Scholarships and Student Funding in Africa by Country
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Oct 08, 2026
TL;DR
Scholarship and funding rules for 44 African countries, compared side by side, from free public tuition in Mauritius to refugee-only aid in Eritrea and loan schemes in Botswana and Sierra Leone.
This hub gathers scholarship and student-funding guides for 44 African countries, from Angola to Zimbabwe, each covering the main government scheme, university aid, external funders, and who qualifies. The table shows how differently funding is structured: Mauritius runs a Free Tertiary Education Scheme where the state pays public tuition fees, while Botswana's DTEF tertiary loan & sponsorship scheme is explicitly a loan, not grant. Eligibility swings just as widely: DR Congo's scholarship requires a score of 80% or higher on the Examen d'État, Eritrea has no government scheme at all and lists only the DAFI scholarship, open to Eritrean refugees who already left the country and hold refugee status, and Sierra Leone's SLOAN-SL loan scheme funds only Master's, Bar-at-Law or Doctoral programs.
Start with the government scheme column, since it is usually the largest funding source and sets the baseline before looking at university aid or external funders. A dash appears wherever a country's guide does not state a scheme in that category, such as Benin and Burkina Faso listing no university aid, and Eritrea having no government scheme at all, rather than meaning funding is unavailable there.
The who-qualifies column narrows the list fastest, since eligibility rules range from nationality alone to exam-score cutoffs. Each country name links to its full guide, which lists sources and deadlines in detail.
Compare by country
| Country | Government scheme | University aid | External funders | Who qualifies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angola | INAGBE bolsas internas/externas (state cash grant, subsídio pecuniário) | Serviços de Acção Social: fee waivers, work-study, hardship funds; UCAN internal support | INAGBE bolsas externas - study agreements with institutions in Portugal | No equivalent prior degree; postgrad needs min grade average (14-16) |
| Benin | bourse d'État (DBAU) - covers fees + ~25,000-50,000 FCFA quarterly stipend | — | France's Eiffel scholarship; Fondation Vallet; Tunisian/Egyptian cooperation programmes | New baccalauréat holders ranked by grades/series; keep by staying in good academic standing |
| Botswana | DTEF tertiary loan & sponsorship scheme (loan, not grant) | Individual universities/faculties run own smaller bursaries for specific programs | Employer-sponsored bonded agreements (mining, banking, parastatals) | New students: min 36 pts (31 orphans/rural/special needs), finish by age 35 |
| Burkina Faso | bourse nationale administered by CIOSPB (selective merit aid) | — | — | Burkinabè students judged most deserving (merit-based selection) |
| Burundi | prêt-bourse (loan-scholarship), repaid after employment starts | — | Morocco: 130 scholarships for Burundian students (2026/27 academic year) | Pass Examen d'État, Burundian nationality, required diplomas, not already funded same cycle |
| Cameroon | MINESUP-run partner-government scholarships (China, Switzerland, Morocco, Korea, Turkey, Japan) | Partial fee waivers/in-kind aid for high-ranked students at some public universities | African Union, Association of African Universities & UNESCO fellowships | Meets partner program's field, age limit & min grade average requirements |
| Cape Verde | PBE (Programa de Bolsas de Estudo) - non-reimbursable grants via DGES/FICASE | — | — | Cape Verdean nationality required for every applicant |
| Chad | CNOU government bourses - mainly cover living costs, not tuition | Some public universities set aside limited places/reduced fees for top students | Morocco (AMCI): 150 scholarships (2024); France/Campus France Tchad program | Academic standing and, in some cases, financial need (CNOU decides) |
| Comoros | e-Bourse portal (ANADEN) for digital state scholarship applications | — | AUF (Agence universitaire de la Francophonie) joint programs & mobility grants | Comorian baccalaureat holders & university students, incl. those abroad |
| DR Congo | Excellentia RDC (MINESURSI) merit scholarship for top Examen d'État scorers | Faculty-level bursary funds/fee waivers for top students (alumni/religious sponsors) | — | Score ≥80% on Examen d'État (or high-performing enrolled student) |
| Djibouti | MENSUR government-sponsored placements abroad for top baccalauréat holders | UD social assistance service: fee-exemption for students in precarious situations | DAAD, Chinese govt scholarships, Türkiye Bursları, Islamic Development Bank | Top baccalauréat results (govt placements) or open global scholarship eligibility |
| Equatorial Guinea | Convocatoria de becas - annual govt scholarship call for study in-country | AAUCA merit scholarship: tuition, food, lodging, health care, transport | Morocco: 70 scholarships (2025/26); Spain MEC/AECID postgrad programs | Equatoguinean citizenship + completed Bachillerato (top-5 scorers for AAUCA) |
| Eritrea | — | — | DAFI scholarship (German government funded, run by UNHCR) | Eritrean refugees who already left the country and hold refugee status |
| Eswatini | Ministry of Education tertiary scholarship (Study Loan + Student Assistance Finance) | UNESWA foundation scholarship fund (for enrolled students) | Employer-sponsored bursaries with a work-back contract | Eswatini citizen with 5 high school credits, qualification within past 5 years |
| Gabon | Agence Nationale des Bourses du Gabon (ANBG) | University registration fee waivers for financial hardship | Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) mobility and research grants | Academic merit (baccalauréat results) and financial need (household income) |
| Guinea | Ministry for Higher Education bourse programs for top BAC performers | University fee waivers for top students or disadvantaged backgrounds | Türkiye Scholarships program (Turkey) covers tuition, housing, stipend | Strong BAC performers in priority fields (health, engineering, agriculture) |
| Guinea-Bissau | — | — | Portugal's Camões Institute scholarships (licenciatura & master's) for Guineans | Guinean citizens, for the Portugal government scholarship route |
| Ivory Coast | Bourse d'État (state scholarship, via DOB platform) | Private university merit scholarships or partial tuition discounts | Private companies, foundations, professional bodies fund field-specific awards | BAC result combined with household financial situation |
| Lesotho | National Manpower Development Secretariat (NMDS) loan-bursary fund | — | Corporate and philanthropic donor bursaries (via institution's financial aid office) | Academic performance and meeting admission requirements of chosen institution |
| Liberia | Ministry of Education Local Scholarship Program (undergraduate & graduate) | Church-affiliated universities (e.g. Cuttington) offer reduced fees/work-study | Fulbright Program, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program (international) | Strong applicants who meet the funder's own criteria (international scholarships) |
| Libya | — | University/faculty fee exemptions for financial hardship (varies by institution) | — | Financial hardship (fee exemptions) or strong record for research/TA roles |
| Madagascar | MESupReS monthly student allocation (bourse) | — | Private institutes/employers scholarships (health, engineering, teacher training) | Enrolled students at public universities, registered via faculty/CROU |
| Malawi | HESLGB tuition loan, upkeep loan, ODL loan, student grant | University-run bursary schemes and merit fee reductions for top performers | International donor-funded scholarships (health sciences, agriculture) | Financial need and academic merit, at NCHE-accredited institution |
| Mali | CENOU (Centre National des Œuvres Universitaires) monthly bourse | Private university partial scholarships or payment plans | Merit scholarships for top bac results; partnerships with foreign governments/universities | Enrollment status at public university, household situation, academic standing |
| Mauritania | MESRS stipend for students at public institutions | — | Turkiye Burslari (Turkey's government scholarship program) | Registration at a recognized public program and academic standing |
| Mauritius | Free Tertiary Education Scheme (state pays public tuition fees) | — | — | Securing a place at a public higher education institution |
| Mozambique | IBE scholarships (Instituto de Bolsas de Estudo) | UEM scholarships (full, partial, exemption, food/accommodation) | World Bank-backed FNEP (MozSkills Project) for vocational training | Merit-based top scores or need-based proof of financial hardship |
| Namibia | NSFAF loans and grants | University bursaries run by UNAM and NUST | — | Enrolled at an NSFAF-approved institution |
| Niger | ANAB national scholarship | — | Pan African University (African Union) | Nigerien nationality and the current year's BAC |
| Rwanda | Government Education Fund managed by BRD (formerly SFAR) | — | — | Rwandan students admitted into priority fields (education, science, tech, agriculture, health) |
| Sao Tome and Principe | Bolsas internas (government internal scholarships) | USTP Bolsas de Mérito (100% tuition) | Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and Camões Institute (Portugal) | Top academic performers at USTP |
| Senegal | Direction des Bourses (DB) scholarships, aid, subsidies | Fondation UCAD merit/social scholarships (20,000-30,000 FCFA/month) for women in STEM | — | Confirmed placement through Campusen at a public institution |
| Seychelles | National Scholarship Scheme (ANHRD/CaFEA) | — | Commercial bank loans (Central Bank of Seychelles licensed banks) | Study in designated priority fields (health, education, tourism, etc.) |
| Sierra Leone | SLOAN-SL loan scheme (Master's, Bar-at-Law, Doctoral only) | University of Sierra Leone, Njala, and others' bursary/fee-reduction schemes | Church/mission-linked funding (e.g. University of Makeni's Catholic ties) | Sierra Leonean students on Master's, Bar-at-Law or Doctoral programs |
| Somalia | Federal Ministry-funded scholarship places at SNU | SIMAD University financial support for local/international students | Swiss government scholarships (via SNU) and Turkey's Türkiye Scholarships | — |
| South Sudan | Government-to-government scholarships (e.g. Ethiopia's 645-place offer) | — | Fulbright Foreign Student Program (US Embassy) and PASS Scholarship Program | PASS: entering score 75%+ (B-) or continuing GPA 2.8+, with financial need |
| Sudan | Free tuition for students who clear the cutoff score (general track) | Universities sometimes offer fee reductions or payment plans | University of Rwanda relocation program for transferred Sudanese medical students | Clearing the program's cutoff score on the Sudan Certificate |
| The Central African Republic | Ministry bourses for top baccalauréat graduates in priority fields | University of Bangui's lower public tuition than private institutes | ICRC sponsored a physiotherapy training scholarship in Lomé, Togo | Top-performing baccalauréat graduates selected via school or ministry |
| The Gambia | Students Revolving Loan Scheme (SRLS) covering tuition and education costs | — | Islamic Development Bank's IsDB-ISFD Programme for bachelor's degrees | Enrollment at an institution accredited by NAQAA |
| The Republic of the Congo | Ministry bourses (grants) at licence, master and doctorate level | — | China's government scholarship programme and Brazil's bilateral scholarships | Depends on study level, faculty, and whether studying domestically or overseas |
| Togo | Ministry of Higher Education and Research's scholarship and bursary system | Fee reduction or waiver for students facing genuine financial hardship | CAMES regional grants and African Union pan-African scholarship schemes | Bac results, family's financial situation, and faculty placement |
| Tunisia | OOU's means-tested national grant (bourse) | Private universities' partial tuition reductions for high-achieving applicants | — | Parents' income vs minimum wage threshold, distance from university, academic record |
| Zambia | Higher Education Loans and Scholarships Board (HELSB) loans | University bursaries or fee-reduction schemes for high-performing or high-need students | — | Zambian citizens at accredited institutions, based on financial need |
| Zimbabwe | ZIMDEF training funding; Ministry/CBZ Education Loan Facility fee loans | University bursaries: partial fee waiver or paid campus work | Higherlife Foundation/Capernaum Trust; Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program | Varies by scheme, e.g. orphaned/vulnerable children and youth (Higherlife) |
How to use this table
Each row summarises one guide in this series. The figures are the ones quoted in that guide when it was written, and a dash means the guide does not state that item. Open a guide for its sources, the full detail and its latest update date.