Lots of students from African countries apply to study in the USA yearly seeking scholarships in USA for African students. Many of them have different reasons for desiring programs offered in U. S universities. For some, it’s a chance to step outside the shores of Africa and experience a new society. For others, it’s the unique educational system that they wish to experience.
Yet regardless of intent, schooling in the USA is expensive and not affordable for many students from African countries. This is why certain organizations provide financial assistance to support African students with the intention of studying in the USA.
This article is an explorative guide on the fully funded scholarships in the USA for African students. The various programs, benefits and application processes for each will be highlighted.
Fully Funded Scholarships In USA For African Students
Fully funded scholarships in the USA for African students open new horizons of opportunities, breaking down financial barriers and empowering ambitious minds. These scholarship programs, offered by various institutions and organizations, are designed to support and promote education, fostering cross-cultural exchange and without reservation academic excellence.
By providing full financial coverage for tuition fees, living expenses, and sometimes even travel costs, these initiatives ensure that talented students from Africa can access top-tier education in the United States. These are some of them:
Diversity Scholarships
Scholarships like African American scholarship and Diversity scholarship exist specially for African students schooling in the USA. The United States is a multicultural society that welcomes people of all backgrounds and lots of universities have policies to promote inclusivity.
Diversity Scholarships support students from other cultures to fulfill their academic goals. In this case, these scholarships offer students financial assistance that covers tuition fully or partially, mentorship programs and networking opportunities. The goal is to assist African students as they try to integrate into the system.
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright scholarship program is open to students from African nations looking to study in the US. The scholarship offered is fully funded and you must have stellar academic records to qualify. What’s more, it is sponsored by the United States department of state. The main goal of the program is to promote cultural exchange and create strong relations with other nations.
MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program
The MasterCard Foundation Scholars program seeks to make educational and leadership opportunities more accessible to the not so financially privileged but academically talented young Africans. The MasterCard Foundation works with top universities in the United States like the Duke University and the Stanford University to offer support to African students. The scholarships awarded are fully funded.
And in addition to finances, students are also provided with mentorship, internships and after studies career transition support. Hence, this ensures scholars get all the support they need to make meaningful change in their home countries.
African Women’s Public Service Fellowship
The African Women’s Public Service Fellowship is a fellowship program by women for women. The aim is to promote gender equality and empower women across the different countries of the globe. The fellowship is hosted by the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service located at New York University.
The focus of the fellowship is African women, empowering African women for leadership roles in public service. The fellowship caters for complete tuition, living expenses. Furthermore, the fellowship is awarded based on merit to women with strong profiles and unwavering passion for community change via public service.
Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Program
The Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Program is targeted at people from developing countries including African countries. The scholarship is awarded to talented students and is based on merit.
It covers for post graduate studies in a range of disciplines like architecture, education, social sciences and health sciences. Additionally, the scholarship caters for the tuition costs, travel fare and other living expenses.
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African Palliative Care Association Scholarship
This scholarship program is meant for healthcare professionals. It hopes to enhance the knowledge and skill of Healthcare professionals in palliative care. The scholarships are awarded to people pursuing postgraduate degrees or diplomas in palliative care.
This scholarship program is done with hopes that these health care professionals will return to their home countries to improve the quality of Healthcare services.
The scholarship covers tuition, travel fees and provides monthly allowances to beneficiaries. Consequently, financial challenges would not stand in the way of the professional development of Healthcare providers in Africa.
Mandela-Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders
The Mandela Washington Fellowship was initiated by the U. S department of State in partnership with the Young African Leaders Initiative, (YALI). The program hopes to empower young Africans with leadership potential by sponsoring their academic goals, and offering leadership and networking opportunities. The Fellows selected to participate in the program will spend six weeks in an academic or leadership institute in a selected U. S university.
During this time, they will take part in discussions, community projects, and workshops. The goal of the fellowship in general is to endow young African leaders with skills, knowledge and the social capital to foster good change and sustainable development in their home countries.
Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program
The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program is a non degree fellowship program put together for mid-career professionals from developing countries including African nations. This fellowship is also managed by the U. S Department of State. It is a fully funded scholarship that covers a range of fields like agriculture, human rights, education, journalism and public health. It helps the selected fellows gain invaluable academic and professional experiences as well as access to leadership opportunities.
African Union Scholarships
The African Union scholarship is awarded to African Students and the programs offered are education focused. The aim of this scholarship is to facilitate the development of human capital as well as collaborations between Africans and other nations of the world. The scholarship caters for tuition fees, travel fare, accommodation and also offers stipends to students pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. This scholarship is an avenue for African students to gain quality education while playing their role in the development of their countries.
African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Scholarship Program
This scholarship program offers funding to African students to undergo postgraduate studies in the USA. The program to be studied must be development related. The goal of this program is to close the skill gaps in African countries. The individuals that benefit from the program are selected based on merit and are also expected to contribute their quota to the development of the continent. Moreover, the scholarship covers tuition fees, travel fare and living expenses.
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Conclusion
As an African student looking to study in the USA, there are great fully funded scholarships you can benefit from regardless of the program you are applying for. Sending applications to plenty of scholarship programs will raise your chances of being selected. You should also ensure to submit all the needed documents on time as the deadlines for most scholarships will not be extended for those unable to meet up.
