Education for a long time has been a tool meant for transforming lives. Due to financial challenges, many Kenyan Students struggles to pursue their studies. Due to this, the government in partnership with other organizations and countries have come through for bright and needy students who wish to further their education by providing different types of scholarships for them every year.
These scholarships are issued to secondary school students, university student taking undergraduate and postgraduate studies and even those undertaking their studies outside the country. These scholarships have helped many needy students access quality education.
In this post, we will guide you on the available scholarships for needy students in Kenya and how you can access and apply for them.
Elimu Scholarship
This scholarship is meant for students joining secondary schools. This scholarship helps students from needy and disadvantaged students joining national and extra county schools across the country.
This scholarship focuses majorly on needy students from 110 sub counties across the nation that are educationally disadvantaged.
Students who are orphaned, vulnerable and abled differently are supported by this scholarship.
Once you have been issued with this scholarship, it will cater for tuition money, boarding costs and learning materials.
Eligibility
This scholarship is not issued to all students who are joining senior school but to those who have score 280 marks and above or 45 points and above for those who sat for KJSEA with exceptions of those those who are abled differently who might be considered with lower marks.
How to apply for Elimu Scholarship
In order to apply for Elimu Scholarship, you will access the Jomo Kenyatta Foundation website or Equity Group Foundation and submit your application.
You can also download the application forms from the Ministry of Education website, fill them and drop them at the ministry of Education county offices through the county Directors.
Those who wish to apply from school can also do so through the school headteacher.
NG-CDF Scholarships and Bursaries
The Kenya National Government issues money to all constituencies across Kenya through members of Parliament that is meant to support vulnerable and needy student who want to pursue their education through scholarships and Bursaries.
What this Scholarship Covers
- Secondary school fees
- College and university support
- Tuition and boarding fees
While issuing this scholarship, priority is given to orphans and vulnerable children with strong academic performance.
How to Apply for NG-CDF Scholarship
Students are required to pick application forms from the NG-CDF offices in their constituencies, fill the required information and attach necessary documents with approval from the area chief then dropped at the CDF offices for consideration.
Documents attached when Applying
- Admission letter
- Fees structure
- Academic Results
- Parent/Guardian ID Copies
Hungarian Government Scholarships
The Hungarian Government offer 200 scholarships to Kenyan students every year to pursue studies in Hungary.
This scholarship supports student who want to pursue undergraduate, masters, PhD and one tier masters programmes in fields of Engineering, IT and Computer Science, Agriculture, Economics, medicine and natural science.
Benefits of the Scholarship
- Full Tuition money
- Monthly stipend where those pursuing Bachelor’s degree receives Ksh.16,000, those pursuing masters receive Ksh. 54,000 and those taking PhD receive a stipend of Ksh. 70,000.
- Accomodation
- Medical Insurance
Who is Eligible for Hungarian Government Scholarship
- Mean grade of B (Plain) and above
- For undergraduate applicants, they must be below 25 years.
- Applications must be made via the Ministry of Education and the study in Hungary Portal.
Russian Government Scholarships
Kenyan students also benefit from the Russian government through the Russian Government Scholarships that are made available through the Kenya’s Ministry of Education.
This scholarship allows Kenyan students to pursue undergraduate degrees, masters programmes and Doctoral degrees.
Students awarded this scholarship are required to undergo the Russian language preparatory courses before they kick off their studies.
This scholarship is announced annually via the Ministry of Education website to support student intending to study in the Russian Universities.
This scholarship covers full Tuition fees, monthly stipend of $50, Accomodations, Russian language preparatory course and admission costs into Russian government.
Eligibility Criteria
- Non-Russian students
- Must have completed High school for bachelor’s, for those undertaking masters must have undergraduate and those taking PhD must have completed Masters.
- Undergraduates must be under 25 years while PhD below 35 years.
Bilateral Scholarships
There are several countries that the Kenyan government collaborates with that offer scholarships to Kenyan students. These scholarships include;
- Algeria Government Scholarships- This scholarship are given to 200 Kenyan students who wish to pursue undergraduate courses in fields like Medicine, Engineering, Computer Science, Social Sciences, Mathematics and Artificial intelligence.
These scholarships are announced via the state department for higher Education and Research.
Common Wealth Scholarships
Kenyan students who wish to further their studies in Commonwealth countries can also benefit from this scholarships.
These scholarships support students who wish to pursue careers in Engineering, Medicine, social sciences, Humanities and Environmental Sciences.
These scholarships are highly competitive and are meant to equip students with knowledge who will become leaders to help their home countries.
How and Where to Find Government Scholarships
Those students who are interested in government scholarships should regularly check the following sources for announcements;
- Ministry of Education website- this is where most of the scholarships are announced.
- University Scholarships Offices
- Kenyan Embassies and Foreign embassies.
- Government Newspapers and public Notices.
How to Increase Chances of Winning Scholarships
For those who are interested in government scholarships and wish to be among the winners of scholarships should do the following to increase their chances of winning.
- Good Academic Performance since most scholarships prioritize students with good grades.
- Early Application- Always submit your application in good time since scholarship deadlines are taken seriously. Any late application is rejected.
- Prepare Documents Early- prepare documents like kcse certificate, passport, Recommendation letters and personal statement.
- Follow Official Instructions Carefully as incomplete applications are usually rejected and disqualified.
CONCLUSION
Many Kenyan students have benefitted from the government scholarships offered by Kenyan government and other countries something that has eased the financial burden for the vulnerable families. These scholarships have helped many students realize their dreams that could have been shuttered.
Therefore students from families that are struggling financially are encourage to keep close watch on these opportunities as soon as they are advertised to ensure that they benefit from such opportunities.
