Fully Funded Scholarships for Togo Students 2026 — ARES Belgium, Eiffel France, Chevening Guide

Togo Is in the IsDB-France Joint Scholarship — Despite Not Being an OIC Member

The Republic of Togo is a French-speaking West African country with a predominantly Christian and traditional religion population. Togo is NOT a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

And yet, Togo is included in the list of 42 countries eligible for the joint scholarship program between France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Islamic Development Bank.

This is worth pausing on. The IsDB-France Scholarship was designed to bridge French academic excellence and Islamic Development Bank development funding. Most eligible countries are both Francophone AND OIC members, countries like Mali, Guinea, Senegal, and Niger. Togo qualifies through its Francophone status alone, without OIC membership, making it one of the few non-OIC countries in the program.

For Togolese students, this means access to a 200-place annual scholarship program that most Togo scholarship guides don’t mention, simply because they assume “IsDB” means “OIC countries only.”

Combined with ARES Belgium (€1,150/month, September 19, 2026 deadline), Eiffel Excellence, Chevening, and DAAD, Togo has a richer scholarship landscape than its relatively small profile in scholarship databases suggests.

One important practical warning for Chevening applicants: there is no UK Visa Application Centre and no TB testing facility in Togo. Successful Chevening scholars must travel to another country, likely Ghana or Côte d’Ivoire, for both processes. Budget and plan for this.

1. ARES Belgium Scholarships — Francophone Priority (€1,150/month)

ARES Scholarships provide the recipient with the following benefits: Living allowance: €1,150/month for 12 months. International travel costs: economy-class travel with a maximum of one round-trip ticket per academic year. Indirect mission fees: €150 (given once per stay upon arrival). Arrival allowance, tuition, and return fees: €700 (given once per stay upon arrival). Insurance fees are directly paid by ARES.

The ARES (Académie de Recherche et d’Enseignement Supérieur) scholarship is Belgium’s flagship development cooperation scholarship, and it explicitly prioritizes French-speaking African countries. Togo is among the primary target nationalities.

What makes ARES particularly relevant for Togo:

• French is Togo’s official language — linguistic requirement satisfied
• ARES focuses on development-relevant fields — phosphate, agriculture, governance, public health all qualify
• Belgium’s colonial and Francophone African ties make ARES culturally accessible for Togolese applicants

Deadline: The application deadline for the ARES Scholarships is September 19, 2026.

Apply through: ARES GIRAF portal — ares-ac.be — log into your GIRAF account and access the Competitive Calls tab.

2. IsDB-France Scholarship — Open to Togo Despite Non-OIC Status (200 Places/Year)

The joint scholarship between France’s Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Islamic Development Bank covers 200 places annually for students from 42 countries. Togo is on this list, included as a Francophone developing country, not as an OIC member.

What it covers:

• Full support for Master’s or PhD study in France
• Tuition, stipend, and living allowance
• Administered through Campus France infrastructure

Fields covered: Life and health sciences, Environmental studies, Education, Engineering, Agriculture, Computing and IT, Basic sciences, Economics, banking and finance, Social sciences.

Why particularly relevant for Togo: Togo’s phosphate sector, agricultural development challenges, and governance context align directly with IsDB priority development fields. A Togolese student in agricultural science or environmental management applying with a clear Togolese development plan is competitive for this program.

Apply through: Campus France — campusfrance.org for the IsDB-France program. Contact Campus France Togo or the French Embassy in Lomé.

Deadline: Typically January-February. Confirm current cycle at isdb.org and Campus France.

3. Eiffel Excellence Scholarship — France (€1,200-2,100/month)

The France Excellence Eiffel Scholarship remains one of the most prestigious French academic scholarships and is open to Togolese students as a Francophone developing nation.

What it covers:

• Master’s: €1,200/month (from January 2026)
• PhD: €2,100/month
• International transportation, insurance, housing search assistance, cultural activities

Critical process: Applications submitted by French universities, Togolese students cannot apply directly. Contact your target French university’s International Relations office first.

Togo’s advantage: As a French-speaking country in the Eiffel priority category, Togolese applicants compete in the Francophone pool which is less globally competitive than the general international pool.

2027 cycle: Contact French universities in your field by September-October 2026 for internal deadlines. Campus France deadline: typically January 8.

Apply through: campusfrance.org — contact Campus France Togo in Lomé for guidance.

4. Chevening Scholarship — United Kingdom (£1,378-1,690/month)

Chevening is active for Togo — chevening.org/scholarship/togo/ — but with two important practical warnings that Togolese applicants must plan for.

What it covers:

• Full university tuition fees
• Monthly living allowance: £1,690 (London) / £1,378 (outside London)
• Economy class return airfare
• Additional academic grants

Requirements:

• 2 years of work experience (~2,800 hours)
• IELTS 6.5+ or TOEFL iBT 79+ — required (note: most Togolese education is French-medium — IELTS preparation requires specific investment)
• Must return to Togo after scholarship

Critical practical warning: UK visa: There are no UK visa processing centres available in this country. If your application is successful you will be required to travel to an alternative country to apply for your UK visa.

TB tests: There are no TB testing facilities available in this country. If your application is successful you will be required to travel to an alternative country to take a test.

Practical implication: Successful Chevening applicants from Togo must travel to Ghana (Accra) or Côte d’Ivoire (Abidjan) for both their UK visa appointment and TB test. Budget for this travel, it is an additional pre-departure cost. Chevening may provide partial reimbursement.

Next cycle: Opens August 2027, closes November 2027.

Apply at: chevening.org/scholarship/togo/

5. DAAD Scholarships — Germany (€934-1,300/month)

DAAD is fully accessible for Togolese students through Sub-Saharan Africa programs.

Key connection — German Togoland: Togo was a German colony (German Togoland) from 1884 to 1914. While this colonial heritage is not the same as Namibia’s post-independence German partnership, it provides historical context for Germany-Togo academic relations that continue through DAAD.

Key programs:

DAAD Study Scholarships: €934/month for Master’s. Deadline mid-October.

DAAD EPOS (Development-Related Courses): For Togolese students in agricultural development, phosphate sector management, environmental science, public health, and governance.

Language: MOI Certificate accepted for English-medium programs — generate at: MOI Generator

6. CSC China Scholarship (CNY 3,000-3,500/month + Free Tuition)

Togo recognizes the People’s Republic of China and receives FOCAC scholarship allocations.

What it covers: Full tuition + monthly stipend + free accommodation + health insurance.

No IELTS required — MOI Certificate accepted for English-medium programs.

Apply through: Chinese Embassy in Lomé.

Deadline: Embassy track December-January.

7. Turkiye Burslari — Turkey (No IELTS, All Nationalities)

Turkiye Burslari is open to all nationalities — no IELTS required, Turkish language preparation year provided.

What it covers: Full tuition + accommodation + monthly allowance (~USD 300-350) + language year.

Apply at: turkiyeburslari.gov.tr — deadline February.

8. Fulbright Foreign Student Program — USA

The US Embassy in Lomé administers Fulbright for Togo. Applications in governance, agriculture, public health, and environmental management are competitive.

Apply through: US Embassy Lomé — tg.usembassy.gov

Deadline: Typically July-August.

9. GKS Korea (Global Korea Scholarship)

GKS Korea requires no English test and has a minimum GPA of only 2.64/4.0.

What it covers: Full tuition + monthly stipend (~USD 650-700) + funded Korean language year + round-trip airfare.

Apply through: Korean Embassy. Embassy Track closes February.

10. MEXT Japan Scholarship

Open to Togolese students via the MEXT Embassy Track.

What it covers: Full tuition + monthly stipend JPY 143,000-147,000 (~USD 950-980) + round-trip airfare + Japanese language year.

Deadline: Embassy Track May-June.

11. AUF (Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie)

Togo is an OIF member country. The University of Lomé (Université de Lomé) and other Togolese universities are AUF member institutions, giving Togolese students at AUF member universities access to AUF mobility grants for study at other Francophone partner institutions globally.

Apply at: auf.org — AUF Bureau for West Africa.

12. VLIR-UOS Belgium — Development Scholarships

VLIR-UOS (Flemish Interuniversity Council) provides additional Belgian university scholarships for students from developing countries including Francophone African nations. Complementary to ARES and specifically connected to Flemish Belgian universities.

Apply at: vliruos.be — for international Master’s and short training programs.

13. Erasmus Mundus — Europe (€1,100-1,400/month)

Open to all nationalities. Togolese students are eligible for all consortium programs, with French-medium consortium tracks particularly accessible.

Deadline: Most consortiums January-February.

14. Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program

For Togolese students from disadvantaged backgrounds with demonstrated academic excellence and community leadership.

Apply through partner universities: mastercardfdn.org/scholarships

15. Stipendium Hungaricum — Hungary

Full tuition + accommodation + monthly stipend (~EUR 115-130). Open to developing countries including Togo.

Apply at: stipendiumhungaricum.hu — deadline January-February.

Quick Reference: Scholarships for Togolese Students 2026

Togo’s Unique Scholarship Position — Two Key Facts

1. IsDB-France Without OIC Membership Togo’s inclusion in the 42-country IsDB-France list as a Francophone (not OIC) country gives it access to a 200-place annual scholarship program that most Francophone non-OIC West African countries cannot access. Most scholarship guides for Togo don’t mention this because they assume the IsDB connection requires OIC membership. It doesn’t for this specific program.

2. The Phosphate Scholarship Narrative Togo holds the world’s 4th largest phosphate reserves, a mineral that is essential to global food security, agricultural productivity, and sustainable development. Phosphate management, agricultural science, environmental impact of mining, and rural development are all scholarship fields directly relevant to Togo’s economic reality. For DAAD EPOS, Fulbright, and development-oriented French scholarships, a Togolese student with a clear plan connecting their field of study to Togo’s phosphate-agricultural nexus has a genuinely distinctive application.

The Lomé Conventions — Why Togo Has Unique European Development Ties

The city of Lomé gave its name to the Lomé Conventions four successive trade and development cooperation agreements between the European Economic Community and African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) developing countries, signed between 1975 and 1989. These agreements governed EU-Africa trade and development aid for two decades and were succeeded by the Cotonou Agreement (also in Lomé) in 2000.

Lomé being the birthplace of the EU-ACP development framework is not a scholarship in itself but it gives Togolese applicants a genuine and specific hook when applying to European development scholarships (ARES Belgium, DAAD EPOS, Erasmus Mundus, Eiffel) that explicitly connect academic study to development impact. Togo is not peripheral to European development thinking it hosted the agreement that defined EU-Africa relations for a generation.

Practical Tips for Togolese Applicants

1. ARES Belgium — September 19, 2026 is your next major deadline Start your GIRAF account at ares-ac.be and begin the application now. ARES is €1,150/month, specifically for Francophone Africa, and September 19 is a hard deadline. This is your highest-priority near-term application.

2. Apply for IsDB-France through Campus France in Lomé Contact Campus France Togo in Lomé about the current IsDB-France application cycle. Togo is in the eligible country list despite not being OIC but you need to confirm the local application process with Campus France.

3. Chevening — budget for visa and TB test travel If you win Chevening, you will need to travel to Ghana or Côte d’Ivoire for your UK visa appointment and TB test. Research the closest UK Visa Application Centre (likely Accra, Ghana) and approved TB test clinics. This pre-departure cost should be part of your budget planning.

4. IELTS for Chevening — plan 6-8 months ahead Most Togolese education is French-medium. IELTS 6.5+ requires dedicated preparation. Begin at least 6-8 months before the November Chevening deadline. See: IELTS vs TOEFL vs Duolingo for Scholarship Applications 2026 — Which Test?

5. Use MOI Certificate for DAAD and CSC China Both accept a free Medium of Instruction Certificate for English-medium programs. Generate at: MOI Generator

FAQ

Is Togo eligible for the IsDB-France scholarship despite not being an OIC member?

Yes, Togo is included in the list of 42 countries eligible for the joint scholarship between France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Islamic Development Bank. Togo qualifies as a Francophone developing country, not as an OIC member. This is one of the key findings of this guide.

What is the ARES Belgium scholarship amount?

ARES provides a living allowance of €1,150/month for 12 months, economy-class round-trip travel, €150 indirect mission fees, and €700 arrival/tuition/return fees. The application deadline for 2026 is September 19, 2026.

What is the Chevening UK visa warning for Togo?

There are no UK visa processing centres available in Togo, and there are no TB testing facilities. Successful Chevening scholars must travel to another country — likely Ghana — for both processes.

What makes Togo’s scholarship profile distinctive?

Togo’s inclusion in the IsDB-France program (despite non-OIC status), its world’s 4th largest phosphate reserves, the historical significance of the Lomé Conventions, and its German colonial heritage (Togoland) all provide distinctive and specific scholarship application narratives.