STOP CHASING CHEVENING & ERASMUS: 5 OPEN FULLY FUNDED SCHOLARSHIPS NOBODY IS TALKING ABOUT Omo, if you log onto Twitter or Nairaland everyday, it's the same old story. "Apply for Chevening," "Erasmus window is open," "DAAD this, Fulbright that." I'm not saying these scholarships are bad, but let's be realistic: the traffic on those portals is insane. Millions of people are fighting for a few hundred slots, and the rejection letters can be depressing.
Meanwhile, there are solid, fully funded opportunities sitting elsewhere that many Nigerians completely overlook just because the countries aren't the regular UK, US, or Canada. If you have a good profile and you want a clean escape route to study abroad without screaming inside a crowded application pool, you need to look at these 5 alternatives that are opening or open right now for the upcoming intake: 1.
University of Edinburgh Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program * Country: United Kingdom * Degree Level: Master's (On-campus or Online Postgraduate Diploma) * Who can apply: Young African residents/citizens with strong leadership potential facing financial barriers. * What it covers: Full tuition fees, accommodation, living expenses stipend, and return economy flights. * Current Status & Dates: Opened in August 2026.
The critical Stage 1 Applicant Declaration Form closes on 19 October 2026. If you miss this, you can't access the main application which closes on 19 November 2026. * The Catch: There is a strict age limit. You must be 35 years or younger by the time the programme starts (born on or after January 1, 1992). 2. Gates Cambridge Scholarship * Country: United Kingdom * Degree Level: Master's (except MBA/MFin) and PhD * Who can apply: Outstanding international graduates from any country outside the UK applying to the University of Cambridge. * What it covers: Full university composition fees, a heavy maintenance stipend (£21,000–£22,050 per year), student visa fees, health insurance, and economy airfare. * Current Status & Dates: The international application round opened on 11 September 2026.
Deadlines depend on your course but strictly close in either December 2026 or January 2027. * The Catch: The academic barrier is incredibly high. You must get accepted into the University of Cambridge first, and the overall global acceptance rate for this funding is roughly 1.4%. 3. ARES Scholarships * Country: Belgium * Degree Level: Specialized Master's and Short Training Courses * Who can apply: Professionals from specific developing countries (including Nigeria) who already have work experience. * What it covers: 100% tuition coverage, international travel expenses, a monthly living allowance, arrival/repatriation grants, and health insurance. * Current Status & Dates: Opened on 3 August 2026.
The strict deadline to submit everything on the GIRAF platform is 18 September 2026 at noon Belgian time. * The Catch: This is not a general scholarship for any random course. You are strictly restricted to choosing from a specific list of pre-approved developmental and training programs. 4. Open Doors Russian Scholarship (International Olympiad) * Country: Russia * Degree Level: Master's and PhD * Who can apply: International students holding a valid Bachelor's or Master's degree. * What it covers: 100% free tuition fee waiver at any top participating university in Russia. * Current Status & Dates: The application competition portal opened on 20 August 2026, and registration closes on 1 November 2026. * The Catch: This is an exam and portfolio-based competition.
The good news? There is absolutely no interview needed to win. However, while it covers full tuition, the basic monthly living stipend is very small, so you must prepare to handle your own feeding and flight ticket costs. 5. Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships * Country: Switzerland * Degree Level: PhD and Research Fellowships * Who can apply: Highly qualified postgraduate researchers from Nigeria who hold a Master's degree. * What it covers: A monthly stipend of CHF 2,450 to handle living expenses, plus health insurance, airfare, and housing support. * Current Status & Dates: Applications opened on 20 August 2026.
The hard deadline for Nigerian submissions is 27 November 2026. * The Catch: You cannot apply blindly. Before you even touch the application, you must independently pitch, locate, and secure a professor at a Swiss university who signs a document agreeing to be your official supervisor. Why you need to treat these as your strong backup plans Look, I'm not saying you shouldn't try your luck with Chevening or Erasmus.
If you meet their requirements, by all means, go for them! But the mistake most people make is putting all their eggs in one single basket. Many Nigerians spend three to four years waiting on just one popular scholarship, and when the rejection letter drops, the heartbreak is massive. That is why you need these lesser-known opportunities as strong backups so there's no heartbreak.
While you are drafting your Chevening essays or gathering documents for Erasmus, push out applications for these ones too. It gives you a solid safety net, and your chances of leaving the country next year shoot up naturally. The biggest issue most people face is that they only find out about these scholarships a week before the deadline when it's already too late to get references or write a proper research proposal.
If you don't want to keep finding these opportunities after everyone has already posted them, I share scholarship openings, deadlines and important updates in my Scholarship Update WhatsApp group. You can check the active link or contact details directly on my Nairaland profile to join us. Let's discuss in the thread: Which of these countries or paths would you consider looking into?
Drop your profile details or any questions you have about the supervisor search or proposal process below, and let's figure it out together.
