Masters Scholarships Abroad: Fully Funded Options You Can Still Win in 2027
Most people only chase the famous names. Smart applicants build a portfolio of applications: one ambitious, a few realistic, all fully funded.
Here are three that belong in yours.
1. Gates Cambridge Scholarship (United Kingdom)
The ambitious one. Gates Cambridge offers full-cost scholarships to outstanding students from outside the UK for postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge.
- Reality check: It awards roughly 80 scholarships a year, and about two-thirds go to PhD students. Master’s places are scarce, so this is a stretch application, but it is worth it if you qualify.
- What panels look for: Intellectual ability, your reasons for choosing the course, a commitment to improving the lives of others, and leadership potential.
- Deadline: It depends on your course. Most international applicants must apply by 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027. Check the course page for yours.
- Not eligible: MBA, EMBA and Master of Finance programmes.
2. Türkiye Bursları (Turkey)
One of the most generous government scholarships, and one that many African applicants overlook.
- What it offers: Tuition, a monthly stipend, accommodation, health insurance, a Turkish language year and a flight ticket.
- Master’s requirements: Under 30 years old, with at least 75% in your previous degree.
- Expected dates: The application window usually runs from mid-January to 20 February. Official 2027 dates should be confirmed on the Türkiye Scholarships portal when they’re published.
- Strategy: You can list multiple university and programme preferences in one application, so use them.
3. Stipendium Hungaricum (Hungary)
The Hungarian Government’s flagship scholarship, covering tuition, a monthly stipend, accommodation support and health insurance.
- Expected timeline: The portal normally opens around November and closes around 15 January(14:00 CET). The 2027/28 call had not been officially published at the time of writing.
- Two-layer process: You apply through the official online system and through your country’s sending partner, each with its own deadline. Contact your sending partner early.
- Eligibility: You must be a citizen of a partner country. Check the official country list.
On your watchlist
These also deserve a look. Confirm dates on each official page:
- Commonwealth Shared Scholarships (UK): expected to open in November–December 2026
- Oxford funding awards (Clarendon, Weidenfeld-Hoffmann): deadlines typically December 2026 or January 2027, depending on the course
- Fulbright Foreign Student Program (USA): timelines vary by country, so check with the U.S. Embassy in your country
- Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program: runs through partner universities, each with its own dates
You now have the options. The last part is how you actually win.
👉 [CLICK HERE TO READ MORE: PART 4 — THE CALENDAR, THE STRATEGY AND THE OFFICIAL APPLY LINKS]