How Ugandan Students Can Win a Fully Funded Scholarship in Europe
At least six verified fully funded European scholarship programmes are confirmed open to Ugandan nationals as of June 2026: Chevening, Commonwealth Scholarships, DAAD EPOS, Stipendium Hungaricum, the Government of Ireland IES, and Erasmus Mundus. NAWA Banach, by contrast, is confirmed closed to Ugandan applicants. Competition is high, and eligibility catches eliminate most applicants before they even begin.
The Baseline: Uganda Has No Outbound Treasury Scholarship
Before listing the opportunities, it is worth being clear about something: there is no standalone Ugandan government scholarship that funds study abroad. HESFB (Higher Education Students’ Financing Board) loans are restricted to NCHE-accredited institutions inside Uganda. The government merit/district sponsorship is for public universities in Uganda only.
The Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) does act as the national conduit and nominating body for bilateral awards — meaning most foreign-government scholarships require you to apply through MoES rather than directly. Watch education.go.ug/scholarships/ for national calls.
Verified Scholarships for Ugandan Students in Europe
| Scholarship | Destination | Level | Coverage | Uganda Eligible? | Nomination route |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevening | UK | Master’s (1 yr) | Full (tuition + stipend + flights + visa) | ✅ Yes | Direct application |
| Commonwealth CSC | UK | Master’s & PhD | Full | ✅ Yes | MoES / British Council |
| DAAD EPOS | Germany | Master’s (some PhD) | Full (stipend + tuition + travel + insurance) | ✅ Yes | Per programme |
| Stipendium Hungaricum | Hungary | BA (Eng only) / MA (Eng, CS, Agri) | Full (tuition + stipend + accommodation + medical) | ✅ Yes (narrow fields only) | MoES |
| GOI-IES | Ireland | Master’s / PhD (1-yr award) | €10,000 + full tuition waiver | ✅ Yes (PG only) | Direct application |
| Erasmus Mundus | Multi-country (EU) | Master’s | Full (tuition + travel + living allowance) | ✅ Yes | Per programme |
| University of Malta MRes/PhD | Malta | MRes / PhD | 40–100% tuition waiver (no stipend) | ✅ Yes | Direct to UM |
| Ireland Fellows – Africa | Ireland | Master’s | Full | ⚠️ Invitation-only (Irish Aid partner staff) | Irish Aid partner |
| NAWA Banach | Poland | Master’s | Stipend + tuition exemption | ❌ No (Uganda not listed) | n/a |
Chevening (UK)
Chevening is a fully funded one-year taught Master’s at any UK university, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Uganda has a dedicated country page at chevening.org/scholarship/uganda/.
What it covers: tuition, a monthly living stipend, return economy airfare, arrival allowance, and the visa fee.
Key requirements: approximately 2,800 hours (roughly two years) of work experience at the time of application; three UK Master’s programme choices; a commitment to return to Uganda for at least two years after completing the scholarship; strong leadership potential.
The catch: competition is fierce globally. Chevening does not publish acceptance rates by country, so do not anchor your planning on winning it. Treat it as a high-upside supplementary application, not your primary strategy.
Deadline: the application cycle typically opens in August and closes in early November each year. The 2026/27 cycle closed in November 2026; check chevening.org/scholarship/uganda/ for the current call.
Commonwealth Scholarships (CSC, UK)
The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission funds Master’s and PhD places at UK universities for students from Commonwealth countries. Uganda is a Commonwealth member and is eligible.
What it covers: tuition, a stipend, airfare, and arrival allowance — fully funded.
Key requirements: a strong first degree; nominations are channelled through MoES and the British Council Uganda. You do not apply directly to CSC; you respond to the national call.
Important: Commonwealth Scholarships are separate from Chevening — you can apply to both.
DAAD EPOS (Germany)
DAAD’s EPOS programme (Development-related Postgraduate Courses) funds Master’s and some PhD studies in Germany for professionals from developing countries, including Uganda.
What it covers: a full monthly stipend, health insurance, travel costs, and tuition (most public German universities charge no tuition — see below).
Key requirements: a relevant first degree; typically at least two years of relevant professional experience in your home country; the study programme must be development-related and listed in the DAAD scholarship database. Deadlines vary per programme — always check the specific course page on daad.de.
Germany + DAAD together: public German universities charge €0 in tuition (semester contributions of roughly €100–400 apply). With DAAD covering your living costs and the blocked-account requirement waived for scholarship holders, the total out-of-pocket cost can be very low.
Stipendium Hungaricum (Hungary): Open — but Narrow
Stipendium Hungaricum is the Hungarian government’s flagship international scholarship programme. Uganda is an eligible country. However, for Ugandan applicants, the available fields of study are restricted:
- Bachelor’s level: Engineering only
- Master’s level: Engineering, Computer Science, and Agriculture only
If you are applying for business, medicine, law, social sciences, or other fields, Stipendium Hungaricum is not available to you as a Ugandan national — do not apply or build plans around it.
What it covers: full tuition, a monthly stipend of HUF 43,700 (approximately €135/month pocket money, as of June 2026 — re-check at stipendiumhungaricum.hu), accommodation support (typically a student dormitory place, which significantly reduces living costs), and medical insurance. World Study Africa estimates the out-of-pocket cost for SH holders in year one at approximately €1,500–2,500 (roughly UGX 6–10.5 million at June 2026 rates), primarily covering flights and personal expenses.
Application: through MoES, which nominates candidates to the programme. The 2026/27 round closed on 15 January 2026; the next round (2027/28) is expected to open around November 2026.
Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship (GOI-IES)
The HEA (Higher Education Authority) awards approximately 60 GOI-IES places each year to non-EU/EEA/UK students for postgraduate study in Ireland.
What it covers: €10,000 plus a full tuition fee waiver for one academic year.
Key requirements: this is a postgraduate-only award — you must be applying to a master’s or PhD programme. Undergraduate applicants are not eligible. Uganda is eligible (all non-EU/EEA/UK/CH nationals except Belarus and Russia).
Deadline: the 2026 round closed 12 March 2026; the 2027 call is expected around January 2027. Check hea.ie/policy/internationalisation/goi-ies/ for the current cycle.
Note on Ireland Fellows: The Ireland Fellows Programme – Africa is a separate, invitation-only initiative for staff of Irish Aid partner organisations, not a general scholarship. Do not apply unless you have been specifically invited through an Irish Aid partner.
Erasmus Mundus (EU-wide)
Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s programmes are EU-funded degrees run by consortia of at least three universities across multiple countries. Ugandan nationals are eligible to apply to any programme.
What it covers: full tuition, a travel and installation allowance, and a monthly living allowance. Coverage is per-programme; confirm on the specific programme page.
The route: apply directly to the individual Erasmus Mundus programme, not through MoES. Deadlines vary widely (typically November to February for September starts). Browse current programmes at eacea.ec.europa.eu.
University of Malta MRes/PhD Fee Waiver
The University of Malta offers partial to full tuition waivers for non-EU students admitted to Master’s by Research or PhD programmes. This is an institutional award, not a government scholarship — it covers tuition only (no stipend or living support).
Eligible: Ugandan nationals accepted onto an MRes or PhD at UM. Applications typically close around 30 April each year — check um.edu.mt/study/feesfunding/scholarships/masterresearchphd/.
What Narrows the Field in Practice
Most applicants are eliminated not by the formal eligibility rules but by four common weaknesses:
Work experience shortage. Chevening and DAAD both favour applicants with substantive post-degree professional experience. A fresh graduate applying immediately after finishing a bachelor’s is unlikely to be competitive.
Narrow Stipendium Hungaricum fields. If you are not in Engineering, Computer Science, or Agriculture (for MA) or Engineering (for BA), Stipendium Hungaricum is closed to you as a Ugandan national regardless of your grades.
The nomination bottleneck. CSC and Stipendium Hungaricum require MoES nomination before you reach the international stage. The number of national nominees is finite. Start at education.go.ug/scholarships/ well before the international deadline.
Banking and financial documentation. Even scholarship applications require you to demonstrate a minimum financial baseline — particularly Ireland, where you must show €10,000 access in addition to your course fees. Bank statements showing recent irregular deposits or a thin account history will hurt an otherwise strong application.
How World Study Africa Helps
World Study Africa’s advisory service is free for most students — we are paid by partner universities (15–25% commission), not by you. We help you identify which scholarships you are realistically competitive for, review your application materials, and guide you through the MoES nomination pathway where relevant. Premium visa document preparation is available at a separately disclosed fee. We never charge to “secure” a scholarship.
Check your eligibility for European study or explore all Uganda pathways.
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Frequently asked questions
No — Uganda's participation is restricted to specific fields. At bachelor's level, only Engineering is available. At master's level, the eligible fields are Engineering, Computer Science, and Agriculture. If your subject is outside these, Stipendium Hungaricum is not an option for you as a Ugandan applicant.
No. The GOI-IES (Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship) is open to postgraduate applicants only — master's or PhD level. It covers €10,000 plus a full tuition fee waiver for one year. Undergraduate Ugandan students would need to look at other funding routes, including part-time work (20 hours per week on a Stamp 2 visa).
No. Uganda is not listed among the eligible countries in the current NAWA Banach call. Countries listed include Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Senegal — but not Uganda. Do not apply to or plan around the Banach programme as a Ugandan national.
Uganda's Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) acts as the nominating body for bilateral and foreign-government awards including Commonwealth Scholarships, Stipendium Hungaricum, and certain DAAD calls. Applications are not submitted directly to the foreign funder — you apply through MoES, which selects nominees. Watch the MoES scholarships page (education.go.ug/scholarships/) for each cycle's national call.
In most cases, yes in principle, though scholarships sometimes have restrictions. In the UK, Chevening and CSC scholars are on student visas permitting 20 hours of work per week during term time. DAAD scholars in Germany can work within the statutory limit. Check the scholarship conditions; the point is that a scholarship is usually a floor, not a ceiling on what you can earn while studying.