SchoolRegistry Pathways
Scholarships for Nigerian students
The awards Nigerians actually apply for, with who qualifies, what each one covers and where it can send you. We do not run any of them and we earn nothing from your application, so what follows is just the facts and an honest view of your odds.
PTDF Overseas Postgraduate Scholarship
Master's and PhD only · United Kingdom, Germany, France, Malaysia, Nigeria (CPESK, Kaduna)
Fully funded: tuition, accommodation, airfare and living expenses.
We also apply to United Kingdom and Germany and Malaysia directly, if the award does not come through
Who qualifies and how to apply →
DAAD Scholarships for Germany
Mostly master's and PhD, with some research and short-course grants · Germany
Varies by programme. Most award a monthly living stipend, travel and health insurance; tuition is often already zero at German public universities.
We also apply to Germany directly, if the award does not come through
Who qualifies and how to apply →
Fulbright Foreign Student Program
Master's and PhD · United States
Tuition, a living stipend, airfare and health insurance for the duration of the award.
We also apply to United States directly, if the award does not come through
Who qualifies and how to apply →
Chevening Scholarship
One-year taught master's only · United Kingdom
Fully funded: tuition, a living allowance, flights and visa costs for one year.
We also apply to United Kingdom directly, if the award does not come through
Who qualifies and how to apply →
Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship
One year of study at any level, undergraduate to PhD · Ireland
A stipend for one year plus a fee waiver from the host institution.
We also apply to Ireland directly, if the award does not come through
Who qualifies and how to apply →
Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship
Undergraduate only, first-entry programmes · Canada
Tuition, books, incidental fees and residence for four years.
Who qualifies and how to apply →
NNPC and joint venture scholarships
Mainly undergraduate, for students already in Nigerian universities · Nigeria
An annual grant toward tuition and upkeep while you study in Nigeria.
Who qualifies and how to apply →
Commonwealth Scholarships
Master's and PhD · United Kingdom
Fully funded: tuition, airfare, a living stipend and other allowances.
We also apply to United Kingdom directly, if the award does not come through
Who qualifies and how to apply →
The part nobody tells you
Fully funded scholarships are won by a very small number of the people who apply. That is about the number of places, not about you. The families who still travel are the ones who worked out, before the intake closed, what they could fund themselves and which countries that actually reached. Germany charges no tuition at its public universities. Poland asks for a fraction of the up-front money the UK or Canada does. Those are real options and most people never hear them.
Apply for every award you qualify for. Then spend thirty minutes with us on the other plan.
How Pathways is paid, and what we never promise
Placement is free to families. Universities pay SchoolRegistry a fee when a student we place enrols. It never changes your fee and it never changes which programme we recommend: the shortlist is ordered by fit, then refusal risk, then cost to you, and that rule is printed with every list. We do not promise admission or a visa, to anyone. Pathways is operated by Academic Support Services NG Ltd (RC 9416237), Ikeja, Lagos; write to pathway@schoolregistry.ng.
Questions families ask about scholarships
Which scholarship should a Nigerian student apply for first?
It depends on your level. For postgraduate study linked to oil and gas, PTDF is the obvious first stop, because it is a Nigerian government scheme so you compete only against other Nigerians. For a UK master's with work experience behind you, Chevening. For Germany, DAAD. For an undergraduate award, the options are far fewer and far harder, which is worth knowing before you spend months on applications.
Do you charge for scholarship advice?
No, and we do not administer or award any scholarship listed here. We are paid by universities when a student we place enrols, so we earn nothing from your scholarship application either way.
Can you help me win a scholarship?
We can tell you honestly which ones you are eligible for and which you are not, which saves most people a lot of wasted work. Nobody can get you an award, and you should be careful with anyone who says otherwise.
What if I do not get any scholarship?
That is the common outcome, because of the number of places rather than anything about you. It is also the conversation we are most useful in: what your family can actually fund, which countries that reaches, and which intake you can still make. Germany charges no tuition at its public universities, and Poland asks for a fraction of the up-front money other destinations do.
Why do you not show deadlines?
Because they move every year, and a stale date on a page is how people miss them. Each scholarship page links the official source instead.