EAC Scholarship Programme, Phase II Cohort 4 (KfW-funded Master's)

Who can apply

A citizen of one of the eight EAC Partner States, under 35 at the time of application
Applying to study in an EAC Partner State other than their own country of citizenship
A Bachelor's degree with at least Second Class Upper Division, Distinction, or equivalent
Has already applied for admission to an eligible Master's programme at a participating university; university admission and the scholarship are two separate applications, and admission alone does not count as a scholarship application
Up to 120 scholarships available this cohort; the programme targets at least 50 percent female participation and strongly encourages applicants with disabilities or from other disadvantaged backgrounds

A two-part process, and missing either half means missing the scholarship

This is a genuinely well-funded, two-part process, and missing either half means missing the scholarship entirely. You have to apply for admission to an eligible Master’s programme at a participating university first, then separately submit the EAC Scholarship application itself; getting into the university on its own does not count as having applied for the funding.

The regional-mobility rule is central to how this works

The regional-mobility rule is central to how this works: you can only use it to study in an EAC country that is not your own. A Kenyan citizen studying in Kenya doesn’t qualify, but the same applicant studying in Rwanda or Tanzania does, provided the programme and university are on IUCEA’s approved list.

Comprehensive coverage, and each programme needs its own separate application

Coverage is close to complete for a Master’s this size: full tuition paid straight to the university, a flight both ways, a monthly stipend, a materials allowance, a separate research allowance, medical insurance, and visa costs where they apply. If you apply to more than one eligible programme, each one needs its own complete, separate application and its own set of supporting documents; submitting one generic application across multiple programmes will not work.

Part of a programme running since 2018, aimed at regional leadership

This specific cohort sits inside a much longer-running initiative. IUCEA’s own page states the EAC Scholarship Programme launched in 2018 as a joint initiative of the East African Community and the Federal Republic of Germany, and its first phase already supported 180 Master’s students across the region. Phase II began in October 2025 and is expected to support at least 280 more students across three cohorts. Beyond the money, the programme builds in leadership development, mentoring, networking and regional-integration activities for scholars, under the stated vision “Leadership to Foster Regional Integration,” rather than treating the degree itself as the whole point. This isn’t the only IUCEA-run scholarship on this site: the East African Community Student Mobility Scheme (EAC-SMS) is a separate, cost-sharing track run by the same organisation, covering a broader range of levels and disciplines.

This cohort’s window has closed

Applications for this cohort closed 10 September 2026, and IUCEA has not yet published a date for the next one. Check IUCEA’s opportunities page directly for the next cohort’s dates rather than assuming a fixed annual pattern will repeat.