FG increases scholarship grants by 50%, ends BEA foreign Awards

By Isaac Joseph Inyang

The Federal Government has announced a 50 percent increase in national scholarship grants across all academic levels, as part of a major reform of Nigeria’s scholarship framework.

The announcement was made on Monday, July 29, 2025, by the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa.

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According to the statement, PhD students will now receive ₦750,000 annually, up from ₦500,000. Master’s students will receive ₦600,000 (previously ₦400,000), while undergraduate, HND, and NCE students will receive ₦450,000 (up from ₦300,000).

These increases apply to all major programmes, including the Nigerian Scholarship Award.

The scholarship reform is aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and aims to reduce the financial burden on students, expand access to education, and align funding with national development priorities.

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A total budget of ₦6 billion has been allocated for the 2025–2026 academic cycle.

In addition, the Federal Government has discontinued the Bilateral Education Agreement (BEA) foreign scholarship scheme. While current BEA beneficiaries will continue to receive funding, no new international awards will be issued. Funds previously designated for BEA have been reallocated to two new scholarship categories under the national scheme.

₦1 billion has been allocated for students in public polytechnics studying STEM and vocational courses. Another ₦1 billion is set aside for students in Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Physiotherapy at public universities.

A revised allocation framework has also been introduced. Under the new structure, 50 percent of scholarships will go to undergraduate students, 25 percent to Master’s students, and 25 percent to PhD candidates. Within each academic category, 70 percent of scholarships will support STEMM disciplines, while 30 percent will support the Social Sciences. Five percent of total awards will be reserved for students with disabilities.

The Federal Scholarship Board will oversee the implementation of the scheme in collaboration with an Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education. The committee includes representatives from the National Assembly, Federal Character Commission, Ministry of Women Affairs, and other institutions to ensure accountability.

Over 15,000 students are expected to benefit from the Nigerian Scholarship Award, Education Bursary Award, and the revised BEA scheme.

The Ministry emphasized that the reform is aimed at building a more inclusive, merit-based, and development-oriented scholarship system focused on national priorities