Fulbright Foreign Student Program for Nigerian PhD Students
- Country
- United States
- Institution
- US universities (placement arranged by the Institute of International Education)
- Value
- Fully funded research stay — flights, monthly stipend, housing, insurance and allowances
- Level
- phd
- Eligibility
- International Students
- Field
- Any/All fields of study
About
Quick answer: In Nigeria, the Fulbright Foreign Student Program is NOT a full Master’s/PhD degree scholarship. It is a doctoral “sandwich” research grant: Nigerian PhD students who are at least two years into a doctorate at a Nigerian university go to a US university to carry out part of their research, fully funded by the US Department of State. Master’s and first-degree applicants are not eligible on this track.
The 2026/2027 competition closed on 1 June 2026. The next cycle has not been announced; recent cycles opened around February — watch the US Embassy Nigeria website. Ignore any aggregator blog quoting a “current” Fulbright Nigeria deadline until the embassy itself publishes one.
Eligibility
- Nigerian citizen (or permanent resident with a valid Nigerian passport).
- PhD student at least two years into the programme at a Nigerian university or research institute, with your institution’s endorsement.
- Strong academic record; TOEFL score of 90+.
- Preference for applicants who have not studied in the US before; previous Fulbright student grantees cannot reapply.
- Grantees cannot bring dependants (spouse/children) on this grant.
Additional Information
How to apply: when the next call opens on ng.usembassy.gov, submit the IIE online application plus supporting documents before the stated deadline. Application is free. Looking for full-degree funding in the US instead? See our fully funded scholarships for Nigerian students.