Fully Funded Scholarships for Nigerian Students 2027: How to Know the Real Ones and How to Apply
Fully funded scholarships for Nigerian students for 2027 intake, with deadlines, eligibility, how to apply, and how to know if a scholarship offer is fake.
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Chevening is the next one to close. Applications for the 2027/28 Chevening Scholarship end on Tuesday 6 October 2026 at 11:00 UTC, which is 12 noon in Nigeria. The Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship closes two weeks after that, on 20 October 2026.
Both are fully funded UK scholarships, and both are for people who have already finished a first degree. If you are still in school or in 100 level, jump to the Türkiye Scholarships part further down, because that one takes undergraduates.
Fully funded scholarships for Nigerian students 2027 and their deadlines
| Scholarship | Level | Deadline | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevening Scholarship (UK) | Master’s | 6 October 2026, 11:00 UTC (12 noon Nigerian time) | chevening.org/apply |
| Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship (UK) | Master’s | 20 October 2026, 4:00 pm UK time (also 4:00 pm in Nigeria) | cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk |
| Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (Europe) | Master’s | Different for each programme. Most fall between November 2026 and January 2027, a few run into February | Erasmus+ website, then each programme’s own portal |
| Türkiye Scholarships (Turkey) | Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD | 2027 dates not announced yet. The usual window is 10 January to 20 February | turkiyeburslari.gov.tr |
Chevening closes with no extension and no exceptions for network or light problems. Do not wait for the last day.
How to know if a fully funded scholarship is real or fake
Scholarship fraud is common, and it usually targets people who are in a hurry to travel. These are the signs that something is wrong:
- Anybody asking you to pay. Processing fee, verification fee, “visa fee,” “slot fee,” all of it. The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission says plainly that it does not charge anyone to apply, and Erasmus Mundus programmes are not allowed to charge an application fee.
- An email, call or WhatsApp message saying you won or were selected for a scholarship you never applied for. You can’t win what you didn’t apply for.
- A letter that comes before the scholarship’s own result date. Chevening, for example, announces successful applicants in June 2027. An “acceptance letter” in January is fake.
- WhatsApp and Telegram groups that use names like Chevening, Fulbright or Erasmus Mundus and sell “guaranteed” slots.
- Agents selling “scholarship plus guaranteed admission” packages.
- A website that is not the funder’s own. Type the official address yourself (chevening.org, cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk, turkiyeburslari.gov.tr) instead of clicking links from a message.
- Anyone asking for your bank details or your portal password.
Quick test: can you find the same scholarship, with the same dates, on the funder’s own website? If you can’t, don’t send anything.
Chevening scholarship 2027: who is eligible to apply
Chevening is paid for by the UK government (the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office). It covers one-year master’s study at any UK university, and the British Council describes it as full financial support. Nigeria is on the list of eligible countries.
You can apply if you:
- Are a Nigerian citizen
- Have at least two years of work experience, worked after your undergraduate degree, adding up to 2,800 hours
- Finished your undergraduate degree at least two years before the deadline (you need the certificate by interview time, not at the application stage)
- Apply to three different eligible UK courses, and get an unconditional offer from at least one of them by the date on Chevening’s timeline page
- Promise to return to Nigeria and stay at least two years after the scholarship ends
You can’t apply if you work for, or recently worked for, a UK government department, the British Council or a partner UK university (the same goes for close family members of such staff). Anyone already on a UK government-funded scholarship before is also out. Having a master’s degree already does not stop you.
Age doesn’t matter either. There is no upper age limit.
How to apply for the Chevening scholarship 2027
- Go to chevening.org/apply and select Nigeria as your country.
- Pick three UK master’s courses and check that they are eligible.
- Fill in the online form and submit before 6 October 2026, 11:00 UTC.
- Wait for the shortlist. Interviews come after that, and winners are announced in June 2027.
- Get your unconditional university offer in on time. No offer, no scholarship.
[LOCAL TIP: add a real detail from your own experience with this portal or with Nigerian network on deadline day]
Commonwealth Master’s scholarship 2027: who is eligible and how to apply
This one is also paid by the UK government, and it is meant for people who could not afford to study in the UK without it. Nigeria is one of the eligible countries.
The thing most people miss: you can’t apply straight to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission. A nominating body has to put you forward first, and the national nominating agency is the main route. Each nominating body can set its own rules and its own deadline, and that deadline can be earlier than 20 October. So find out your nominator’s date first, not the CSC date.
Who can apply:
- You are a citizen of an eligible Commonwealth country, or a recognised refugee there, and you live in one
- Your first degree is a 2:1 or better, or you have a lower second class plus a relevant postgraduate qualification
- You can start in the UK by September or October 2027
- You can’t afford to study in the UK without the scholarship
Steps: apply to a nominating agency, apply on the CSC’s online system (CSC Central) with the same information, and apply to a UK university that part-funds Commonwealth scholarships. Nominators send their chosen candidates to the CSC by December 2026, and results come by July 2027.
Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters 2027 for Nigerians
This is a master’s you study in more than one European country, and the funded places go to the best-ranked applicants. There is one list of programmes but no single application. Each programme has its own portal, its own essays and its own deadline.
You can apply to a maximum of three programmes in one round. When you fill in the form, tick the box that asks to be considered for the scholarship. Some portals treat admission and scholarship as two things, and if you skip the box you may get in with no funding.
Türkiye Scholarships 2027 for undergraduate and postgraduate students
This is the Turkish government scholarship, and it takes bachelor’s, master’s and PhD applicants. The application is free on the official portal.
The 2027 call has not been announced yet. The general window has been 10 January to 20 February, so prepare your documents now and watch turkiyeburslari.gov.tr. Age limits are under 21 for bachelor’s and under 30 for master’s. Check that your level is open to Nigerians when the call comes out.
Mistakes that get Nigerian applicants rejected
- Submitting on the closing day. Light goes off, data finishes, portal slows down. Submit days before.
- Applying for Chevening without proof that your work hours add up to 2,800. Count them first, from after your degree, and keep a record.
- Ignoring your nominator’s deadline for Commonwealth.
- Copying a sample essay. Write about your own plans and your own country.
- Leaving university applications till after the interview. Chevening wants an unconditional offer by its set date, and offers take time.
TL;DR
- Chevening closes 6 October 2026, 11:00 UTC (12 noon in Nigeria). Apply at chevening.org/apply.
- Commonwealth Master’s closes 20 October 2026, 4:00 pm. You must go through a nominating agency, whose deadline may be earlier.
- Erasmus Mundus deadlines are per programme, mostly November to January. Türkiye Scholarships usually opens in January.
- Real scholarships don’t collect money from you. If anyone asks you to pay, leave.
