If you’ve just graduated from high school, polytechnic, or university and you’re serious about studying abroad, the sheer number of steps involved can feel overwhelming before you’ve even started. That’s exactly what this step-by-step guide to securing scholarships abroad is for — a clear map of the entire process, broken into six manageable stages, with links to our full, in-depth guides covering each individual step in real depth.
Whether you’re starting from genuinely zero or already have a rough idea of where you want to study, this guide walks you through every decision point in order: choosing your field, finding the right scholarships, understanding requirements, building a real application timeline, preparing your documents, and knowing what to do once you’ve submitted. Getting a scholarship abroad is achievable, but it’s not automatic — it takes sustained, deliberate work across each of these stages, not one strong application submitted in isolation.
Where You Fit In
If you’re reading this step-by-step guide to securing scholarships abroad, that means you just graduated from high school, and you’re looking at undergraduate scholarships. If you’ve completed university or polytechnic, or you’re currently serving NYSC, your focus shifts to postgraduate scholarships. And if you’re in your final undergraduate year, you can still pursue fully funded postgraduate options in parallel — you don’t need to wait until graduation to start researching.
Getting a scholarship abroad is genuinely achievable, but it’s not automatic. It takes real, sustained work, not a single strong application.
Step 1: Choose Your Field and Course
Your intended field of study shapes everything that follows — for undergraduates, this connects directly to your O-Level subjects (WASSCE, IGCSE, GCE, NECO); for postgraduate applicants, it means developing a genuine research interest tied to your first degree.
One thing you should know: fields that feel less “obviously fundable” than engineering or computer science — sociology, philosophy, social work, environmental studies — genuinely do attract real funding. The ASA Minority Fellowship Program funds sociology PhD students at $20,000 a year. The Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship funds humanities and social science dissertation research at $25,000. Real money exists outside STEM — don’t assume your field is a funding dead end before you’ve actually looked.
Step 2: Find Universities and Scholarships in Your Field
Beyond a general search, some scholarships are open to any field of study, which broadens your options regardless of your specific research interest — Erasmus Mundus, Chevening, Mastercard Foundation, and various government-sponsored programmes from countries like Italy, Malaysia, and Japan are genuine examples worth checking directly.
Don’t forget: professors who’ve recently won research grants often post available positions directly on LinkedIn, X, or Facebook. If a professor’s research interests genuinely align with yours, a well-written cold email with a strong CV attached is a legitimate way to find opportunities that never appear on a general scholarship listing at all.
Step 3: Check Admission and Scholarship Requirements
Some scholarships require university admission first; others let you apply directly. Requirements — minimum GPA, standardised tests, specific document formats — vary significantly by country and institution, so read each scholarship’s actual guidelines rather than assuming a general rule applies everywhere.
Step 4: Build a Real Application Plan
Deadlines and instructions matter as much as the content of your application. Our guide on how to create a scholarship application plan covers exactly how to build a realistic timeline, track multiple applications, and work backwards from your deadlines — the single most useful thing you can do before you start writing anything.
Step 5: Prepare Your Documents
Transcripts, test scores, a personal statement, references — every scholarship needs a slightly different combination. Our guide on must-have documents for scholarship applications covers the full checklist in real depth, and our how to write a personal statement for scholarship guide includes free sample statements to work from directly.
Step 6: Submit, Then Wait Properly
Once you’ve submitted, the process isn’t over — how you handle the waiting period matters too. Our guide on what to do after you submit a scholarship application covers exactly when it’s appropriate to follow up, and what to focus on while you wait for a decision.
Before You Start: Build the Right Foundation
If you’re not ready to apply yet but want to genuinely strengthen your profile first, our guide on how to prepare yourself for scholarships covers exactly what to build — leadership experience, documents, academic consistency — before you’re even actively applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I focus on undergraduate or postgraduate scholarships?
It depends on where you currently are academically. Recent high school graduates should focus on undergraduate scholarships; university and polytechnic graduates, and current NYSC members should focus on postgraduate options. Final-year undergraduates can research postgraduate scholarships in parallel.
Do “less popular” fields like sociology or philosophy really have less funding available abroad?
No, this is a common misconception. Real, well-funded scholarships and fellowships exist specifically for social sciences and humanities fields — funding isn’t limited to STEM disciplines the way many assume.
Can I contact a professor directly instead of only applying through formal scholarship listings?
Yes. Professors who’ve recently secured research grants often post open positions directly on LinkedIn or social media. A genuine, well-written cold email with your CV attached is a legitimate way to find opportunities outside general scholarship databases.
What’s the single most important step in this entire process?
Building a realistic application plan and timeline early. Missing deadlines or submitting rushed applications because you started too late is one of the most common, entirely avoidable reasons strong candidates don’t succeed.
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