Scholarships

Summary

This resource contains a list of scholarships for graduate studies in economics (and related fields) at North American and European universities available to African students. It is by no means an exhaustive list but can serve as a guide and starting point in your search for funding opportunities. Many of these resources are tailored for African scholars, though most are not limited to African applicants.¹

United Kindgom

African Oxford Initiative (AfOx) Graduate Scholarships aim to provide outstanding African graduates the opportunity to undertake a fully funded master’s degree at the University of Oxford. Going beyond providing course fees and living costs, the AfOx scholarships deliver tailor made training programs, networking opportunities and support for students before, during, and following their time at Oxford.

Chevening Scholarships are fully funded scholarships and fellowships to individuals with ideas to create positive change and are funded by the UK government. The scholarship is for master’s level only across a wide range of disciplines. To be eligible for Chevening you must return to your country of citizenship for a minimum of two years after your award has ended.

Clarendon Fund Scholarships at University of Oxford is a major graduate scholarship scheme at the University of Oxford, offering around 140 new scholarships every year. Clarendon Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence and potential across all degree-bearing subjects at graduate level at the University of Oxford.

Gates Cambridge Scholarships for international students are awarded to outstanding applicants from countries outside the United Kingdom to pursue a full-time post-graduate degree in any subject at the University of Cambridge.

Nottingham Developing Solutions Scholarships are designed for international students from Africa, India, or one of the selected Commonwealth countries who want to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Nottingham and make a difference to the development of their home country. Priority is given to those who have not previously studied outside of their home country. The scholarship award covers 50–100 percent of tuition fees.

Rhodes Scholarships are fully funded, full-time, post-graduate awards that enable talented young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford. While it is open to young applicants from all over the world, you can check the eligibility criteria.

University of Bristol offers fifteen scholarships of £6,500 per year and two scholarships of £13,000 per year which must be used toward the cost of tuition fees for a one-year master's program in the School of Economics. These scholarships are for international students only.  

Warwick Chancellor’s International Scholarships are allocated annually via a combined post-graduate research scholarship competition and are open to all International and European Union students in any PhD program offered at Warwick.

Europe

Campus France is a rich resource for any prospective students of French universities, with information on admissions, scholarships, and life in France. It contains information on various scholarships available to international students. The Eiffel Scholarship, in particular, is for exceptional master’s and PhD students. 

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Scholarships are available for students enrolling in the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s, a high-level and integrated study program designed and delivered by an international partnership of higher education institutions (HEI). They involve at least three HEI from three different countries, of which at least two must be European Union Member States and third countries associated with the Program. Scholarships cover the cost of a student’s participation in the program, travel, and a living allowance.

Heinrich Boll Scholarships in Germany for international students are awarded to international students who gained their university entrance qualification from a school outside of Germany who wish to study a master’s or PhD degree in Germany. 

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers scholarships aimed primarily at graduates, doctoral students, and post-docs and are awarded for study and research visits to universities and non-university research institutions in Germany. In some programs, internships are also funded. DAAD awards One-Year Research Grants for Doctoral Candidates for PhD students from most countries. A grant for a full doctoral program in Germany is offered primarily to applicants from low- and middle-income countries.

Italian Government Scholarships for international students offered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation offers grants in favor of foreign citizens not residing in Italy as well as Italian citizens living abroad. Grants are offered to pursue study, training, and/or research programs at Italian higher education institutes, both public and legally recognized.

The University of Oslo offers several scholarships to students already enrolled in their Master’s in Economics program, depending on their research interest areas. 

IRO Doctoral Scholarship Program at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven offers annual scholarships to postgraduate students of merit from developing countries to pursue their PhD in KU Leuven. The scholarship provides a fee waiver, traveling expenses for the family, a one-time installation allowance and a monthly stipend as well as social security coverage. The application deadline is 10 November.

United States

The American Association of University Women awards International Fellowships for full-time study or research in the United States to women who are not United States citizens or permanent residents. Both graduate and post-graduate studies at accredited institutions are supported.

The American Economics Association keeps a list of funding opportunities and resources available for graduate school. 

Columbia University’s Economics PhD program offers multi-year financial aid packages to admitted students, including fellowships and appointments to teaching and/or research positions. PhD students receive an annual stipend, tuition, and health fees for five years if they remain in good academic standing. After year five, requests for additional funding are considered on a case-by-case basis. All incoming students are encouraged to apply for outside fellowships upon admittance.

The Department of Economics at Georgetown University awards financial aid in the form of full tuition, yearly health insurance, and a fellowship or service stipend to all PhD students up to the conclusion of the fifth year in the program. 

The Duke University Graduate School and the Economics Department provide full funding for PhD students through the fifth year, including tuition, mandatory fees, health and dental insurance, and 12-month stipends. Of the approximately 17 new Economics PhD students each year, 90 percent or more are fully funded for a sixth year, so long as they remain in good academic standing, and the remainder are either supported by external funding sources or are self-supported. In addition, travel fellowships are available for graduate student travel to conferences and seminars.

The Economic Growth Center and the International and Development Economics program at Yale University offers a Sub-Saharan African Student Scholarship for their master’s program.  

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program enables graduate students, young professionals, and artists from abroad to study and conduct research in the United States. The Fulbright Foreign Student Program operates in more than 160 countries worldwide. Approximately 4,000 foreign students receive Fulbright scholarships each year. 

Iowa State University PhD Economics program offers an assistantship (20 hours/week) with a living expense stipend. Assistantship appointments are renewable annually for five years for PhD students, provided the student makes satisfactory academic progress and performs duties in an acceptable manner. In addition to the stipend, students on assistantship who maintain a 3.0 GPA are also granted a Graduate College Tuition Scholarship offsetting all or part of resident tuition. Students on assistantship also receive health insurance.

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program at Stanford University accepts applicants from all countries who are talented individuals across several disciplines. Knight-Hennessy scholars receive funding for up to three years for any graduate degree at Stanford. It covers a fellowship applied directly to cover tuition and associated fees, a stipend for living and academic expenses, and a travel grant intended to cover an economy-class ticket for one annual trip to and from Stanford.

Princeton University’s Economics PhD program provides all admitted PhD students with tuition and fellowship support for the academic year. Admitted students also receive fellowship support through the summer months so they can continue their studies and research when classes are not in session. The Economics Department at Princeton does not offer a master’s degree.

Notre Dame University’s graduate school offers three types of primary educational funding to graduate students: tuition scholarships, assistantships, and fellowships. The university additionally supports students’ pursuit of external and internal awards through the Office of Grants and Fellowships. Almost 100% of students in the Graduate School receive full-tuition scholarships that include all fees except for a small student activity fee.  

Tufts University Department of Economics has a couple of funding options for graduate students: the Henken Family Endowed Graduate Research Fund and the Graduate Economics Thesis Research Scholarship. The latter is only for master’s students. 

Williams College Center for Development Economics offers a Master’s in Policy Economics where 100 percent of students admitted have received full or partial scholarships. This funding comes from multiple sources and some of it is funded directly by the university. Priority for Williams College funding is given to those who have actively sought third-party funding.

University of Washington Graduate School offers several funding opportunities for graduate students, including for their PhD Economics program. They come in the form of graduate student assistantships, fellowships, and grants which cover full tuition fees.

Western Michigan University offers graduate assistantships for up to four years for economics PhD students. International students are awarded funding generally through graduate appointments or grants and fellowships. These can be for offsetting tuition, research, travel expenses, or other fees. 

Johns Hopkins University maintains a living database of funding opportunities for graduate students in the United States across all disciplines. 

Canada

Connought International Scholarship is a scholarship that aims to support international students, enrolling in a doctoral program at the University of Toronto. The scholarship is based on the nomination process conducted by the University of Toronto during the winter admission session. It is a cost-sharing initiative designed to assist graduate units in recruiting and supporting top international students by providing a top-up scholarship to each recipient, which will be paid in addition to the program’s normal funding package provided by the graduate unit. International students who are offered admission to a full-time doctoral program and are not currently registered in a degree program at the University of Toronto
are eligible. Interested applicants should contact their prospective graduate unit when applying for admission. 

McGill University lists all the funding options available to PhD students at McGill, the eligibility criteria, and the field of study they apply to. 

Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarships is for those accepted or registered in a full-time doctoral program (candidates in first or second year), who are conducting research in the humanities or social sciences. The annual value is up to $60,000 per scholar (including an annual travel allowance of $20,000) for up to three years. 

Tomlinson Doctoral Fellowships are awarded annually by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies to recruit outstanding students into doctoral degree programs at McGill. Only applicants with a first-class academic record (3.7 GPA or 3.5 GPA in Law, in each of the last two years of full-time study at the undergraduate and post-graduate level) will be considered.

Canadian Francophonie Scholarship Program (CFSP) is a scholarship program designed to build institutional capacities by training employed nationals from developing countries of La Francophonie. Institutions targeted by recipient countries conduct internal recruitment campaigns to identify qualified candidates who show the greatest aptitude for helping strengthen their institution’s capacities when they return to their country. Candidates identified and selected may apply for university studies leading to a master’s and doctoral degree, for technical and vocational training, or for short-term internships.
 

Other scholarships

The Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Program targets Africans from Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania to offer a limited number of scholarships each year for post-graduate studies to outstanding students who have no other means of financing their studies.  Scholarships are awarded on a 50 percent grant : 50 percent loan basis through a competitive application process once a year. The Foundation gives priority to requests for master’s level courses but is willing to consider applications for PhD programs. Funding for PhD programs is only provided for the first two years of study, after which the students are expected to find alternative sources of assistance. Preference is given to students under 30 years of age.

Margaret McNamara Education Grants (MMEG) is a nonprofit, public charity that awards education grants to exceptional women from low- and middle-income countries. MMEG has been working to empower women by supporting their education so that they can build a better world. Grantees have focused on diverse fields of study, including engineering, information technologies, health, science, education, social studies, and law. Please see here for the eligibility criteria.

National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) sponsors master’s and PhD students to attend GRIPS in Tokyo, Japan. See here for more information.

Rotary Foundation Global Scholarship Grants for Development funds graduate-level coursework or research for one to four academic years. It can be applied for at any approved university located in a country where there is a host Rotary club or district outside of the applicant’s home country. The minimum budget for a global grant scholarship is $30,000, which can fund the following: passport/visa; inoculations; travel expenses; school supplies; tuition, room and board; household supplies; and language training courses (but not if university admission is contingent on improvement of language skills). Most personal and miscellaneous expenses are not covered by the scholarship funding.

The World Bank Development Economics Vice Presidency offers the Joint Japan World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJWBGSP) which is open to citizens of certain developing countries with relevant professional experience and a history of supporting their countries’ development efforts who are applying to a master’s program in a development-related topic. Subject to available funding, JJWBGSP offers scholarships for 53 participating programs at universities in the United States, Europe, Africa, Oceania, and Japan in key areas of development, including economic policy management, tax policy, and infrastructure management. Learn more here.
 

Scholarship databases and lists

Africademics is a scholarship platform and community for African students and scholars that shares scholarships, advice and success stories to empower young leaders, and increase access to higher education for African youth. See the scholarships directory here, and search for specific scholarships through their database here.

Collegedunia is a site designed to help students from India find universities, scholarships, and other relevant information for universities all over the world. A lot of the information here may be useful for African students. 

Compiled list of economics scholarships and fellowship at ARMACAD is a platform for students, scholars, scientists, and parents to search and find scholarships, summer schools, grants, fully funded conferences, trainings, seminars, and other study and research opportunities worldwide. These are updated and include opportunities across disciplines. 

Scholars4Dev has lists of scholarships, grants, and fellowships for international students, across different disciplines.

The Opportunities Portal provides links to scholarship, internship and conference opportunities aimed at global students and scholars.

This Twitter/X thread by Dr Ruch lists a combination of Masters and PhD scholarships across many disciplines that Zimbabweans (and many other Africans) are eligible for.