BACKGROUND

The EAC Scholarship Programme (EACSP) is a regional initiative of the East African Community (EAC) and the Federal Republic of Germany. Implemented by the Inter-University Council for East Africa, the Programme seeks to develop future leaders who will contribute to regional integration and sustainable development by supporting students to pursue Master's studies in an EAC Partner State other than their country of citizenship. The Programme was launched in 2018 and has already supported 180 Master's students from across the East African Community through its first Phase. Building on the success of Phase I, Phase II commenced in October 2025 and is expected to support at least 280 students across three cohorts from all current EAC partner states: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. The Programme provides scholarships to academically talented but financially disadvantaged students pursuing eligible Master's programmes in Mathematics, Engineering, Informatics, Science, Technology and Business-related disciplines. In addition to financial support, scholarship recipients benefit from leadership development, mentoring, networking opportunities and regional integration activities designed to strengthen cooperation among future leaders in East Africa. The vision of the Programme is: "Leadership to Foster Regional Integration."

Female applicants, persons with disabilities and applicants from other disadvantaged backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. The Programme aims to achieve at least 50% female participation among scholarship beneficiaries.

SCHOLARSHIP PACKAGE

Up to 120 scholarships are available under this cohort.

The scholarship package includes:

1. One return economy-class air ticket between the scholar's home country and the host country upon commencement and completion of studies.

2. Full tuition fees payable directly to the host university.

3. Arrival allowance EUR 200 upon arrival in the study country and opening a bank account in that country (Where feasible, scholars are encouraged to open a EUR-denominated bank account to facilitate the receipt of the allowance and reduce potential losses arising from currency exchange fluctuations and conversion charges).

4. A monthly stipend of EUR 380 to cover accommodation, meals, local transport and other living expenses.

5. A lump-sum allowance of EUR 650 for study materials

6. A one-time EUR 1,500 study and research allowance.

7. Medical insurance coverage for the duration of the scholarship.

8. Visa/ Entry fee: Where payment of entry pass into the host country or student pass is required.

9. Participation in at least one extracurricular event

ELIGIBLE PROGRAMMES

Applicants must apply for admission to one of the approved Master's programmes offered by participating universities in an EAC Partner State other than their country of citizenship.

Applicants may apply for more than one eligible Master's programme and/or university. However, each programme application shall be treated as a separate application and must be accompanied by: A separately filled-in online scholarship application form; A separate email submission clearly indicating the programme and university applied for, with supporting documents attached

Applications that do not include a complete online application form and the required supporting documents for each programme applied for will not be considered during the evaluation process.

Students can apply to any of the programmes offered by the partner universities/ institutions as indicated in the table below;

ELIGIBILITY TO BENEFIT FROM THE EACSP

Applicants must satisfy all of the following requirements;

1. Be a citizen of any of the 8 EAC Partner States;

2. Be below 35 years of age at the time of application;

3. Apply to study in an EAC Partner State other than their country of citizenship;

4. Possess a Bachelor's Degree, with a minimum of Second Class Upper Division, Distinction or equivalent qualification;

5. Have applied for admission to an eligible Master's programme offered by partner university;

6. Submit a complete scholarship application within the stipulated application period.

Applicants must submit supporting documents to indicate their satisfaction of the eligibility criteria as indicated in the list of supporting documents in section 6.

APPLICATION PROCESS

The application process for Phase II of the EACSP shall be twofold,

A virtual pre-application information session will be held on 28 August 2026 at 11:00 AM East Africa Time (Nairobi time) to provide interested applicants with an opportunity to seek clarification on the Call for Applications and the application requirements. Please confirm your attendance by registering at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/xV6Th4PfTJSUw3JFg0ioMQ

LIST OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

Only applications with all mandatory documents submitted shall be considered.

Submit documents in PDF format and in a single zipped folder. Name each file using the format [Document Code] [Document Name], e.g., E01 National ID

IMPORTANT NOTES

1. Only complete applications for eligible programmes, submitted before the deadline, in English and in accordance with the application guidelines, shall be considered.

2. Applicants must complete both stages of the application process: Apply for admission to an eligible Master's programme at a participating university, and submit a separate application for the EAC Scholarship Programme.

3. Applicants must submit all mandatory supporting documents as specified in the Supporting Documents Checklist. Failure to do so will result in the application being deemed incomplete and ineligible for further consideration.

4. Applicants applying for more than one programme must submit a separate complete application for each programme applied for.

5. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

6. Providing false, misleading or incomplete information may result in automatic disqualification from the selection process or withdrawal of a scholarship award.

7. IUCEA reserves the right to verify any information and supporting documentation submitted as part of the application process.

8. Successful applicants may commence their studies at the earliest available intake, depending on the admission schedules and academic calendars of the respective host universities.

9. Submission of an application does not guarantee the award of a scholarship.

10. The scholarship opportunity cannot be deferred to a later time or transferred to another person. Failure to take up the opportunity at the time of the award will result in its termination.

CONDITIONS FOR APPLICATION

By applying, the applicant agrees to comply with all conditions for participating in this call

IUCEA and KFW reserve the right to reject applications that fail to meet the eligibility and selection requirements.

CONTACT & SUPPORT

For any assistance or clarification regarding this call, do not hesitate to contact;

IUCEA: eacsp@iucea.org ACI : scholarships@adroitconsultinternational.com

Important dates