Scholarships for Africans · Kenya EditionPresented by: local partner spot available
Kenya Edition🇰🇪 Kenya Edition · Study at home

Kenya local bursaries and scholarships 2027

A step-by-step guide to funding your studies in Kenya — NG-CDF and county bursaries, Wings to Fly and other foundation scholarships, government university funding through HEF, and DAAD master's awards — plus every open local scholarship we've checked against its official page.

Secondary school

How to get funding: Secondary school

For pupils joining or already in secondary school (including Grade 10 under CBC).

Secondary students in Kenya usually combine three sources: a constituency (NG-CDF) bursary, a county or ward bursary, and a foundation scholarship such as Wings to Fly or KCB Foundation.

  1. 1. Get your constituency's NG-CDF bursary form

    Each constituency runs its own bursary through its NG-CDF office. Forms are collected at the NG-CDF office and some are posted on ngcdf.go.ke/downloads. Windows are short and differ by constituency — for example, Seme's 2025/26 forms were received only between 5 and 9 January 2026 — so ask your NG-CDF office or chief when your window opens.

  2. 2. Attach every required document

    Typical NG-CDF forms ask for: a copy of the parent/guardian's ID, the latest report form (or calling letter and result slip for new students), the school fee structure, death certificates if a parent has died, and the area chief's signature and stamp. Incomplete forms are not processed.

  3. 3. Apply to your county or ward bursary too

    County governments run separate education bursaries, often through ward offices. Watch your county government's website and notices at the ward administrator's office — you can usually hold both a county and an NG-CDF bursary, but you will be asked to declare other support.

  4. 4. Apply for a full foundation scholarship

    Wings to Fly (Equity Group Foundation) and the KCB Foundation scholarship cover fees and more for top-performing students from financially challenged backgrounds, selected soon after national results. Apply only through the funder's official site, Equity branches/agents, or the official portal.

University & TVET

How to get funding: University & TVET

For students placed by KUCCPS, self-sponsored students and TVET trainees.

Since 2023, government support comes through the Higher Education Financing (HEF) portal under the Student Centred Funding Model. One application covers Universities Fund scholarships and HELB loans and bursaries, based on a means test.

  1. 1. Get your admission letter first

    HEF requires an official admission letter from the university or TVET college where you were placed before you can apply.

  2. 2. Create one account on the HEF student portal

    Register at hef.co.ke with your own phone number, National ID (or KCSE index number if under 18) and email, then activate the account from your inbox. If you already have an account from a first application, update it — do not create a new one.

  3. 3. Prepare the documents

    You'll need: valid email and phone, National ID/Maisha card (or KCSE index number, birth certificate and ID waiting card if under 18), a passport photo, parents' ID numbers or death certificates, KCPE/KCSE index numbers and years, your admission number, and two guarantors' IDs and phone numbers.

  4. 4. Answer the means-test questions honestly

    Your scholarship share (30% to 70% for eligible students), loan and household contribution depend on the means test. KUCCPS-placed students in public universities can get scholarships and loans; private-university and self-sponsored students are eligible for loans only.

  5. 5. Top up with university and foundation scholarships

    Many universities and foundations — USIU-Africa financial aid, Aga Khan Foundation, KCB Foundation and others — cover what government funding does not. Check each listing below and whether it can be combined with HEF funding.

Master's & PhD

How to get funding: Master's & PhD

For graduates planning a master's or PhD at a Kenyan university.

Postgraduate funding in Kenya is mostly competitive: DAAD In-Country scholarships, university and research-centre awards, and project-funded PhD positions.

  1. 1. Check the DAAD In-Country/In-Region calls

    DAAD funds master's places at selected Kenyan universities (currently including Moi and Chuka) for graduates who plan an academic or research career. Monthly stipend, tuition, research and thesis allowances are covered. The current round closes 12 November 2026 — read the full call PDF on each listing.

  2. 2. Apply to the university and the DAAD portal

    DAAD In-Country applications usually need both an application in the DAAD portal and admission at the host university. Follow the call's document list exactly — CV in the required format, motivation letter, certified certificates and referee letters.

  3. 3. Look for funded research projects

    Many Kenyan PhD places are funded through research projects at universities and research centres. Email supervisors whose work fits yours and ask whether they have funded positions.

Never pay to apply

HEF/HELB states it charges no fee to apply, and genuine bursaries and scholarships do not ask for "processing" fees through agents, WhatsApp or Facebook. Apply only through the official links on this page and on each listing.

Open local scholarships (23)

Deadlines come from each funder's official page. "Date to be confirmed" means the next round hasn't been announced yet.

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