Scholarships and Student Funding in Senegal

Direction des Bourses: the main funding channel

Most government funding for university students in Senegal runs through the Direction des Bourses (DB) , a department of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MESRI). The DB manages bourses (scholarships), aides (aid payments), subventions (subsidies), and indemnités (allowances) for students admitted to public higher education. You apply after you have a confirmed placement through Campusen, not before, since your award depends on your program and university.

How much a scholarship pays

The DB awards different rates depending on your profile. The main national rates are the demi-bourse at about 20,000 FCFA a month and the bourse entière at about 40,000 FCFA a month, with a higher tier of about 65,000 FCFA a month for some categories. Individual rates differ and are periodically revised, so confirm your exact rate with the Direction des Bourses once your file is processed.

Eligibility: academic and social criteria

The DB weighs two sets of factors. Academic criteria include your bac series, your average or mention, and your progress once at university, students who fail exams risk losing or reducing their award. Social criteria include your parents' income, the number of dependents in your household, and how far your home is from your place of study. If you are not on a full award, request a changement de taux (rate change) once you pass your exams, moving to a higher rate for the following year.

How to apply

• Confirm your university or ISEP placement through Campusen first. The DB processes files by institution.

• Register your scholarship file through the Direction des Bourses portal or your university's student affairs office once enrolled.

• Submit the documents requested: admission proof, national ID, and household information used for the social assessment.

• Track your file status through the DB platform rather than assuming payment starts automatically. Processing backlogs happen most years.

Scale of state funding

The Senegalese state paid out more than 90 billion FCFA in total student allocations for the 2024/25 academic year, up from about 82 billion FCFA in 2023/24, according to Le Soleil . Of that, close to 77 billion FCFA went specifically to national scholarships (bourses nationales) in 2024/25, reported by Dakaractu , citing the ministry. The remainder covers aid, subsidies, and allowances outside the standard monthly bourse.

University and foundation scholarships

Beyond the national DB award, some universities run their own smaller programs. The Fondation UCAD, for example, has awarded merit and social scholarships worth 20,000 to 30,000 FCFA a month to women students in STEM fields. Ask your faculty's student affairs office whether your university runs a similar foundation program alongside the national bourse, since these awards are not always advertised widely.

If you are not on a state bourse

Not every student qualifies for a full DB award, and the main national bourse system is built around students admitted to public higher education through Campusen. If you are at a private school, confirm directly with your institution whether any DB-linked support applies before assuming you are excluded, and ask about the school's own merit scholarships, fee installment plans, or bank financing partnerships. Several private schools in Senegal offer one or more of these.