The University of Manchester just opened its biggest scholarship round yet for students starting in September 2027. Over 350 awards. More than £6 million on the table. If you are applying to Manchester from Africa, this guide walks you through exactly what you need, when to submit it, and what you stand to gain.
What the Global Futures Scholarship Actually Is
Manchester runs the Global Futures Scholarships as a merit-based tuition discount for international students. The university does not hand you cash. Instead, it knocks a set amount off your tuition bill, which still saves you real money over the course of your degree. The programme covers undergraduate and master’s applicants, and it runs region by region, so the eligible countries, award amounts, and deadlines differ depending on where you live.
For 2027 entry, the African awards are open to applicants domiciled in seven countries, though the exact list differs slightly between undergraduate and master’s level. If you are reading this from outside Africa, do not skip this article. Manchester runs parallel Global Futures tracks for South Asia, South East Asia, and other regions, each with its own country list and deadlines, so the structure explained here applies to you too. You just need to check your own regional page on the university’s site.
Who Can Apply: The African Country List
Here is where it gets specific, because the eligible countries are not identical across the two study levels.
Undergraduate awards are open to applicants domiciled in:
- Botswana
- Ghana
- Kenya
- Mauritius
- Nigeria
- South Africa
- Zimbabwe
Master’s awards are open to applicants domiciled in:
- Botswana
- Egypt
- Ghana
- Kenya
- Nigeria
- South Africa
- Zimbabwe
Notice the difference. Mauritius appears on the undergraduate list but not the master’s list, while Egypt appears on the master’s list but not the undergraduate one. Check your level carefully before you assume you qualify.
“Domiciled” has a specific meaning here too. Manchester counts you as domiciled in a country if you have predominantly lived there for the last three years. Your permanent residence counts, not a place where you happen to be studying full-time. So if you have spent the past three years in Lagos but you are currently finishing a foundation course in another country, Nigeria is still likely your domicile for this scholarship.
Funding Amounts: What You Actually Get
Undergraduate Awards
Each undergraduate award is worth up to £36,000 across three years. Manchester breaks this down as £12,000 for your first year, then another £12,000 in year two, and £12,000 again in year three. That is not automatic, though. You keep the award each year only if you score at least 60% in your final exams and assessments. Miss that mark, and you lose the funding going forward.
Master’s Awards
Master’s awards are worth £19,000, applied as a single discount on your overseas tuition fee for your one-year degree. There is no multi-year renewal to worry about here, since most Manchester master’s programmes run for one year.
Deadlines You Cannot Afford to Miss
Mark these dates now, because Manchester runs this process in rounds, and each round has its own cutoff.
| Applicant Group | Deadline | Notification Date |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Round 1 (2026 exam takers, e.g. South African NSC/IEB or November A-Level series) | 25 February 2027 | 2 April 2027 |
| Undergraduate Round 2 (all other applicants) | 8 April 2027 | 12 May 2027 |
| UCAS Firm choice deadline (undergraduate) | 15 May 2027 | — |
| Master’s awards | 20 April 2027 | 24 May 2027 |
A quick note on how this actually works. Manchester does not let you apply for the scholarship directly from the start. You first need to apply for your course and receive an offer, conditional or unconditional. Only after that does the university email you the scholarship application form. For undergraduates, these forms start going out from December 2026 through to the closing date. So the real first step, right now, is getting your course application moving.
Not sure what comes next once you’ve applied? You may also want to check this guide on what to do after receiving a university admission offer.
Eligibility Rules That Catch People Out
A few conditions apply across both levels, and missing any one of them disqualifies you no matter how strong your grades are.
- You must be self-funded. If a government, employer, or other sponsor is covering your tuition, you do not qualify. If you’re unclear on how sponsorship works, it’s worth understanding how visa sponsorship differs from a standard work visa before you plan your finances around this scholarship.
- Full-time, on-campus study only. Blended programmes and distance learning do not count, even if they are run by Manchester.
- No prior UK study for the undergraduate award. If you have already studied in the UK before, you are not eligible for that track.
- Certain courses are excluded. Medicine (MBChB), Dentistry (BDS), and Architecture are off the table at undergraduate level. At master’s level, the exclusion list is longer: MBA, MPhil, Master of Architecture, Architecture and Urbanism, Master of Landscape Architecture, the MA Architecture and Digital Design, PGCE, and clinical Medicine and Dentistry degrees all sit outside this scholarship.
- Bachelor’s degree location matters for master’s applicants. If you completed your undergraduate degree outside Africa, you are not eligible for the African master’s award, even if you currently live in an eligible country.
How Selection Actually Works
Manchester says academic merit drives the decision. For undergraduates, that means your predicted and achieved grades, your previous exam results, and the strength of your personal statement all weigh in. South African NSC and IEB applicants get assessed once their January 2027 results come out, alongside their personal statement.
For master’s applicants, the university looks at your academic record and how well you complete the online scholarship application form.
One detail worth knowing: Manchester has said it may also look at the overall makeup of each scholarship cohort, including the spread across academic programmes, country of domicile, gender, and qualification background. So your grades matter most, but they are not assessed in isolation.
Want help making your personal statement stand out? You may also want to check this breakdown of the difference between a Statement of Purpose and a Personal Statement.
Beyond Global Futures: PhD Funding at Manchester
If you are aiming for doctoral study, Global Futures does not apply to you directly. Manchester instead offers PhD funding through individual academic schools and research groups, and the amount and competitiveness vary by department. Your best move is to contact your prospective school directly and search the university’s postgraduate research funding database once you identify a supervisor and project. While you’re comparing options, it’s also worth looking at other fully funded doctoral routes such as the Monash University PhD Scholarship in privacy-preserving AI for video analytics, or research-based opportunities like the CERN internships and graduate programmes for science and engineering graduates.
Preparing for the scholarship selection stage? You may also want to check this guide on how to prepare for a scholarship interview.
How to Apply: Step by Step
- Pick your course and apply through Manchester’s standard admissions process. You cannot apply for the scholarship before this step. If you need help building a strong file for this stage, see this guide on what a Statement of Purpose is and how to write one, and this one on how to ask for a scholarship recommendation letter.
- Wait for your offer. This can be conditional or unconditional, depending on your qualification status.
- Watch your inbox. Once you hold an eligible offer, Manchester automatically emails you the scholarship application form.
- Submit before your round’s deadline. Round 1 undergraduate: 25 February 2027. Round 2 undergraduate: 8 April 2027. Master’s: 20 April 2027.
- Confirm Manchester as your Firm UCAS choice by 15 May 2027 if you are an undergraduate applicant.
- Read the full terms and conditions PDF before you submit anything, since the webpage only gives you a summary.
Official Resources and Where to Check Details
- Country-specific scholarship page (Nigeria): manchester.ac.uk/…/nigeria/scholarships
- Main Global Futures Scholarship page, covering all eligible regions: manchester.ac.uk/…/global-futures-scholarship
- University of Manchester International Office contact page, for questions outside the FAQ: available through the main Global Futures page above.
🔗 Official Global Futures Scholarship Page: View all eligible regions on the University of Manchester’s official page
🔗 Nigeria Country-Specific Scholarship Page: Check Nigeria-specific details on the official page
Applicants from other continents should search their own country name alongside “Manchester scholarships” on the university’s site, since each region has a dedicated page with its own country list and deadlines. If Manchester’s tuition still feels steep even with the discount, it’s worth comparing it against other affordable university destinations abroad, or other strong UK scholarships like the Imperial College London Scholarships.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply for this scholarship before I get a course offer?
No. Manchester only sends the scholarship application form after you have applied for your course and received an offer, conditional or unconditional. Your first move should always be submitting your course application through Manchester’s standard admissions channels.
Does this scholarship cover my living costs in Manchester?
No. The Global Futures Scholarship is a tuition-fee discount, not a living stipend. You will need to budget separately for accommodation, food, and other costs, since this award only reduces what you owe the university for your course fees.
What happens if I am sponsored by my employer or government?
You become ineligible. Manchester requires every applicant to be self-funded, meaning you personally cover your tuition and living costs without a sponsor. If a third party funds your studies, you cannot receive this particular award, regardless of your grades.
Still weighing your UK scholarship options? You may also want to check the Gates Cambridge Scholarship 2027/28 and the Chevening Scholarship 2027/2028 as two other major fully funded routes in the UK.