Fully Funded Scholarships for Sierra Leone Students 2026 — Chevening, Commonwealth, DAAD Guide

Sierra Leone Has the Oldest University in Sub-Saharan Africa — And a Scholarship Landscape Built on Deep UK Ties

The Republic of Sierra Leone is not a country most international scholarship guides feature prominently. But its scholarship landscape is anchored by two facts that most guides overlook:

Fourah Bay College established in 1827 is the oldest university in sub-Saharan Africa. Located in Freetown and historically affiliated with the University of Durham, it earned Freetown the nickname “Athens of West Africa.” For over a century, Fourah Bay College trained students from across West Africa and maintained direct academic links to British universities.

Freetown itself was founded in 1787 as the Province of Freedom a settlement established by British abolitionists for freed slaves and free Black people from Britain. This makes Sierra Leone’s relationship with the UK one of the oldest and most historically layered of any African country.

These historical ties translate directly into scholarship access today. Chevening is the UK Government’s prestigious international scholarships programme and Sierra Leone has a dedicated Chevening page, chevening.org/scholarship/sierra-leone/ Sierra Leone is listed as an African Commonwealth country, giving Sierra Leonean students access to Commonwealth Scholarships, SOAS development scholarships, and the full UK scholarship pipeline.

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

Chevening is the UK Government’s prestigious international scholarships programme, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Sierra Leone has a dedicated Chevening page at chevening.org/scholarship/sierra-leone/ — confirming it is an active, country-specific program.

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+
• Must return to Sierra Leone after scholarship
• Undergraduate degree equivalent to a UK upper second-class (2:1) honours degree

Chevening Scholarships in Sierra Leone are awarded to outstanding emerging leaders to pursue a one-year Master’s degree program at any UK university.

Sierra Leone’s Chevening narrative: The Chevening program explicitly mentions “conflict recovery” as a priority impact area. Sierra Leone’s recovery from a decade-long civil war (1991-2002) and the 2014-2016 Ebola crisis and the country’s subsequent reconstruction provides one of the most compelling conflict recovery and public health resilience narratives available to any Chevening applicant globally.

Next cycle: Opens August 2027, closes November 2027.

Apply at: chevening.org/scholarship/sierra-leone/

2. Commonwealth Scholarships — United Kingdom

African Commonwealth countries include Sierra Leone, explicitly confirmed. Sierra Leonean students have full access to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission’s programs.

Active categories for Sierra Leonean students:

• Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships
• Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships, for African students within the Commonwealth to study a part-time master’s degree by distance learning from select universities in the UK and worldwide.
• Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme

What each covers: Full tuition + monthly living allowance + economy class return airfare + thesis grants.

Apply through: Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Education and the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission at cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk

Deadline: Typically October-December.

3. SOAS Commonwealth Scholarships — Development Focus (London)

Commonwealth Scholarships @ SOAS, Commonwealth scholarships open to students from African Commonwealth countries to study in the UK at SOAS (London) on a development-related master’s degree.

SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) at the University of London is one of the world’s leading institutions for development studies, international relations, and African studies. As a Commonwealth African country, Sierra Leone is explicitly eligible.

Why particularly relevant for Sierra Leone: SOAS programs in development economics, public policy, conflict resolution, and governance directly address Sierra Leone’s post-war reconstruction priorities. A Sierra Leonean student at SOAS studying post-conflict development has a natural thematic alignment.

Apply at: soas.ac.uk — search scholarships for Commonwealth students.

4. Africa London Nagasaki (ALN) Fund — A Unique Public Health Scholarship

This is one of the most distinctive scholarships in this guide and one of the most relevant for Sierra Leone specifically.

Africa London Nagasaki (ALN) Fund, Graduate scholarships for African scientists to gain funding for a master’s degree in an area related to disease control in Africa. Scholarship winners can choose to study at London’s Institute of Tropical Medicine, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine or Nagasaki University in Japan.

Why this is specifically relevant for Sierra Leone: Sierra Leone experienced the world’s worst Ebola outbreak between 2014 and 2016, losing over 3,500 people and suffering severe health system disruption. The country has also faced repeated cholera, Lassa fever, and malaria crises. For Sierra Leonean students in public health, epidemiology, tropical medicine, and disease control, the ALN Fund connects academic study directly to the national health challenges their country has faced at the highest international visibility.

A Sierra Leonean student studying tropical disease control or public health systems at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, one of the world’s top institutions in this field with funding from the ALN Fund has a scholarship application narrative that is both personally credible and globally recognized.

Apply through: Contact the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (lshtm.ac.uk) and the Institute of Tropical Medicine for current cycle information.

5. Australian Awards — Australia (Fully Funded)

Sierra Leone is among the eligible developing countries for Australian Awards.

What it covers: Full tuition + return economy airfare + establishment allowance + monthly living stipend + health insurance.

Requirements: IELTS 6.5+ typically.

Apply through: Australian Embassy covering Sierra Leone — dfat.gov.au/australiaawards

Deadline: Typically February-April.

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

DAAD is accessible for Sierra Leonean students through Sub-Saharan Africa programs.

Key programs:

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

DAAD EPOS (Development-Related Courses): For Sierra Leonean students in post-conflict governance, public health, agriculture, and environmental management, EPOS directly addresses Sierra Leone’s development priorities.

DAAD Helmut Schmidt Programme: Public policy and good governance.

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

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

Sierra Leone maintains diplomatic relations with 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 Freetown.

Deadline: Embassy track December-January.

8. Fulbright Foreign Student Program — USA

The US Embassy in Freetown administers Fulbright for Sierra Leone. Given Sierra Leone’s post-conflict reconstruction and public health challenges, Fulbright applications in public health, governance, peace and conflict studies, and economic development are competitive.

The historical connection between Freetown (Province of Freedom, 1787) and the United States, Sierra Leone being a major source of enslaved Africans during the transatlantic slave trade, and Freetown being established as a freedom settlement, gives the US-Sierra Leone relationship particular historical depth for Fulbright purposes.

Apply through: US Embassy Freetown — sl.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 Sierra Leonean 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. African Scholarships at Edinburgh and Glasgow

African Scholarships @ The University of Edinburgh, Merit-based graduate scholarships to study in the UK at the University of Edinburgh (Scotland) on a master’s or PhD program.

Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow both offer African excellence scholarships for master’s-level study. These are merit-based, open to all African nationalities including Sierra Leoneans, and cover full or partial tuition fees.

Apply at: ed.ac.uk (Edinburgh) and gla.ac.uk (Glasgow) — search international/African scholarship sections.

12. TU Delft Sub-Saharan Africa Excellence Scholarships — Netherlands

Sub-Saharan Africa Excellence Scholarships @ TU Delft, Four scholarships are available for excellent students from Sub-Saharan Africa to study a MSc degree at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft).

The Technical University of Delft is Europe’s top engineering and technology university. Four annual scholarships for sub-Saharan African MSc students represent a small but genuine and competitive opportunity for Sierra Leonean engineers and technology students.

Apply at: tudelft.nl — search Africa scholarships.

13. Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program

Sierra Leonean students from disadvantaged backgrounds with demonstrated academic excellence and community leadership are competitive applicants.

Apply through partner universities: mastercardfdn.org/scholarships

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

Open to all nationalities. Sierra Leonean students are eligible for all English-medium consortium programs.

Deadline: Most consortiums January-February.

15. Stipendium Hungaricum and Turkiye Burslari

Both are open to students from developing countries including Sierra Leone. Full tuition + accommodation support + monthly stipend.

Apply at: stipendiumhungaricum.hu and turkiyeburslari.gov.tr — deadlines January-February.

Quick Reference: Scholarships for Sierra Leonean Students 2026

Sierra Leone’s Unique Scholarship Strengths

1. Fourah Bay College — Oldest University in Sub-Saharan Africa Fourah Bay College, established in 1827 and historically affiliated with Durham University, gave Freetown its nickname “Athens of West Africa.” For over a century, it trained students from across West Africa. This academic heritage despite the country’s more recent challenges gives Sierra Leonean scholars a narrative of intellectual tradition that predates most African universities by decades.

2. The Post-Civil War and Ebola Resilience Narrative Sierra Leone’s recovery from a decade-long civil war (ending 2002) and the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak followed by genuine reconstruction and democratic continuity is a powerful development impact narrative for scholarships that value resilience, leadership in crisis, and commitment to community recovery. The ALN Fund at LSHTM is specifically designed for exactly this type of public health challenge context.

3. Freetown-UK Historical Depth The UK-Sierra Leone relationship is one of the oldest in Africa Freetown was established by British abolitionists in 1787 as a Province of Freedom. This historical depth means British institutions understand and value Sierra Leonean academic credentials and development context in a way that is structurally different from newer diplomatic relationships.

4. English-Medium Education Sierra Leone’s English-medium education system means IELTS preparation is less of a barrier than for Francophone African countries. MOI Certificate is accepted by DAAD and CSC China, eliminating two major testing costs.

The Fourah Bay College Context — Why It Matters for Scholarship Applications

Fourah Bay College was founded in 1827 by the Church Missionary Society as an institution to educate African ministers and teachers. Within decades it became the first Western-style university in sub-Saharan Africa drawing students from Nigeria, Ghana, the Gambia, and beyond. Affiliated with the University of Durham from 1876, it awarded Durham degrees for almost a century.

Its alumni include Nobel Peace Prize winner Sir Milton Margai (Sierra Leone’s first Prime Minister), lawyers who shaped West African jurisprudence, and scholars who contributed to colonial-era education across the region.

For Sierra Leonean students applying to scholarships particularly to Chevening, Commonwealth, and UK-specific programs Fourah Bay College’s Durham affiliation and historical standing is a unique context. It demonstrates that Sierra Leone’s academic tradition precedes many European universities in the developing world, and that the country’s contemporary challenges sit against a backdrop of genuine intellectual history.

Practical Tips for Sierra Leonean Applicants

1. For UK scholarships — explore SOAS Commonwealth Scholarships alongside Chevening SOAS in London offers development-focused Commonwealth scholarships for African countries. Sierra Leone’s development narrative aligns naturally with SOAS’s expertise in post-conflict and developing-world governance. Apply to both SOAS Commonwealth and the general Commonwealth scholarship simultaneously.

2. For public health students — contact LSHTM about the ALN Fund The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine is one of the world’s top public health institutions, and the Africa London Nagasaki Fund specifically targets African disease control research. Sierra Leone’s Ebola experience gives applicants in epidemiology, public health systems, and tropical medicine a compelling and internationally recognized application context.

3. Use MOI Certificate for DAAD and CSC China Sierra Leone’s English-medium education means both DAAD and CSC China will accept a free MOI Certificate instead of IELTS. Generate at: MOI Generator

4. GKS Korea for students still building their IELTS score No IELTS required, GPA minimum 2.64/4.0. The most accessible fully funded scholarship for any Sierra Leonean profile.

5. Contact British Council Sierra Leone for Commonwealth nomination guidance The British Council in Freetown helps with Commonwealth Scholarship nominations. Contact them early about nomination processes for the current cycle.

FAQ

Is Chevening active for Sierra Leone?

Yes, Chevening has a dedicated Sierra Leone page at chevening.org/scholarship/sierra-leone/ and the scholarship is open to students from Sierra Leone.

Is Sierra Leone listed as a Commonwealth country for scholarship purposes?

Yes, Sierra Leone is explicitly listed as an African Commonwealth country alongside Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia.

What is the Africa London Nagasaki (ALN) Fund?

The ALN Fund provides graduate scholarships for African scientists to gain funding for a master’s degree in disease control in Africa, at London’s Institute of Tropical Medicine, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine or Nagasaki University in Japan. Given Sierra Leone’s Ebola experience, this scholarship is particularly relevant for Sierra Leonean public health students.

What is Fourah Bay College?

Fourah Bay College, established in 1827 and historically affiliated with Durham University, is the oldest university in sub-Saharan Africa. Located in Freetown, it gave the city its “Athens of West Africa” nickname and trained students from across West Africa for over a century.

What is the easiest major scholarship for Sierra Leonean students?

GKS Korea: no IELTS required, minimum GPA 2.64/4.0, fully funded including Korean language year.