Last updated: 1 November 2026 · We update this calendar as new rounds are announced
The biggest reason good applicants miss scholarships is simple: they hear about them too late. Chevening closes in early October. Commonwealth closes in October. Gates Cambridge closes in December or January. Rhodes for West Africa closes in August. If you start preparing when the call opens, you are already behind the people who will win.
This calendar shows when the major scholarships open and close for Nigerian and Ghanaian applicants, based on the latest official dates, plus what is open right now, every deadline converted to Lagos and Accra time, and a month-by-month plan so you are always one step ahead.
In this guide
How to read this calendarDates come from each scholarship’s official website for the latest cycle. Future rounds often follow a similar pattern but can change. Always confirm the exact date and time on the official page before you plan.
Open now and closing soon (updated 1 November 2026)
These are the scholarships you can still apply for, closest deadline first. The last column turns each official deadline into Nigerian time (Lagos, WAT) and Ghana time (Accra, GMT), which is also the time in Sierra Leone, Liberia and The Gambia. Always submit at least a day early: portals slow down in the final hours.
| Scholarship | Who it is for | Official deadline | Lagos / Accra time |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAAD EPOS: Göttingen Development Economics | Master’s (a DAAD EPOS course) | 15 November 2026 | Same day. See our DAAD EPOS guide |
| UBC International Scholars (Canada) | Undergraduate, first degree, entry September 2027 | 11:59 pm Pacific time, Sunday 15 November 2026 | 8:59 am Lagos · 7:59 am Accra, Monday 16 November |
| Mastercard Foundation Scholars, University of Edinburgh | Main application for 2027/28 (see the official page for eligible programmes; the declaration form closed 19 October) | 5:00 pm UK time, 19 November 2026 | 6:00 pm Lagos · 5:00 pm Accra |
| Gates Cambridge (UK) | PhD, MPhil and other one-year postgraduate courses | 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027, by course | Check the time on your course page |
| Eiffel Excellence (France) | Master’s and PhD. Your French university applies for you | Universities submit by 6 January 2027; their internal deadlines are earlier | Contact the university in November |
| Clarendon Fund (Oxford) | Master’s and DPhil. No separate form: apply for your Oxford course | Your course’s December or January admissions deadline | Check your course page |
| Sweden: university admissions round | Bachelor’s and master’s for autumn 2027 (needed before Swedish Institute scholarships) | Opened 16 October 2026; closes 15 January 2027; fee due 1 February 2027 | Same days |
| Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (Europe) | Master’s. Each programme sets its own deadline | Most between October 2026 and January 2027 | See our Erasmus Mundus guide |
Opening soon
- Stipendium Hungaricum (Hungary): the 2027/28 call had not been published on 21 October 2026. Last year’s round opened in mid-November and closed on 15 January 2026 (Stipendium Hungaricum).
- Commonwealth Shared Scholarships (UK): the 2026/27 round is closed and the 2027/28 dates were not yet published on 19 October 2026. Nigeria and Ghana are on the eligible list (CSC).
- Türkiye Burslari (Turkey): the official calendar gives a general application window of 10 January to 20 February (Türkiye Scholarships).
- Australia Awards Africa: the 2027 intake is closed; applications for the 2028 intake will open in February 2027 (Australia Awards Africa).
Deadlines in Nigeria and Ghana time
Scholarship deadlines are set in the provider’s time zone, not yours. Nigeria uses West Africa Time (WAT, one hour ahead of GMT all year). Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and The Gambia use GMT all year. The UK, Europe and the US change their clocks twice a year, so the gap with Lagos and Accra changes too.
| Deadline written as | When | In Lagos (WAT) | In Accra (GMT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK time (BST) | Until 24 October 2026, and again from 28 March 2027 | Same time | 1 hour earlier |
| UK time (GMT) | 25 October 2026 to 27 March 2027 | 1 hour later | Same time |
| Central European Time (CET): Germany, France, Hungary, Sweden | 25 October 2026 to 27 March 2027 | Same time | 1 hour earlier |
| Central European Summer Time (CEST) | From 28 March 2027 | 1 hour earlier | 2 hours earlier |
| US Pacific time (PST): Stanford, UBC in Canada | 1 November 2026 to 13 March 2027 | 9 hours later (11:59 pm becomes 8:59 am the next day) | 8 hours later |
| US Eastern time (EST) | 1 November 2026 to 13 March 2027 | 6 hours later (11:59 pm becomes 5:59 am the next day) | 5 hours later |
A simple rule: when a deadline says “11:59 pm” in America, it is already the next morning in Lagos and Accra, which gives you a few extra hours. When it says “16:00” or “17:00” in the UK or Europe, it is the same afternoon here, so do not wait for the evening.
Scholarship-by-scholarship dates
| Scholarship | Latest official dates | What to expect next |
|---|---|---|
| Chevening (UK) | 2027/28 round opened in August 2026 and closed 6 October 2026 (11:00 UTC). Interviews March–April 2027; results from mid-June 2027. | Closed. If the pattern holds, the next round opens around August 2027. |
| Commonwealth Master’s (UK) | Closed. The 2027/28 round closed at 16:00 BST (4:00 pm Lagos, 3:00 pm Accra) on Tuesday 20 October 2026; the next round usually opens around September 2027. | Apply through your national nominating body. |
| Commonwealth PhD (UK) | Closed on 20 October 2026. Nigeria, Sierra Leone and The Gambia are eligible; Ghana and Liberia are not. | Apply through your national nominating body. |
| Commonwealth Shared Scholarships (UK) | 2026/27 round closed. 2027/28 dates not yet published (checked 19 October 2026). | Nigeria and Ghana are eligible. Applications go through participating UK universities. |
| Rhodes Scholarship, West Africa | Opened 1 June 2026; closed 27 August 2026. Final interviews in November 2026 in Abuja, Accra or Lagos. | Closed for 2027. Next round likely opens around June 2027. |
| Gates Cambridge (international) | Deadline 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027 by course; interviews 22–23 March 2027. | Open now through your Cambridge application. |
| Clarendon Fund (Oxford) | No separate application. Apply for your Oxford course by its December or January deadline to be considered automatically. | Each Oxford course page lists its own deadline. |
| Knight-Hennessy (Stanford) | 2027 cohort closed 6 October 2026. | Next round opens in summer 2027. |
| Erasmus Mundus (Europe) | Most programmes: October to January. | Open now; each programme sets its own deadline. |
| Stipendium Hungaricum (Hungary) | Last round (2026/27) closed 15 January 2026, 2pm CET. | 2027/28 call not yet published as of 10 October 2026; last year it opened in mid-November. |
| DAAD EPOS (Germany) | Course-specific; many closed on 15 October 2026, others later (e.g. Hohenheim 15 November–15 December). | Check each course website. |
| Fulbright Foreign Student Program | Last round: Nigeria deadline 1 June; Ghana 5 June 2026; Sierra Leone 23 February–5 April 2026. | The next round usually opens early in the year; check your US Embassy page. |
| Mastercard Foundation Scholars | Partner-specific. University of Cape Town postgraduate closed on 31 October 2026; Edinburgh 2027/28 opened 13 October 2026 (main application closes 19 November); McGill Fall 2027 closed. | Check each partner university. |
| Swedish Institute (SISGP) | 2026/27 portal was open 9–25 February 2026. | Check the country list for Nigeria and Ghana eligibility each year. |
| Eiffel Excellence (France) | 2027 call: universities submit by early January 2027 (the official page shows both 6 and 8 January). | Contact French universities well before their internal deadlines. |
| Australia Awards Africa | 2027 intake opened 1 February 2026 and closed 30 April 2026. Nigeria and Ghana were eligible. | Next intake likely opens around February 2027. |
| MEXT Japan (Embassy Recommendation) | 2027: Nigeria deadline 8 June 2026; Ghana deadline 29 May 2026. | Watch the Japanese embassy pages from around April. |
| Türkiye Burslari (Turkey) | General calendar: applications 10 January to 20 February; interviews April to June. | Next window opens in January 2027. |
| UBC International Scholars (Canada) | Undergraduate, entry September 2027: apply by 11:59 pm Pacific time, 15 November 2026 (8:59 am Lagos on 16 November). Documents by 31 January 2027. | Need-based: UBC assesses your family’s finances. |
| Lester B. Pearson (Toronto) | 2027 round closed: school nominations 9 October, U of T application 16 October; nominees submit the scholarship application by 6 November 2026. | Next round is for September 2028 entry. Start talking to your school early. |
| Sweden: university admissions | Autumn 2027 round: opened 16 October 2026, closes 15 January 2027; fee due 1 February 2027. | You must apply for a course here before the Swedish Institute scholarship window in February. |
Scholarships by level of study
Not every scholarship is open to every level. Use this list to find the ones that match where you are now.
Leaving secondary school (WASSCE / SSCE): undergraduate
- Lester B. Pearson (University of Toronto): the 2027 round has closed; the next one is for September 2028 entry.
- UBC International Scholars (Canada): apply by 15 November 2026.
- Türkiye Burslari: general window 10 January to 20 February.
- MEXT (Japan) undergraduate, through the Japanese embassy: Nigeria’s last deadline was 8 June 2026; Ghanaian applicants should watch the Embassy of Japan in Ghana from around April.
- Mastercard Foundation Scholars at partner universities: each university sets its own dates.
Graduates: master’s
- Chevening (UK): closed 6 October 2026; next round expected around August 2027.
- Commonwealth Master’s (UK): 20 October 2026 (closed).
- DAAD EPOS (Germany): course deadlines from 15 October onward.
- Erasmus Mundus (Europe): mostly October to January.
- Eiffel Excellence (France), Gates Cambridge, Clarendon (Oxford), Stipendium Hungaricum (Hungary) and Australia Awards: see the tables above.
Researchers and university staff: PhD and research
- Commonwealth PhD: 20 October 2026 (closed; Nigeria, Sierra Leone and The Gambia).
- Gates Cambridge and Clarendon: December or January, by course.
- Fulbright Foreign Student Program: last deadlines were 1 June (Nigeria) and 5 June 2026 (Ghana).
- MEXT research students, through the Japanese embassy: last deadlines were 29 May 2026 (Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia) and 8 June 2026 (Nigeria).
Month-by-month calendar
Based on the latest official cycles. Use it to plan; confirm each date on the official page.
| Month | What usually happens |
|---|---|
| January | Gates Cambridge second deadline (6 January); many Erasmus Mundus deadlines; Stipendium Hungaricum closes (15 January last year); Eiffel university submissions; Türkiye Burslari opens (10 January); Sweden’s university admissions round closes (15 January). |
| February | Türkiye Burslari closes (20 February); Swedish Institute portal open; Australia Awards Africa opens (1 February); Fulbright rounds begin to open. |
| March | Chevening and Gates Cambridge interviews; Erasmus Mundus results start; Stipendium Hungaricum entrance exams begin. |
| April | Chevening interviews continue; Australia Awards closes (30 April). |
| May | MEXT embassy deadlines begin (Ghana 29 May last year). |
| June | Rhodes West Africa opens (1 June); Fulbright Nigeria (1 June) and Ghana (5 June) deadlines last year; MEXT Nigeria (8 June); Chevening results from mid-June. |
| July | Chevening conditional offers to finalise; prepare for the autumn rush. |
| August | Chevening opens; Rhodes West Africa closes (27 August last year). |
| September | DAAD EPOS application windows run for many courses; Commonwealth Master’s applications are usually open by now (closing in October this year). |
| October | Chevening and Knight-Hennessy close (6 October this year); DAAD EPOS deadlines (15 October); Commonwealth Master’s and PhD close (20 October); Sweden’s admissions round opens (16 October); Mastercard Foundation at UCT, postgraduate (31 October); Erasmus Mundus programmes open. |
| November | UBC International Scholars (15 November); Mastercard Foundation partner deadlines (Edinburgh 19 November); Göttingen EPOS closes (15 November); Stipendium Hungaricum usually opens; Rhodes final interviews. |
| December | Gates Cambridge first deadline (8 December); Hohenheim AgEcon EPOS (15 December); some Erasmus Mundus deadlines (e.g. PlantHealth, 31 December). |
De Auditor’s tip
Add every deadline that matters to you to your phone calendar today, with two reminders: one 8 weeks before (to start references and transcripts) and one 2 weeks before. That one habit beats any amount of last-minute hustle. There is nothing that beats early and intentional preparation.
Your 12-month preparation plan
- 12 months before: choose your target scholarships and courses; check eligibility (work experience, degree class, age).
- 9 months before: book your English test if needed; start your CV and statement of purpose drafts.
- 6 months before: request transcripts and WAEC confirmation; talk to referees.
- 3 months before: finalise essays; register referees; apply to universities where admission comes first.
- 1 month before: submit early. Portals slow down on deadline day.
Our step-by-step guides help with each stage: statement of purpose, academic CV, recommendation letters and English tests.
Five deadline mistakes that cost applicants
- Waiting for the official deadline when your nominator closes earlier. Commonwealth Master’s applicants apply through a national body, and Eiffel candidates through a French university. Both set earlier internal dates.
- Ordering transcripts in the last month. Universities in Nigeria and Ghana can take weeks. Request them as soon as you pick your scholarships.
- Getting the time zone wrong. A 16:00 UK deadline is 4:00 pm in Lagos and 3:00 pm in Accra in October, not midnight.
- Giving referees too little time. Ask at least four weeks before the deadline and send them a short summary of your plans. Our recommendation letter guide has a sample request email.
- Trusting a deadline from a social media post. Always confirm the date on the official website. If someone asks you to pay to apply, read our scholarship scams guide first.
De Auditor’s note
James Christian Unya, founder of Scholarship Auditor
The people wey dey win these scholarships no dey wait for “e don open” before dem start. Dem don prepare since. If you see Chevening open for August and you just dey start your essays, you don already late.
Pick two or three scholarships wey fit you, put their dates for your calendar now, and start small every week. One paragraph today, one referee tomorrow. By the time the portal open, you go just dey submit, no be dey run. As I don already talk before, nothing beats early and intentional preparation. So, be intentional and make you mind dey for wetin you dey do and we are here to give you the genuine information you need.
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Also read: Stipendium Hungaricum 2027/28: Hungary’s fully funded government scholarship, and when the next call opens.
Frequently asked questions
Which scholarships are open now for Nigerians and Ghanaians?
As of 1 November 2026: the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Edinburgh (19 November), some DAAD EPOS courses, UBC International Scholars (15 November), Erasmus Mundus programmes, Gates Cambridge, Clarendon at Oxford and Eiffel through French universities.
When does Chevening open?
The 2027/28 round opened in August 2026 and closed on 6 October 2026. If the pattern holds, the next round will open around August 2027.
When is the Gates Cambridge deadline?
For 2027/28, either 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027, depending on your course.
When does Stipendium Hungaricum open?
The 2027/28 call had not been published on 10 October 2026. Last year it opened in mid-November and closed on 15 January.
When is the Fulbright deadline in Nigeria and Ghana?
In the last round, Nigeria’s deadline was 1 June and Ghana’s was 5 June 2026. Check your US Embassy page early in the year for the next round.
Which scholarships close in November 2026?
As of 21 October 2026: Göttingen’s DAAD EPOS course (15 November), UBC International Scholars (15 November, 11:59 pm Pacific time, which is 8:59 am on 16 November in Lagos) and the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Edinburgh (19 November, 5:00 pm UK time). Stipendium Hungaricum usually opens in November.
Do scholarship deadlines use Nigerian or Ghanaian time?
No. Every deadline uses the provider’s own time zone, usually UK, Central European or US time. Convert it before you plan your day: a 16:00 BST deadline in October is 4:00 pm in Lagos and 3:00 pm in Accra. The time zone table above shows the conversions for the whole 2026–27 season.
When should I start preparing for September 2027 or 2028?
About 12 months before the deadline, not 12 months before the course starts. Most big awards for September 2027 close between October 2026 and January 2027, so the preparation starts the year before. Book your English test early, request transcripts, and draft your statement of purpose before the portal opens.
Is there one website that lists every scholarship deadline?
No official one. Each provider publishes its own dates, and they change from year to year. That is why every row in this calendar links to the official page, and why we date every check. Treat any list, including ours, as a guide, and confirm the final date on the official site before you submit.
Sources and verification
Dates were checked on 10 October 2026 and again on 19 October 2026 on official sites: Chevening, Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, Rhodes House, Gates Cambridge, Knight-Hennessy, EACEA, Stipendium Hungaricum, University of Göttingen, Fulbright, University of Edinburgh, Swedish Institute, Campus France, Australia Awards Africa, the Japanese embassies in Nigeria and Ghana; CSC Commonwealth PhD, University of Cape Town, UBC, University of Oxford (Clarendon), University Admissions in Sweden, and Türkiye Burslari. We could not confirm current dates for the Chinese Government Scholarship and Korea’s GKS, so we have not listed them; we will add them once confirmed.
Yes, It is me. I’m the De Auditor
James, known as the De Auditor, is the founder and editor of Scholarship Auditor and the Founder and Group CEO of De Auditor Group Ltd, based in Benin City, Nigeria. He checks every scholarship against the provider’s official website before it is published, and corrects posts when providers change their rules. Contact: info@scholarshipauditor.com