A PhD advert that says "funded" can mean very different things. It might cover your tuition only. It might pay a monthly stipend but leave you to find the fees. Or it might be a salaried research job with tuition included. If you apply without knowing which, you can win a place you can't afford to take up.
This guide explains how PhD funding usually works, where Nigerian and other African applicants can look, how to read an offer line by line, and what to do before you spend money on applications. It doesn't quote specific amounts, because those change by university, country and year. Always take figures from the official advert.
The main ways a PhD gets paid for
Most funded PhDs fall into one of five types. Knowing the type tells you what the work will be like and how competitive it is.
- Project-funded studentship or position. A professor has a grant and advertises a specific topic. Funding is already attached, and you are being hired or admitted to do that project. The adverts for Texas State's hydroecology PhD are an example of this kind of listing.
- Departmental or university studentship. The department awards funding to the best applicants across a programme, often with your own proposed topic. See the LSE demography studentship post for how one is structured.
- Teaching-based funding. You receive support in exchange for teaching or marking. The Liverpool economics teaching fellowship is an example. It's real funding, but it takes time from your research.
- External scholarship. A government, foundation or employer pays, and you bring the award to the university. Examples include national scholarship schemes, though each has its own rules, so check the official page.
- Self-funded or part-funded. You pay some or all of it. This is common for applicants who get admission but no award.
What "fully funded" should include
Use this as a checklist. A genuinely full package normally covers three things, and sometimes a fourth.
- Tuition or fees. Waived or paid by the funder. Check whether this is the home rate or the international rate. Some funding only covers the lower home rate, which leaves international students with a gap.
- Living stipend. A regular payment. Check its length (often three to four years, sometimes less) and whether it is taxed.
- Duration. Does the funding last as long as the programme, or only the first year?
- Extras. Travel to the university, visa and health charges, research costs, conference money. Many adverts don't include these, so ask.
If an advert doesn't state who is eligible by nationality, write to the contact person and ask directly: "Is this funding open to international applicants from Nigeria at the international fee rate?" One short email can save you weeks.
Where to look for funded PhDs
Start with places that are official and free to read.
- University "funding" or "fees and scholarships" pages. Go to the department you want, not just the main university page.
- Department vacancy lists. Research groups often post projects there before they appear anywhere else.
- Funder websites. National research councils, foundations and international programmes publish their own rules and dates.
- Your own supervisor network. A former lecturer who knows someone abroad can be more useful than any list.
For a broader view of master's-level options as well, read our list of closing scholarship deadlines, then check each official page yourself for the current date.
Contacting a potential supervisor
In many systems, especially in the UK, Europe, Canada, Australia and parts of the US, you need a supervisor who agrees to work with you before your application goes far. Do this properly.
- Read two or three of their recent papers. You need to say something specific about them.
- Write a short email. Aim for about 150 to 200 words: who you are, your degree and class, your research interest, one sentence linking it to their work, and a clear question about whether they take students and whether funding exists.
- Attach a one-page CV. Our guide to a one-page scholarship CV will help.
- Follow up once. Wait about two weeks. If there's no reply, move on. Professors are busy and many emails go unanswered.
Don't send the same email to forty professors. It's obvious, and it gets ignored. Ten careful emails beat a hundred copied ones.
Worked example: comparing two offers
This is hypothetical, with invented round numbers, just to show how to compare. Say Amaka, a Nigerian graduate with a strong master's, gets two offers.
| Item (per year) | Offer A | Offer B |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | Waived | Waived at home rate only; international gap of 8,000 units |
| Stipend | 20,000 units | 24,000 units |
| Teaching required | None | 6 hours a week |
| Funding length | 3 years | 3 years |
Offer B looks better because the stipend is higher. But the 8,000 gap takes the real benefit to about 16,000 a year, which is less than A. It also adds teaching hours. Unless the department confirms in writing that the gap will be covered, A is the stronger offer. The lesson: subtract any fees you still have to pay from the stipend before comparing.
Common mistakes
- Treating admission as funding. An offer letter and a funding letter are separate things. Don't resign from a job until you have both.
- Ignoring living costs. A stipend that looks big in naira may be thin in a high-cost city. Check rent in the city before accepting.
- Missing a separate funding deadline. Some universities close funding applications earlier than admissions. Note both dates.
- Weak referees. Funding panels read references closely. Our post on choosing referees when you have no lecturer helps if your academic contacts are thin.
- Paying anyone to "secure" a place. See the warning below.
Watch for scams
Real PhD supervisors and universities don't charge you for a funded place. Be suspicious of any agent who asks for payment to "guarantee" a studentship, sends an offer from a free email address, or pressures you to pay quickly. Confirm any offer by finding the department's contact details on the university's own website, not from the message you received. A normal application fee paid to the university's official portal is different, but check it on the official page.
Different situations, different advice
- You have a first-class or strong second-class upper degree and a master's. You're competitive for project and departmental funding. Spend your time on supervisor emails.
- You have no master's yet. Many programmes expect one, though some systems accept a strong bachelor's. Check the entry rules. A funded master's may be the better first step.
- You work full-time. Funded PhDs usually expect full-time study. Plan how you will leave your job, and ask whether part-time is allowed.
- You're in Ghana, Kenya or South Africa. Local and regional funders may exist, so check national research councils and your own university's postgraduate office as well as foreign options.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a research proposal?
For open-topic studentships, usually yes. For advertised projects, often only a statement about why the project interests you. The advert will say.
Can I take family with me?
Dependant rules depend on the visa and country, and funding rarely covers dependants. Check the official immigration site before deciding.
When should I start?
Many funded positions close months before the start date, often between autumn and early the next year for September intakes. Begin contacting supervisors several months earlier.
What if I only get admission without funding?
Ask the department whether it can put you on a waiting list for funding, and look for external scholarships. Don't accept a place you cannot pay for.
Your next step this week
Pick three research groups whose work matches your master's thesis. Read one recent paper from each, and write the first supervisor email today. Keep a simple sheet with each funding type, deadline and what it covers, so you can compare offers like in the example above.
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.