Last updated: 10 October 2026 · Amounts converted at about ₦1,757 / GH₵15.59 per £1, ₦1,490 / GH₵13.20 per €1 and ₦4.08 / GH₵0.036 per HUF 1 (9 October 2026)
“Fully funded” is the most searched phrase in the scholarship world, and also one of the most misunderstood. Many students accept an offer thinking everything is paid, then discover at the visa stage that they still need millions of naira or tens of thousands of cedis. Others ignore a partial scholarship that, with good planning, could have taken them abroad.
This guide explains, in simple words, the difference between a fully funded scholarship, a partial scholarship, a tuition waiver and an assistantship, using real examples from official websites, with every amount converted to naira and cedis. By the end, you will know how to read any offer and calculate exactly how much you would still need.
In this guide
The four types in one table
| Type | What it usually pays | What you usually pay | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fully funded scholarship | Tuition, a monthly living allowance (stipend), travel, and often visa and health cover | Family costs, passport, some small fees | Chevening, Commonwealth Master’s, Erasmus Mundus |
| Partial scholarship | A fixed amount or percentage, usually towards tuition only | The rest of the tuition, all living costs, flights, visa | GREAT Scholarships (£10,000 towards tuition) |
| Tuition waiver or tuition-free study | Tuition (all or part) | Living costs, flights, visa, health insurance, unless a stipend is added | Most public universities in Germany |
| Assistantship | Tuition (often) plus a monthly stipend, in exchange for work | Some university fees; you work about 20 hours a week | US graduate assistantships |
Fully funded: what it really means
A fully funded scholarship is meant to cover what you need to study and live: your tuition, a monthly stipend for food, rent and transport, and travel to and from the country. Many also cover your visa and health insurance.
But “fully” never means “everything”. It means the scholarship covers the main costs for you, the scholar. Each provider decides the details, so always read the official coverage list, not a blog summary or a WhatsApp flyer.
Real fully funded examples
Chevening (UK)
Chevening’s official FAQ lists: tuition fees; economy travel to and from your country for you only; arrival and departure allowances; the cost of your visa application; a contribution of up to £75 (about ₦131,800 / GH₵1,170) for TB testing; a travel top-up allowance; and a monthly personal living allowance, with different rates for London and outside London. Its 2026 student visa guide adds that scholars pay no visa application fee and the UK government pays the Immigration Health Surcharge for them.
Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships (UK)
The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission covers return airfare, full tuition fees and a stipend of £1,712 a month (about ₦3.01 million / GH₵26,700), or £2,000 a month in the London area (about ₦3.51 million / GH₵31,200), plus a study travel grant. Its handbook notes that visa costs for family members are high and are not reimbursed.
Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (Europe)
Under the Erasmus+ Programme Guide, scholarship holders receive €1,400 a month (about ₦2.09 million / GH₵18,500) for the whole programme. Over a two-year master’s, that is about €33,600 (about ₦50 million / GH₵443,500). Programmes cannot charge tuition or application fees to scholarship holders, and they provide insurance. The monthly allowance is meant to cover your travel, visa, settling-in and living costs, so you must budget it well.
What “fully funded” usually leaves out
From the official pages above and others, these are the costs most often left for you to pay:
- Family members. Chevening and Commonwealth scholarships do not pay for your spouse or children; their visas and health surcharge are your cost.
- Passport renewal and getting documents ready at home.
- English tests such as IELTS or TOEFL, unless the programme pays (for example, Fulbright Ghana pays test fees for finalists).
- University application fees before you are selected. Mastercard Foundation partner universities may charge them and refund them only if you are selected (Mastercard Foundation FAQ).
- Rent above the allowance in expensive cities.
- Your first weeks: deposits and basics before the first stipend arrives.
De Auditor’s tip
Make a small table for every offer: “paid by scholarship” on one side, “paid by me” on the other. If the “paid by me” side has things like flight, visa or rent, it is not truly fully funded for your situation, and you need a plan before you accept. This will help you to know what you are going into and get you prepared.
Partial scholarships: real examples
A partial scholarship pays part of your costs, most often a fixed amount off your tuition. It can still be very valuable, especially when combined with savings, family support or a second award.
| Scholarship | Value (official) | In naira and cedis (about) | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| GREAT Scholarships 2026–27 (UK, for Nigerians) | £10,000 towards tuition | ₦17.57 million / GH₵155,800 | Tuition only, one-year postgraduate taught courses |
| University of Leicester International PGT Merit Scholarship | £5,000 tuition discount | ₦8.79 million / GH₵77,900 | Tuition only; needs a first-class equivalent degree |
| University of Birmingham Postgraduate Chancellor’s Scholarships (Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya) | £10,000 towards tuition, first year only | ₦17.57 million / GH₵155,800 | Tuition only; the 2026 round closed on 30 June 2026 |
With any partial scholarship, you still need to prove you can pay the rest. For a UK Student visa, that means showing the unpaid tuition plus living costs of £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 a month elsewhere, for up to nine months (GOV.UK). Outside London, that is up to £10,539, about ₦18.5 million or GH₵164,300, on top of the tuition you still owe.
Tuition waivers and tuition-free study
A tuition waiver removes your tuition fees, fully or partly, but does not give you money to live on. In some countries, public universities charge little or no tuition at all:
- Germany: DAAD explains that most courses at state universities have no tuition fees. The exception is Baden-Württemberg, which charges most non-EU students €1,500 per semester (about ₦2.23 million / GH₵19,800). Everyone pays a semester contribution of about €100 to €350 (about ₦149,000 to ₦521,500 / GH₵1,320 to GH₵4,620).
- Hungary (Stipendium Hungaricum): tuition-free, plus a monthly stipend of HUF 43,700 (about ₦178,400 / GH₵1,580) for bachelor’s and master’s students, a free dormitory place or HUF 40,000 a month (about ₦163,300 / GH₵1,450) towards housing, and supplementary insurance up to HUF 65,000 a year (official call). The stipend is small, so plan for extra living money.
Tuition-free does not mean cheap. You must still show living funds for your visa, for example a blocked account for Germany unless your scholarship replaces it.
Assistantships (mostly USA)
In the USA, many master’s and especially PhD students are funded through assistantships. You work for the university, usually in teaching, research or administration, and in return you receive a stipend and a tuition scholarship.
For example, Virginia Tech’s Graduate School explains that assistants receive a monthly stipend and an in-state tuition scholarship in proportion to their contract, may get an out-of-state tuition waiver, may get a health insurance subsidy, and are expected to work an average of 20 hours a week. Some fees are still paid by the student. The types are teaching (GTA), research (GRA) and general (GA) assistantships.
Assistantships are offered by departments, often to PhD applicants. You usually apply through your admission application and by contacting the department or a professor.
How to calculate your funding gap
Use this simple formula for any offer:
Total cost = tuition + living costs (months × monthly cost) + flight + visa + health surcharge or insurance + first-month deposit and setup
Scholarship pays = everything the official coverage list says, in writing
Your gap = Total cost − Scholarship pays
Then ask: can I prove and actually have my gap before the visa deadline?
Worked example (partial, UK, outside London): a student wins £10,000 towards tuition. For the visa they must still show the rest of the tuition, plus £1,171 × 9 = £10,539 for living costs, plus their own flight, the £558 visa fee and the £776 a year health surcharge. Even before tuition, that is over £11,800 (about ₦20.8 million or GH₵184,700). Without a plan for that money, a good partial scholarship cannot be used.
Questions to ask before you accept
- Does it pay tuition in full, or a fixed amount?
- Is there a monthly stipend? How much, and for how many months?
- Does it pay my flight, visa and health surcharge or insurance?
- Does it pay anything for my spouse or children?
- When is the first payment, and what do I need to pay before it arrives?
- Is it for one year only, or the whole course?
- Does it count as official financial sponsorship for my visa?
- Are there conditions, such as returning home after study?
De Auditor’s note
James Christian Unya, founder of Scholarship Auditor
Abeg no let “fully funded” sweet your mouth until you read the small letters and see wetin the scholarship cover. Some people dey call any scholarship “fully funded” online just to get clicks. Na the official page get the final say.
And no look down on partial scholarship either. If you plan am well, with savings, family support or a second award, e fit still carry you go. The main thing na to sabi your gap early, before visa time, no be after. Be intentional.
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Related guides: Scholarship scams: 12 red flags · Fulbright for Nigerians and Ghanaians · DAAD EPOS Scholarship 2027/28 · Scholarship calendar 2026–2027
Also read: Student visa and proof of funds for scholarship students: what the UK, Canada, the USA and Germany ask you to show, with costs in naira and cedis.
Frequently asked questions
What does fully funded scholarship mean?
It usually means the scholarship pays your tuition, a monthly living allowance and travel, and often your visa and health cover. It rarely covers family members. Always check the official coverage list.
Is a partial scholarship worth it?
Yes, if you can cover the rest. A partial award such as the £10,000 GREAT Scholarship (about ₦17.57 million / GH₵155,800) can make study abroad possible when combined with savings or family support. Calculate your gap first.
Is a tuition waiver the same as a scholarship?
It is a type of funding that removes tuition, but it usually does not pay living costs. You still need money for rent, food, visa and travel.
Does Erasmus Mundus pay tuition?
Programmes cannot charge tuition or application fees to Erasmus Mundus scholarship holders, and scholars receive €1,400 a month for living, travel and visa costs.
Can I bring my family on a fully funded scholarship?
Usually you can, but you pay for them. Chevening and Commonwealth do not cover family members’ visas or health surcharge.
Sources and verification
Figures were checked on 10 October 2026 on official pages: Chevening FAQ and Chevening visa guide, Commonwealth Scholarship Commission and CSC handbook, Erasmus+ Programme Guide, Stipendium Hungaricum 2026/27 call, British Council Nigeria (GREAT), University of Leicester, University of Birmingham, Virginia Tech Graduate School, DAAD and GOV.UK. Exchange rates are indicative mid-market rates of 9 October 2026; your bank’s rate will differ.
See our verified Commonwealth Master’s Scholarship 2027/28 guide, or browse every verified scholarship.
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