financial aid requests

The same reform moves applications for financial aid, separate from the merit-based national scholarship, to a fund called FOSER (Fonds de Soutien à l'Éducation et à la Recherche), referred to locally as Bãngr baoobo. If merit-based bourse criteria do not fit your situation, ask CIOSPB whether a FOSER application suits you better.

New rule for study abroad

Under the revised rules, any Burkinabè student who wants to study outside Burkina Faso now needs prior authorization from the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, whether you hold a scholarship or fund yourself. The ministry states this check exists to keep foreign study aligned with national workforce priorities, reduce difficulties graduates face reintegrating at home, and ease professional integration after your studies end. Apply for this authorization before you commit to an offer from a foreign institution, not after.

How to apply for the national scholarship

CIOSPB publishes its scholarship eligibility conditions and application windows through official communiqués on its website. Because the office also runs university orientation through CampusFaso, many students first encounter it at admission time and later return to the same office for scholarship matters. Watch CIOSPB's communiqués for each year's application window and required documents rather than relying on a past cycle's dates, since criteria and timing shift with each reform.

What the scholarship is meant for

The national scholarship supports registered students already accepted into a program, covering part of the cost of living and study while completing a recognized qualification. CIOSPB reviews academic performance each cycle, so keeping your grades up matters for renewal as much as for the initial award.

Eligibility basics

CIOSPB publishes detailed eligibility conditions for each scholarship cycle, covering nationality, enrollment status, and academic standing. Because the 2026 reform changed the criteria hierarchy and dropped household income from the list, check the current published conditions directly with CIOSPB rather than assuming last cycle's rules still apply.

Other student support at university

Alongside CIOSPB's scholarships, CENOU (Centre National des Oeuvres Universitaires) runs its own action sociale support stream for enrolled students, separate from its housing and meal services. This sits alongside, not instead of, the CIOSPB scholarship route, and is worth asking about at your CENOU office if you face a specific hardship during the school year.

Keeping your scholarship

Scholarship status is not permanent once granted. Universities and CIOSPB track academic progress, and failing a year or falling behind your program's normal pace risks suspension of the award. Treat the scholarship as tied to your academic performance for the entire program, not a one-time payment.

Tips for building your funding case

• Keep your baccalauréat results and academic transcripts organized, since merit criteria weigh heavily on your record

• Apply for CIOSPB orientation and scholarship windows as soon as they open rather than close to the deadline

• If you plan to study abroad, request Ministry authorization early, before you accept a foreign offer

• Ask your CENOU office about action sociale support if you hit a funding gap mid-year