International scholarships open to Cameroonian students

How to read this list

This guide lists the large, fully or mostly funded scholarships that Cameroonian students ask about most. For each one we give the level, what it covers, the usual application window and the official page. We checked every official page on 21 October 2026.

Two rules before you start. First, the official page always wins: if anything here differs from it, trust the official page. Second, we only give exact dates when the official page confirms them. Where a 2027 date is not yet published, we tell you when the call usually opens so you can prepare in advance.

The main scholarships at a glance

• Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program — University studies at partner institutions, mostly in Africa. Covers tuition, accommodation, books and materials, mentoring, counselling, leadership development and, where needed, a return air ticket. You apply through a partner university, and each one sets its own timeline. Official page: mastercardfdn.org – where to apply.
• Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters — Master’s degrees taught across two or more European universities. Full scholarships for top-ranked students cover participation costs, travel, visa costs and a living allowance. You apply directly to each programme, in most cases between October and January for the following year. Official catalogue: EACEA Erasmus Mundus catalogue.
• France Excellence Eiffel — Master’s and PhD in France. Students cannot apply alone: the French institution nominates you. For the 2026 campaign the call opened on 1 October 2025 and Campus France’s deadline was 8 January 2026; age limits were 29 for master’s and 35 for PhD. Official page: Campus France – Eiffel.
• DAAD (Germany) — Mainly master’s and PhD, in Germany and, for some programmes, in Africa. Use the official database to filter by your country and level. Official page: DAAD scholarship database.
• Chinese Government Scholarship — Licence, master’s and doctorate. MINESUP relays the call for Cameroonians; for 2025/2026 it published a call for 13 scholarships on 29 November 2024. Official pages: MINESUP – Bourses and Campus China.
• MEXT (Japan) — Research, undergraduate and other categories. Tuition is fully exempted, round-trip airfare is provided and there is a monthly stipend. Candidates are recommended by the Japanese embassy in their country, by a Japanese university or by an authority; ask the Embassy of Japan in Cameroon about its next call. Official page: Study in Japan – MEXT.
• Türkiye Scholarships (Türkiye Bursları) — Associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate in Türkiye. Covers tuition, a monthly stipend, accommodation, health insurance, a Turkish language course and a flight ticket. The 2026 applications ran from 10 January to 20 February 2026, online and free. Official page: turkiyeburslari.gov.tr.
• Fulbright Foreign Student Program (USA) — Graduate study in the United States, run in each country by a Fulbright commission or the US embassy. MINESUP relayed the 2026/2027 call on 10 April 2025. Official pages: Foreign Fulbright and the US Embassy in Cameroon.
• AUF (Agence universitaire de la Francophonie) — Mobility grants, doctoral and postdoctoral grants and trainings, mainly for students and researchers of AUF member institutions. Official page: AUF calls for applications.

Important: UK scholarships and Cameroonian citizens

Chevening and the Commonwealth scholarships are often the first names students mention. Today they are not a realistic route for Cameroonian citizens.

Since 12:01am on 26 March 2026, the UK government has applied a “visa brake”: Cameroonian nationals can no longer apply from outside the UK for a Student visa. The UK says the brake is not permanent and will be reviewed regularly. Chevening’s Cameroon page states that its programme in Cameroon is therefore closed. And when we checked the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission’s pages, Cameroon was not on the list of eligible countries for Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships or Commonwealth Shared Scholarships.

If you were preparing a UK application, keep your documents: most of them will serve for Erasmus Mundus, Eiffel, DAAD or Türkiye. And check the official UK pages from time to time in case the situation changes.

Do not forget scholarships closer to home

MINESUP regularly publishes calls for cooperation scholarships offered by partner countries. Visit its “Bourses” page every month, because calls can appear at any time of year and sometimes have short deadlines.

The Mastercard Foundation programme also works with partner universities in Africa, which can mean lower travel costs and a familiar environment. Campus France Cameroun’s Campus Bourses search tool can show programmes adapted to your nationality.

Which scholarship fits you?

A quick way to narrow down your list:

• You are finishing the BAC or GCE A Level: look at Mastercard Foundation partner universities, Türkiye Scholarships, MEXT undergraduate and the Chinese Government Scholarship.
• You have a licence or bachelor’s degree: Erasmus Mundus, Eiffel (through a French institution), DAAD, Türkiye, Chinese Government Scholarship, Fulbright.
• You want a PhD: Eiffel PhD, DAAD, MEXT research students, AUF doctoral calls, Türkiye.
• You prefer to study in French: Eiffel, AUF, some DAAD and Erasmus Mundus programmes.

Whatever you choose, the strength of your file starts long before university. Good BAC or A Level results open doors, and the method in our guide on how to apply for a scholarship step by step works for all the schemes above.

Keep track of every deadline

With several applications running at once, it is easy to miss a date. Keep one simple table, on paper or in a spreadsheet, with a line per scholarship: official link, opening date, closing date, documents still missing, referees contacted, and status.

Set two reminders on your phone for each deadline: one two weeks before and one three days before. And every month, re-open each official page, because dates and conditions can change from one year to the next.

Mistakes that cost Cameroonian applicants

• Applying to a scheme without checking that Cameroon is eligible this year.
• Waiting for a call to open before ordering transcripts or a passport.
• Sending the same generic motivation letter everywhere. See our guide to writing a scholarship motivation letter.
• Paying an intermediary who promises a guaranteed scholarship. Official applications are usually free.
• Ignoring smaller or regional scholarships because they are less famous.

If a younger sibling is still at school, a good tutor for the exam years is one of the best long-term investments a family can make in a future scholarship.