University of Kent Scholarships for African Students – January 2027 Intake

Last verified: 12 October 2026. We updated this guide to University of Kent scholarships for African students using Kent’s official scholarship pages.

Update: The University of Kent’s Africa Postgraduate Scholarship, which offered £3,000 (three thousand pounds) for the January 2026 intake, does not appear among Kent’s scholarships for January 2027. However, African students still have two strong options for January 2027: the Kent International Scholarship for Nigerian applicants, and the British Council GREAT Scholarship for Ghana and Kenya. This guide explains both.

University of Kent scholarships for African students: January 2027 at a glance

Note that the University of Kent’s main campus is in Canterbury, not London.

Kent International Scholarship for Nigerian students

For January 2027, Kent offers an automatic £5,000 tuition discount on taught Master’s programmes, or £3,000 at Kent Business School. In other words, there is no scholarship form to fill in.

Eligibility checklist

• You must be domiciled in an eligible country. In Africa, that is Nigeria; the other eligible countries are Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
• You must be a self-funded overseas fee payer, paying fees directly to Kent.
• You must apply for a full-time taught postgraduate programme starting in January 2027.
• You must accept a conditional or unconditional offer by 11 December 2026 at 17:00 GMT.

Students normally domiciled in Nigeria who are currently in the UK for study also qualify. However, the award excludes Master’s programmes with an integrated pre-Master’s, distance learning, PCert and PDip programmes.

Can you combine it?

No, with one exception. According to Kent, the award cannot be combined with other scholarships, unless you come through a progression agreement, in which case you can also get the progression discount. If you win a higher-value scholarship, Kent withdraws this one.

GREAT Scholarship for Ghana and Kenya at Kent

Kent offers two British Council GREAT Scholarships of £10,000 each for January 2027 entry.

• You must hold a Ghanaian passport and live in Ghana, or hold a Kenyan passport and live in Kenya.
• You need a conditional offer for a one-year, full-time taught Master’s at a Kent UK campus, accepted by 13 November 2026.
• You must submit an expression of interest by the same date and show work experience or a proven interest in your subject.
• You must be willing to act as a GREAT ambassador and attend a networking event.

Two-year courses, integrated Master’s, distance learning, PCert and PDip programmes do not qualify. Kent shortlists on academic achievement and then considers your personal statement and references, with outcomes by the first week of December 2026. Successful candidates must accept within two weeks, and the award cannot be combined with any other scholarship.

Worked example: two applicants, two routes

To illustrate, imagine two applicants for a January 2027 MSc at Kent:

• Tobi in Abuja is self-funded. First, he applies for his course and gets an offer. Then he accepts it before 11 December 2026, and Kent contacts him with a £5,000 scholarship offer, which he must also accept.
• Akinyi in Nairobi wants the bigger award. So she secures a conditional offer for a one-year MSc, accepts it, and submits her GREAT expression of interest through the applicant portal before 13 November 2026.

Either way, they still need to fund the rest of their fees and their living costs. Our UK student visa financial requirements guide explains how much money to show for the visa.

How to apply for University of Kent scholarships

1. Apply for your course. Submit your January 2027 application through Kent’s applicant portal.
2. Accept your offer on time. Accept by 11 December 2026 for the Kent International Scholarship, or by 13 November 2026 for GREAT.
3. For GREAT, submit your interest. In the portal, open the Applications tab, select your application, click Funding, then apply for the GREAT scholarship. You do not need to upload documents.
4. Respond to your scholarship offer. Accept it when Kent contacts you.

Frequently asked questions

Is the University of Kent Africa Postgraduate Scholarship available for 2027?

Kent’s international scholarships page does not list it for January 2027. So check the official page, and apply for the Kent International Scholarship or GREAT instead if you qualify.

Do Ghanaian or Kenyan students get the £5,000 Kent International Scholarship?

Ghana and Kenya are not on its eligible list. Instead, Ghanaian and Kenyan applicants can apply for the £10,000 GREAT Scholarship.

Are these University of Kent scholarships fully funded?

No. They are tuition discounts. For fully funded options, see our Commonwealth Scholarship guide and our list of fully funded Masters scholarships.

Related guides: University of Sussex scholarships for Nigerian students, Dundee Vice-Chancellor’s Africa Scholarship and Exeter Excellence Scholarships.

Official sources

• University of Kent – International scholarships
• University of Kent – Kent International Scholarship, Postgraduate Taught, January 2027
• University of Kent – Kent International Scholarship (KBS), January 2027
• University of Kent – British Council GREAT Scholarship January: Ghana and Kenya

Scholarship terms change. Always confirm details on the official pages before you apply.