Scholarships for Nigerian Students in Europe (2026)

Below: the best scholarships in one table, what “fully funded” really means, the strongest options by destination, who qualifies, and how to put together an application that actually competes.

Best scholarships for Nigerian students

These are the scholarships open to Nigerians for study in Europe and the UK. Award values and deadlines change every year — confirm each one on the official site before you apply.

Nigeria is confirmed eligible for Stipendium Hungaricum, DAAD, Erasmus Mundus, Chevening and Commonwealth. Nigeria can access some Poland NAWA programmes, but the specific NAWA Banach programme does not list Nigeria — don’t rely on it. PTDF is a Nigerian federal scholarship for oil-and-gas-related fields.

We can help you build and submit any of these — see how our scholarship application service works.

Fully funded vs partial — know the difference

Not every “scholarship” pays for everything. Before you spend weeks on an application, check which type it is.

• Fully funded. Covers tuition and a monthly living stipend, and often accommodation, insurance and flights. You can realistically study with little or no family money. Stipendium Hungaricum, Chevening, Erasmus Mundus and Türkiye Scholarships fall here.
• Partial. Covers some costs — a tuition discount, a one-off grant, or a stipend without tuition. You still need to fund the rest yourself. Many DAAD and university awards are partial, so read the coverage line carefully.

If you need study to cost as close to nothing as possible, start with our fully funded scholarships guide, then come back here for the Nigeria-specific routes.

Scholarships by destination

Hungary — Stipendium Hungaricum

Stipendium Hungaricum is the most accessible fully funded route into Europe for Nigerians. The Hungarian government covers your tuition waiver, a monthly stipend, an accommodation contribution and medical insurance, across bachelor’s, master’s, one-tier master’s and PhD levels.

One Nigeria-specific catch: the scholarship requires a nomination from the Nigerian sending authority, and Nigeria’s federal funding policy has shifted recently — so confirm the nomination pipeline is still active for the current cycle before you build your application. Full eligibility and the two-step process are on our Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship page.

Germany — DAAD (and free public tuition)

Germany’s biggest draw is that public universities charge no tuition at all — even before any scholarship. On top of that, DAAD (the German Academic Exchange Service) funds Nigerians through a range of programmes, mostly at master’s and PhD level, typically with a monthly stipend and often travel and insurance.

Because German public tuition is already free, a DAAD stipend can turn an affordable degree into a genuinely funded one. See the eligibility rules and programme list on our DAAD scholarships guide.

Poland — NAWA

Poland’s national agency NAWA runs scholarship programmes for international students, and Nigeria is among the eligible countries for several of them; coverage usually includes tuition and a monthly stipend. One caveat: NAWA’s specific Banach Scholarship Programme does not list Nigeria, so don’t count on that particular scheme — check which NAWA programmes are currently open to Nigerians. Note too that for the Polish student visa, Nigerian diplomas need superlegalisation (consular legalisation), because Nigeria is not in the Hague Apostille Convention — budget time for that step.

Türkiye — Türkiye Scholarships

Türkiye Scholarships (Türkiye Bursları) is a fully funded government programme open to African students, covering tuition, a monthly stipend, accommodation, health insurance and return flights, with a single online application portal. It’s not in the EU, but it’s one of the most generous fully funded packages available to Nigerians — confirm the exact coverage and deadline on the official portal before you apply.

Eligibility & how to win

The big scholarships look for different things, but the patterns repeat. To compete from Nigeria, you’ll usually need:

1. Strong grades. Most awards expect a good degree classification — a 2:1 (Second Class Upper, CGPA 3.50–4.49) is a common threshold; some accept a 2:2 with work experience.
2. The right level. Chevening, Commonwealth and most DAAD awards are for master’s and above; Stipendium Hungaricum and Türkiye Scholarships also fund bachelor’s.
3. Work experience or leadership — Chevening in particular rewards around two years of professional experience, leadership potential and a clear plan to return home.
4. English evidence. English is Nigeria’s official language, so many programmes accept WAEC/NECO English or a Medium of Instruction (MOI) letter; some still require IELTS/TOEFL. Check each one.
5. Verifiable documents. Authentic WAEC/NECO results (with scratch-card verification), genuine transcripts and a clean record matter — high-scrutiny origins like Nigeria are checked carefully.

How to actually win: apply early, follow the exact format, and write essays that answer the question asked — not a generic life story. Tie your course to a specific goal back in Nigeria. One well-targeted application beats five rushed ones.

The PTDF / NNPC sponsored route

If your field is in oil, gas or energy, you have a route most students don’t. The PTDF Overseas Postgraduate Scholarship (Petroleum Technology Development Fund) sponsors Nigerians for MSc and PhD study in the UK, Germany, France and Malaysia, covering tuition and bench fees, return flights, health insurance, accommodation and living allowances. The 2026 cycle closed on 27 February 2026; confirm the next cycle’s dates on the official PTDF portal.

To qualify you generally need a minimum 2:1 (or a 2:2 with relevant experience), NYSC completed, and five O’level credits including English and Maths. Other Nigeria-specific sponsors exist — NNPC-linked schemes, NDDC’s Niger Delta postgraduate scholarship, and various state-government programmes — though availability changes year to year, so verify each is open before relying on it.

One honest note: the Federal Government’s foreign/BEA overseas scholarship scheme was discontinued in 2025, and the NELFUND student loan funds domestic institutions only — not study abroad. So for most Nigerians, the realistic funded routes are the international scholarships above plus sector sponsors like PTDF.

Deadlines to watch

Scholarship deadlines are fixed and unforgiving — miss one and you wait a full year. As a rough calendar (always confirm on the official site):

• Chevening — applications open around August, close around November.
• Erasmus Mundus — most courses close mid-October to mid-January.
• Stipendium Hungaricum — call typically opens late in the year, closes around January.
• PTDF — recent cycle closed 27 February 2026; confirm the next cycle.
• DAAD / NAWA / Türkiye Scholarships — vary by programme; check each portal.

Start at least six to nine months ahead — references, transcripts and (for Poland) document legalisation all take time.

How we help

World Study helps Nigerian students find the scholarships they actually qualify for, build a competitive application, and submit it on time — honestly, with no false promises. We don’t guarantee awards (no one credibly can), but we do improve your odds by matching you to the right scheme, sharpening your essays and checking every document before it goes in.

Our core guidance is free; our optional scholarship application service is for students who want hands-on help with essays, references and submission.

Talk to an advisor on WhatsApp or take the free 2-minute eligibility check → to see which scholarships fit your grades and goals.