Best Scholarships and Grants
Getting the best degrees in the world cost a lot of money – that is just the simple truth about our world today. Learning is free; you can use the internet, libraries, and other research facilities around you to learn, and you can learn by just experiencing life.
It is usually better to learn by reading than by just experiencing life – well, safer, but not actually better. It is good to read widely, and that is one good way to learn too. Many people like to stop by bookstores and spend so much time selecting a book – if you think people who shop for clothes love to waste time, wait till you go book shopping with a bookworm.
But of the different ways to learn, getting a scholarship or a research grant into a good university is simply the best way. Like I said, getting a good degree costs a lot of money. A good degree assures employers of the quality of your work, and assures people that you are an expert in certain fields of study. Those are very valuable assets to have in this world, hence, getting good certification costs a lot of money.
This should not prevent you from learning, and improving the skills you need to get gainful employment serve your community. This is why there are lots of scholarships and grants for students with low income but who have bright ideas for research, or just a need to acquire more knowledge and skills. These scholarships are well funded, and give special attention to performing low-income students. They give many annual grants to students, and below are some of these scholarships that are quite accessible to Nigerians.
Rotary Foundation Global Scholarship Grants
The Rotary Foundation is an international organization that has been at the forefront of helping low-income students get the best education available to them. They do this in different ways, and have a strong presence in Nigerian Universities, and many excellent universities around the world. They offer scholarship funding through the Rotary Foundation Global Grant scholarships.
They have scholarships that fund graduate-level coursework, and others for research, ranging from one to four academic years. The minimum budget for a global grant scholarship is $30,000. This often covers passport/visa, inoculations, travel expenses, school supplies, tuition, room and board, etc. Generally, the study grants can be carried out in any country where there is a host Rotary club or district.
OFID Scholarship Award
The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) offers fully-funded scholarships to qualified applicants who wish to study for a Master’s degree in an accredited University around the world. The scholarships are worth up to $50,000 and covers the tuition fees, monthly allowance to cover living expenses, accommodation, relocation grants, books, insurance, and travel costs. These scholarships are subject to the approval of the granting institution.
Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Program
Students from developing countries who have no other means of financing their studies can apply for the Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Program. This program provides a limited number of scholarships each year for postgraduate studies to outstanding students.
The Foundation assists students with tuition fees and living expenses only, and the scholarships are awarded on a 50% grant/50% loan basis. Generally, the scholar is allowed to choose a reputable University of his/her choice. Apart from universities in some countries in the Europe (Germany, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, The Netherlands, Italy, Norway, Ireland, and the UK). The scholarship is still subject to approval from universities in other countries.
Education for Sustainable Energy Development (ESED) Scholarships
Renewable energy is an important topic for research today, and would remain an important topic for research in many years to come. If you have an important research idea, local application, or you just want to contribute to the development and deployment of renewable energy projects, and the sustainability of energy systems, you should apply for ESED (Education for Sustainable Energy Development) Scholarships.
The scholarship supports outstanding students pursuing advanced studies in sustainable energy development and to encourage meaningful contributions to the collective body of knowledge about this subject. Scholarships of US$ 21,000 per year for up to two years are offered for master’s level students.
The Joint Japan World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program
(JJ/WBGSP) is a collaboration between the Japanese Government and the World Bank to sponsors students from developing countries for the Masters degree. The scholarship sponsors graduate degrees from preferred and partner universities around the world, and provides tuition, a monthly living stipend, round-trip airfare, health insurance, and travel allowance.
Wells Mountain Foundation Scholarships for Developing Countries
The Wells Mountain Foundation is a public charitable foundation based in Bristol, Vermont, USA. They fund the Empowerment through Education scholarships, which can help individuals in developing nations or other situations of extreme poverty. You can choose to study in a university of your choice that is located in your home country or in another developing country. The average scholarship amount awarded is $1400 – this should be used for tuition and fees, books and materials, and other approved costs.
Distance Learning and Online courses
If you are finding it hard to obtain a scholarship due to visa issues or other problems concerning migration, or you simply want to study in your current hometown, you should know that there are various distance learning and online courses that can benefit you. Many prestigious universities around the world have distance learning centers in various towns and cities around the world where you can go to enrrol and get the quality of education you would want to get from that university. Others offer online courses in various fields. Here is our list of the very ways to obtain education online, in no particular order:
- University of the People Tuition Free Degrees
- EdX Free Online Courses at Premier Universities
- Coursera
You would find courses from universities such as Harvard, Yale, MIT, Stanford, and if you register with these courses. Most of the courses are absolutely free.
Click here to see if you are eligible