Equity and Merit Scholarships

Who can apply

A resident citizen of Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda or Zimbabwe, able to demonstrate potential to contribute to sustainable development in their community, nationally or regionally
A bachelor's degree from a recognised institution with the required grade, awarded before the cutoff date the university sets for that year's round (September 2025 for the 2027/28 round)
At least two years' professional experience related to your chosen field of study; unpaid internships and voluntary work do not count
Not have previously studied outside Africa, though training of six months or less does not count against this
Would not otherwise be able to study at Manchester without financial support; women are particularly encouraged to apply
Apply for the scholarship first, during the August window; only successful applicants are then invited to apply separately for admission to their chosen master's course

Apply for the funding first, the course second

The order of operations here is the opposite of most scholarships: you apply for the funding first, in a short August window, and only afterward, if successful, do you apply for admission to your actual master’s course. Missing the 31 August scholarship deadline means missing the whole cycle, regardless of how strong an application to the course itself would have been.

Thirty scholarships, two very different study modes

Thirty scholarships go out each year, split 20 full-time on-campus (one year) and 10 part-time distance learning (three to five years), across six subject areas: engineering, environment, health sciences, global development, education and law. On-campus scholars get a genuinely complete package, tuition, return airfare, living expenses and visa costs, while the university is explicit that this is aimed at applicants who could not otherwise afford to study in Manchester at all, not simply strong candidates who would prefer funding.

Eligibility rules out more than the country list alone suggests

Eligibility is restricted to six countries: Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe, and it rules out more applicants than the country list alone suggests. You need at least two years of professional experience related to your chosen field, and unpaid internships or voluntary work do not count toward it, which rules out applying straight from your bachelor’s. You also cannot have previously studied outside Africa, though a short course of six months or less is fine. The university particularly encourages women to apply, and selection is based on demonstrated potential to contribute to sustainable development in your own community, not solely academic record.

Where the 2027/28 cycle stands right now

The 2027/28 round’s scholarship window ran 1 to 31 August 2026 and has now closed; as of this check, Manchester is in the September 2026 stage of reviewing those applications for eligibility, before eligible applicants move on to the October course-application step. No round beyond 2027/28 is published yet; based on past cycles, the next scholarship window is likely to open the following August, so check back then rather than assuming the programme has ended. For a wider view of scholarships built specifically for applicants from developing countries, see the guide to fully funded scholarships for students from developing countries.