Scholarships Ghanaians Can Still Apply For Before the End of 2026

October is when many of the best-funded scholarships close, and several have already gone, including Chevening on 6 October. If you missed those, do not stop here. These ones are still open, listed in the order they close. Check every date on the programme's official page before you start, because calls can change.

1. Commonwealth Master's Scholarships (UK): closes 20 October 2026

A fully funded UK master's for citizens of Commonwealth countries, run by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission. Ghana is an eligible country, but Ghanaian candidates do not apply to the Commission directly. You apply through the national nominating body, the Ghana Scholarships Authority, and its internal deadline is typically earlier than the Commission's 20 October date. Contact the Authority now to confirm the exact date, because the Commission's date alone could leave you too late.

2. DAAD Summer School Scholarship (Germany): application window to 30 October 2026

A partial scholarship toward summer language and academic courses in Germany. The application includes the free OnSET German proficiency test. The OnSET sitting listed for 25 September has already passed, so check the DAAD Ghana page right away for whether another sitting is offered, or whether your existing language evidence is accepted, before deciding whether this is still realistic.

3. ETH Zurich Excellence Scholarship (Switzerland): 1 to 30 November 2026

For students starting a master's degree at ETH Zurich in autumn 2027. It covers living and study costs of CHF 12,000 per semester, rising to CHF 13,500 per semester from autumn 2027, and includes a tuition fee waiver for the regular length of the degree. It is highly competitive: you need a very strong bachelor's result, roughly the top 10% of your programme, and a short master's thesis pre-proposal. About 60 awards are expected for 2027/28, with decisions by the end of March. The page sets no nationality limit. You apply for admission to ETH separately.

4. Gates Cambridge Scholarship (UK): 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027

Full-cost postgraduate scholarships at the University of Cambridge for outstanding applicants from outside the UK, for a PhD, an MLitt or a one-year full-time master's. Citizens of any country outside the UK can apply, which includes Ghana. There is no separate Gates application. You apply for admission and funding together through the University of Cambridge graduate application portal, and your deadline is either 8 December or 6 January depending on your course, so check the Course Directory. Undergraduate degrees, MASt courses, MBA and other professional degrees, and part-time courses other than the PhD are not eligible.

How to use the time you have

The deadlines are close, but the real bottleneck is rarely the form. It is the documents that take weeks: transcripts, references, a statement that does not read like a template, and a proposal for the programmes that ask for one. If you have not started, pick the one or two scholarships you are most competitive for instead of applying to everything. Our SOP Builder can help you get a first draft down, and the Opportunity Bank lists more with their deadlines.