The Axel Adler Scholarship is not a separate application you can send tomorrow. You earn the right to apply for it by how you apply to the University of Gothenburg first, and the first step has a deadline of 15 January 2027. If you're reading this in October, you have roughly three months to get that right.
Headlines call it "fully funded". Be careful with that phrase. The university describes it as a tuition fee waiver, and nothing more. This guide explains what that means, who qualifies, the exact order of steps for the 2027 round, and how to plan for the costs the scholarship doesn't touch.
What the scholarship is, and what it is not
According to the University of Gothenburg, the scholarship is a tuition fee waiver, and selection is primarily based on your qualifications for the program you applied to. It is funded by the Adlerbertska Scholarship Foundation, the Adlerbertska Grant Foundation and the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR). The foundations pay the tuition fee directly to the university, so you don't pay it yourself.
Because it is a waiver, it is not a cash award. Nothing on the official page promises a monthly stipend, flights or accommodation. Treat rent, food, transport, insurance and your flight as your own responsibility and budget for them before you accept any offer.
The university's page also states there are no citizenship restrictions on the main scholarship. What matters is that you are required to pay tuition fees in Sweden. Nigerian, Ghanaian, Kenyan and South African applicants are normally in that fee-paying group, but confirm your own fee status on the university's pages, especially if you hold a second passport or residence status in the EU/EEA.
Who can apply: the requirements for 2027
The official 2027 page lists these conditions:
- You are required to pay tuition fees in Sweden.
- You apply for an international, campus-based program at the University of Gothenburg, as your first choice.
- You submit your study application by 15 January 2027.
- You pay the application fee and submit documents showing you meet the entry requirements by 1 February 2027, at universityadmissions.se.
Two details trip people up. First, "first choice" means ranking Gothenburg at the top of your list on the national application portal. If you list another Swedish university above it, you're out of this scholarship. Second, the program must be campus-based. The official page notes that the distance-learning master's in Education for Sustainable Development is not eligible for the sustainability scholarship, and the university's own pages say which programs count, so check your program against its list.
The University of Gothenburg's student-facing material for the 2026 round said all full-time master's programs were included, but only selected bachelor's programs. Rules can change each year, so read the 2027 requirements PDF linked from the official page rather than relying on last year's description.
Key dates for the 2027 round
| Step | Date (from the official page) |
|---|---|
| Submit your study application | 15 January 2027 |
| Pay application fee and upload entry documents | 1 February 2027 |
| Email invitation to apply for the scholarship | Around 10 February 2027 |
| Results, master's applicants | 12 April 2027 |
| Results, bachelor's applicants | 15 April 2027 |
The university says late applications are not considered. Don't plan around "the last day"; plan around the day your documents are ready.
How to apply, step by step
- Pick your program and confirm it is campus-based and international. Read the program page for entry requirements, including English proficiency and degree requirements. Check these against your own certificate before you pay anything.
- Create your account at universityadmissions.se and rank the University of Gothenburg first.
- Gather documents early. Transcripts and degree certificates from Nigerian universities can take weeks to release, and some institutions require you to request them in person or through a portal. Start now. If you need an English test, book it with enough time for results to arrive.
- Pay the application fee and upload documents before 1 February 2027. Uploading late means you can be dropped from the scholarship even if your program application was in on time.
- Watch your email around 10 February. The invitation goes only to the address registered on your admissions account. Check spam. Use an email address you can access reliably, not an old school account that you rarely open.
- Write the CV and letter of motivation inside the scholarship system. More on that below.
- Wait for results in April. Meanwhile, keep your normal program application on track, because the scholarship does not replace admission.
Writing the CV and letter of motivation
The 2026 recipient guide published on the Study in Sweden site, run by the Swedish Institute, describes the application as two parts: a CV and a letter of motivation. You can't attach documents; both are typed into the system, and in that round each was capped at 3,000 characters. Confirm the 2027 limits when the invitation arrives, though the program page may publish the questions earlier.
Academic staff rank applications using the CV, the letter, and your general program application and academic record. That means the scholarship is competitive. Per the same guide, generally one scholarship is awarded per program, with extra awards depending on funds. Don't assume your program will have a second chance.
A hypothetical character budget
Say you're a hypothetical Lagos graduate in environmental science applying for a master's. With 3,000 characters for the letter (roughly 450 to 500 words), you might split it like this:
- About 600 characters: the specific reason this Gothenburg program fits, naming a course or research area from its page.
- About 1,000 characters: your strongest evidence, such as a final-year project, a thesis result, or work experience, with one number or outcome.
- About 800 characters: how your background connects to the program and what you plan to do afterwards.
- About 400 characters: why you deserve the waiver, and a plain line on how you'll complete the program.
- About 200 characters: buffer for edits.
For the CV, cut anything unrelated to your degree. A tight list of education, relevant work, projects and awards beats a long one. Our post on writing a motivation letter for a joint master's covers the structure in more depth, and it transfers well to a short-form letter like this.
The sustainability scholarship
The university also runs the Axel Adler Scholarship for Sustainability, an additional tuition waiver for students admitted to its sustainability-focused master's programs. Bachelor's programs are not eligible. The university keeps a list of which programs count, and a program that merely sounds related may not be on it.
The 2026 recipient guide says eligible students can apply for both within the same application, with one extra question about your sustainability focus, but you can only receive one. The official FAQ adds that you can't combine this scholarship with another that covers tuition, and while you may apply for several tuition scholarships you can only be awarded one.
Planning for costs the waiver doesn't cover
A tuition waiver helps most when the rest of your finances are in order. Before you accept admission, work out:
- Living costs. Look up the Swedish Migration Agency's current requirement for how much money students must show for a residence permit. Don't rely on a blog's figure, including ours. The agency is at migrationsverket.se.
- Insurance and health cover. Check the university's and Migration Agency's pages for what you need.
- Travel and first-month costs. Flights, a deposit, bedding and a winter coat add up quickly.
- Currency risk. If your savings are in naira, cedis or shillings and your costs are in Swedish kronor, a weak local currency raises your real cost. Keep a margin.
Be honest with yourself here. Winning the waiver doesn't help if you can't prove or sustain your living costs. If you can't, consider scholarships that include a stipend, or combine the waiver with a separate funding source. Our 12-month scholarship timeline helps you stack applications so you aren't relying on one result.
Common mistakes
- Ranking Gothenburg second. You become ineligible, even if you love the program.
- Missing the 1 February document deadline. The scholarship needs both dates, not just the 15 January one.
- Using an unreliable email. The invitation is sent once to your admissions email. If you don't see it by the expected date, the official contact is [email protected], per the university's materials.
- Paying an agent for "guaranteed" scholarships. The application is free of any scholarship fee, and the invitation arrives by email from the university. Nobody can sell you a place. Read our guide to fake scholarship agents and paid-for-award scams.
- Treating the scholarship as automatic. Websites that say you are "automatically considered" are wrong about the process. You must receive the invitation and submit your CV and letter.
- Relying on aggregator pages. Many "fully funded" posts blur the line between tuition and living costs. Use the university's page.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Axel Adler Scholarship fully funded?
It covers tuition only, as a fee waiver. Living, travel and similar costs are yours to arrange.
Do I need to apply separately before January?
No separate form exists at this stage. You apply for your program, rank Gothenburg first, pay the fee and document eligibility. The scholarship invitation follows by email.
Can I apply after the deadline?
No. The university states late applications are not considered.
Can I hold another tuition scholarship too?
You can apply for several, but you can only be awarded one tuition fee scholarship, according to the university's FAQ.
Does it cover the whole program?
It is a waiver for the program, but the 2026 recipient guide and other material mention progress requirements. Read the 2027 requirements PDF for the exact conditions on keeping it.
Your next step
Open the official Gothenburg page this week, download the 2027 requirements PDF, and check that your chosen master's is campus-based and international. Then list every document you need and request your transcripts today, because that is usually the slowest part.
Sources
- Axel Adler Scholarship - University of Gothenburg
- Scholarship opportunities in Sweden for international students 2026 - University of Gothenburg
- Guide to Gothenburg University's Axel Adler Scholarship - Study in Sweden
Details checked against the official sources above on 19 October 2026. Things change, so confirm on the official site before you act.
Scholarship details, deadlines and eligibility can change. Always confirm on the official website before applying, and never pay anyone who promises to "guarantee" a scholarship.