Scholarships and Student Funding in Lesotho

The National Manpower Development Secretariat (NMDS)

The National Manpower Development Secretariat , under the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, runs Lesotho's main government funding scheme for tertiary students. It operates as a loan-bursary fund, financing students at approved public and private institutions inside Lesotho and at partner universities abroad, mainly in South Africa.

What the loan-bursary covers

An NMDS award pays your tuition fees in full, plus a monthly living stipend, accommodation costs, and allowances for books and travel. This makes it the most complete funding package available to Basotho students, covering both academic and living costs for the length of an approved program.

The fund works as a partially reimbursable loan. A Cabinet decision in January 2025 set the standard repayment at 50% of the loan, with the remainder written off. NMDS introduced a new framework the same month to keep the fund sustainable after that cut, so confirm the current repayment rate, and whether any different terms apply if you work outside Lesotho, with NMDS before you sign a loan agreement.

Priority fields of study

NMDS funding targets national skills gaps. Priority fields include health sciences, engineering, education, agriculture, STEM subjects, and public administration. Selection also weighs the quota and program capacity at each sponsored institution, so admission alone does not guarantee funding. Your subject choice and the number of available places both matter.

How to apply

Applications run through the NMDS scholarship portal , where you register and submit your documents. For the intake covering studies at universities in South Africa, NMDS runs a separate application window and requires supporting documents to be hand-delivered to the NMDS Scholarship Office. Window dates shift each year, so confirm the current opening and closing dates on the portal before you prepare documents.

Selection criteria include your academic performance, whether you meet the minimum admission requirements of your chosen institution, confirmed admission into a sponsored program, and your repayment record on any previous NMDS loan. Clear any outstanding loan issues before you reapply.

If you don't get NMDS funding

Not every applicant receives an NMDS award, since places are limited by quota and budget each year. If you self-fund, check your institution's fee schedule early and set up a payment plan with the finance office if you cannot pay the full year up front. Private institutions typically set higher fees than public ones, a pattern common across Southern Africa, so weigh the total cost against program length before committing.

Other funding to look for

Beyond NMDS, ask your institution's financial aid or student affairs office about smaller bursaries from corporate and philanthropic donors active in Lesotho. Coverage and eligibility for these vary by year and donor, so treat NMDS as your baseline funding search and add other options where you qualify.

Tips for applicants

• Apply for NMDS funding and institutional admission in the same cycle, since a bursary offer depends on a confirmed place.

• Choose a priority field if funding certainty matters more to you than program choice.

• Keep all previous loan documentation in order if you already hold an NMDS award for an earlier program.

• Submit hand-delivered documents early in the application window, since late submissions are not accepted after the deadline.