Equity and Merit Scholarships at the University of Manchester

The world’s poorest countries face many developmental challenges, from power shortages to insufficient health services. Their brightest young minds have the aptitude and the will to make a difference. However, these graduates face many barriers to gaining the skills and knowledge required to transform their societies. The Equity and Merit Scholarships at the University of Manchester aim to assist talented but economically disadvantaged students from some of the world’s poorest countries.

The program supports academically excellent young professionals from Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia and Tanzania to undertake postgraduate Master’s degrees that fill skills gaps in their countries. Over the last ten years, students have taken a wide range of courses, either as campus-based postgraduate students or through online master’s programs.

Scholarships are jointly funded by the University and its donors. The University covers students’ tuition fees in full and donations are used to pay for students’ living expenses, flights to the UK, and visas.

Program Details

• Host Institution: University of Manchester in the United Kingdom.
• Eligible programs: Scholarships are available for specific courses in engineering, environment, health sciences, development, education, textiles, and law. Please visit the official page for more details.
• Number of awards: 30 scholarships (20 full-time master’s students and 10 online master’s).
• Duration: from 1 to 5 years, depending on the chosen program.
• Target group: Available to students from Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Equity and Merit Scholarships Benefits

The program offers two types of Scholarship: Full-time, on-campus master’s (one year duration) and online distance learning master’s (three to five years duration). The scholarships cover full tuition fees, and for students who will be studying in Manchester, the award includes return international airfares, living expenses, and visas.

Full list of courses where scholarships are available

Below is the full list of courses you can use these scholarships for.

Equity and Merit Scholarships Eligibility

Scholarships are aimed at talented applicants, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds. You must:

• have at least two years of professional experience related to your chosen field of study (this does not include unpaid internships or voluntary work);
• hold a Bachelor’s degree (you must have graduated before September 2024) with an overall excellent grade. The award is for academically outstanding students and typically this means that you are in the top 10% of your class;
• be a resident citizen of Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda or Zimbabwe and have not previously studied outside Africa (training of six months or less does not count);
• be committed to returning home and able to demonstrate the potential to make a positive impact on the future home country;
• have a clear idea of how studying in Manchester will benefit both your career and the wider community.

Application instructions

Eligible candidates who wish to apply for this Europe scholarship program need to submit their applications through the online application system by using the apply button and following the instructions.

The deadline to submit applications is August 31, 2025. For more details on the Equity and Merit Scholarships, please visit the official page. To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.