How to find scholarships as a Ghanaian student
Where genuine scholarships for Ghanaian students come from, how to check they are real, and how to plan your search around application cycles.
Updated 28 September 2026
Know the main sources
Most genuine scholarships open to Ghanaian students come from a few kinds of provider:
- Foreign governments (for example the UK, Hungary and other countries that run national scholarship schemes).
- Universities, in Ghana and abroad, which fund students directly or with partners.
- Foundations and trusts, such as the Mastercard Foundation, the Rhodes Trust and the Gates Cambridge Trust.
- International bodies such as the European Union's Erasmus+ programme.
- Ghanaian government and public bodies responsible for scholarships and nominations.
Always go to the official source
Blogs and social media posts are useful for discovering opportunities, but they often repeat old deadlines or get details wrong. Before you spend time on an application, open the provider's own website and confirm the current deadline, eligibility rules and application method.
On this site, every listing links to the provider's official page and shows whether its details have been verified. If a listing is marked unverified, treat the details as a starting point only.
Watch out for scams
- Genuine scholarships do not ask you to pay to be considered or to “release” an award.
- Be wary of messages saying you have won a scholarship you never applied for.
- Check that email addresses and websites belong to the real provider, not a look-alike domain.
- Never send passwords, bank PINs or mobile-money PINs to anyone.
Plan around application cycles
Most major scholarships open once a year and close months before the course starts. Many UK postgraduate awards close between October and January for study starting the following September or October. Start preparing documents, references and personal statements early — some require a university offer or a national nomination with its own earlier deadline.
Narrow your search
Decide your level of study, where you are willing to study, and whether you need full funding. Then use the filters in the scholarship directory to focus on opportunities that match, and save the ones you want to come back to.