Scholarships and Student Funding in Sierra Leone

No dedicated national student loan scheme

Some West African countries run a dedicated tertiary loan or grant board. Nigeria has NELFUND, and Kenya has HELB. Sierra Leone has a national statutory loan fund of its own, the Sierra Leone Students' Loan Scheme (SLOAN-SL) , created by the Sierra Leone Students' Loan Scheme Fund Act, 2021 and governed by a Board of Trustees and a CEO. Unlike NELFUND or HELB, SLOAN-SL is narrower in scope: it funds only Sierra Leonean students on Master's, Barrister-at-Law, and Doctoral-level programs at accredited Sierra Leonean tertiary institutions, not undergraduates. Government support for undergraduate tertiary education runs instead through the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education and the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) , which fund public universities directly and set accreditation standards for programs, rather than paying out loans to individual undergraduate students.

This means most students in Sierra Leone cover tuition and living costs through a mix of family contributions, part-time work, university bursaries and scholarships from outside funders. Build your funding plan around more than one source rather than counting on a single scholarship to cover a full program, since most awards only cover part of the cost.

University-administered bursaries and fee waivers

Public and private universities in Sierra Leone, University of Sierra Leone, Njala University, Ernest Bai Koroma University of Science and Technology, University of Makeni and Milton Margai Technical University among them, run their own bursary or fee-reduction schemes for students who qualify on need or merit. These schemes cover a smaller number of students than the total enrollment and change from one academic year to the next depending on university budgets. Ask the financial aid or student affairs office directly at the start of each academic year rather than assuming a scheme still runs the way it used to.

Bonded scholarships in priority subjects

Sierra Leone faces shortages of trained teachers, health workers and agriculture specialists, and scholarships tied to these subjects sometimes come with a service condition. You study on the scholarship, then work in the sector, often in an under-served district, for an agreed number of years after graduation. Ask about the exact service terms, the district assignment process and the penalty for leaving the bond early before you accept an offer like this, since the conditions differ by scheme and funder.

External funders active in Sierra Leone

Foundations, church and mission bodies, and organizations working in Sierra Leone's education sector fund a share of tertiary places inside the country, often channeled through a specific university or faculty rather than as an open national scheme. University of Makeni's Catholic affiliation, for example, connects it to church-linked funding that secular public universities do not have access to. Coverage and eligibility for these schemes change often, so check current openings with the specific university department involved rather than trust a general scholarship listing you find online.

How to search and apply well

• Start with your own university's financial aid or student affairs office. This is the fastest route to schemes actually open to you this academic year.

• Ask your program department directly. Bonded and subject-specific scholarships often get announced at the faculty level before they reach general listings.

• Verify any scholarship advertised online with the funder directly. Legitimate funders do not charge students an application fee, so treat any request for payment as a warning sign.

• Apply early. Bursary funds are usually limited and awarded on a first-qualified basis within each intake.

• Keep certified copies of your WASSCE results, admission letter and identification ready, since most schemes ask for the same core documents.

Family and community funding

Extended family support covers a large share of tertiary costs across Sierra Leone, with parents, older siblings and wider relatives pooling money for tuition, hostel fees and books. Some communities and church congregations also raise money informally for a promising student from the area, especially once that student is admitted to a competitive program like medicine at COMAHS. If your family or community is willing to support you this way, agree on the amount and timing in advance so you are not short at registration.

Working part-time while you study

Some students take on part-time tutoring, retail, or small trading work alongside their studies to cover the gap between what a scholarship or family support pays and what the program actually costs. Check your university's own rules on how much part-time work is allowed alongside a full course load before you commit to a job, since heavy outside work can pull your grades down and put a bonded or merit scholarship at risk.

Budgeting around partial funding

Most funding covers part of your costs, tuition only, or a housing allowance only, rather than the full cost of your program. Plan your budget assuming you will need to cover the remainder yourself, through family support or part-time work, and treat any scholarship award as a reduction in what you owe rather than a complete solution. Confirm in writing exactly what a scholarship pays for before you turn down other funding options.