An NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) is established to tackle social and political challenges such as poverty, humanitarian aid, and human rights advocacy. Although it operates independently from government control, it may still receive government funding to carry out its objectives and offer support to those in need. In addition to government funding, NGOs also receive support from philanthropic organizations, well-off individuals, corporations, and local communities. The funds collected are utilized by the NGO to address the aforementioned social issues, including offering the best NGO scholarship for poor students.
NGO scholarship for poor students
Individuals from economically disadvantaged backgrounds who aspire to continue their education beyond high school but lack the financial means can apply for this NGO scholarship for poor students. With these scholarships, you can pursue your academic and career goals without worrying about funding. Although these scholarships are specifically designed for students from low-income families, there are additional eligibility requirements that must be met to receive the scholarship.
In this article, we have not only compiled a list of the best NGO scholarship for poor students from low-income families:
1. Wells Mountain Foundation Scholarship
The Wells Mountain Foundation offers numerous scholarships to students seeking to undertake undergraduate studies in medicine & health sciences, community development, law, education, social work, business, information technology, agriculture, and engineering. They offer scholarship for poor students through the Empowerment Through Education (ETE) program.
This scholarship, on average, provides $1,500 per year to support the cost of tuition and fees, books, food, and accommodation.
To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Have completed secondary education and be pursuing a bachelor’s degree or diploma
- Be over 35 years of age
- Be studying in their home country or another developing country
- Be enrolled in a program of study that will benefit their community and/or home country.
2. Google ICT Scholarship
The Google ICT Scholarship aims to empower women in the field of computer and information technology by providing financial support and encouraging them to become leaders in their communities. Selection for this scholarship, designed for economically disadvantaged students, will be based on academic merit and leadership potential. The scholarship award is valued at $10,000, with additional grants of $1,000 given to each remaining finalist.
To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must:
- Be in their final year of undergraduate study or enrolled in a graduate program at a university in the United States.
- Pursue a major in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field.
- Be enrolled in full-time studies.
- Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale or 4.5 on a 5.0 scale.
3. Erasmus Mundus Scholarships
The Erasmus Mundus Joint Scholarships program is open to students from both the European Union and non-European Union countries who are seeking to enroll in a master’s degree program. This scholarship, funded by the European Union, is designed to support underprivileged students.
The scholarship covers a range of expenses, including student participation costs (such as tuition fees and comprehensive insurance coverage), travel and relocation expenses, and a monthly allowance for the duration of the program.
To be eligible, candidates must be students from any part of the world looking to pursue a master’s degree program. Applicants must secure their place in the program before submitting their scholarship application.
4. K.U. Leuven IRO Scholarship
The KU Leuven IRO offers annual scholarships to exceptional students from developing nations to pursue doctoral or pre-doctoral programs at KU Leuven in Belgium.
The scholarship provides support for a maximum of five years, including one pre-doctoral year and four doctoral years. The scholarship can be renewed annually based on the beneficiary’s supervisor’s annual evaluation.
To be eligible for the scholarship, candidates must:
- Be a citizen of a developing country recognized on the OECD-DAC list.
- Be under the age of 35 years.
- Demonstrate exceptional academic achievements.
5. Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship
The Aga Khan Foundation is an international non-profit organization that provides scholarships to students from developing countries to attend universities in Canada, the United States, France, and Portugal. The scholarship program is designed to support students who want to pursue postgraduate studies in fields such as Architecture, Health, Civil Society, Planning & Building, Culture, Rural Development, Economic Development, Humanitarian Assistance, Education, and Music.
The scholarship award only covers tuition and accommodation expenses. To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be a citizen of a developing country
- Demonstrate financial need and have an outstanding academic record
- Be under the age of 30 years old.
6. Forte Foundation Scholarship
The Forté Foundation established an NGO scholarship for poor students exclusively for women to encourage them to pursue full-time, part-time, or executive MBA programs at universities overseas.
To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Applicants must demonstrate outstanding leadership abilities as team leaders or community leaders, and exhibit a dedication to helping women reach their full career potential
- They must also have a strong academic background and an impressive record of professional achievements.
- The intended scholarship recipients must possess a minimum of a UK Second Class Honours degree or its international equivalent.
- Candidates from prestigious institutions must have a minimum overall grade average of 7/10 or 60%.
- Applicants from other recognized institutions must hold a minimum overall grade average of 7.5-8/10 or 65-70%.
- Prospective awardees should have at least three years of relevant post-graduate work experience.
7. Alpha Delta Kappa Scholarships
The Alpha Delta Kappa Scholarship is designed for women who aspire to acquire knowledge in American educational methods. They offer a sum of $10,000 to cover the tuition fee for studies at a college or university located in the United States. It remains one of the leading scholarships provided by non-profit organizations for underprivileged students globally.
To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Single women with no dependents maintain this status throughout the scholarship period
- Non-U.S citizens residing outside of the United States and continue to do so during the scholarship tenure
- Age between 20 and 35 years old as of the application deadline of the academic year they wish to start
8. Anne van den Ban Fund Scholarship
The Anne van den Ban Scholarship, named in honor of the renowned Professor Anne van den Ban who taught at Wageningen University, has joined forces with the university to offer financial support to students from developing nations and countries in the Middle and Eastern Europe. The aim of this NGO scholarship for poor students, provided by a leading non-government organization, is to assist these students in obtaining the education and skills necessary to tackle agricultural production, rural development, and environmental challenges in their respective countries.
To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must:
- First, be accepted into their desired program at Wageningen University.
- Have a strong academic background from their home country.
- Additionally, successful candidates must be committed to returning to their home country after completing their degree.
9. CANADA-HOPE Scholarship Program
The CANADA-HOPE scholarship provides an opportunity for talented and aspiring young scientists and clinicians from Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) as designated by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the United Nations (UN) to receive training and education in some of Canada’s top scientific facilities.
The NGO scholarship for poor students offers mentorship from prominent Canadian researchers to equip the students with the skills and hands-on experience necessary to make meaningful contributions to their home countries upon completion of their studies in Canada.
To be eligible, candidates must have a mentor in their respective field at a recognized institution in Canada and secure sponsorship from a recognized institution in sub-continental South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan) or Sub-Saharan Africa.
Please note that students who hold Canadian citizenship or have applied for permanent residency in Canada are not eligible for the CANADA-HOPE scholarship.
10. Christine Bolt Scholarship
The Christine Ian Bolt Scholarship, named in honor of the late Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Kent, has been established by her husband Ian Bolt. The scholarship is intended for postgraduate students conducting research in American history, with a focus on material or sources located in the United States.
Furthermore, the scholarship offers the opportunity for students to conduct research for their MPhil or Ph.D. thesis in the United States. The scholarship award is valued at £10,000 and covers tuition fees and other associated expenses during the research period.
To be eligible for the NGO scholarship for poor students, applicants must hold a strong bachelor’s degree with first-class or second-class upper honors or a master’s degree with merit or distinction. Additionally, strong communication skills (both written and oral) are required, as candidates must be able to clearly explain their project to individuals without a specialist background.
11. Eric Bleumink Fund Scholarship
The Eric Bleumink Fund Scholarship is designed to support talented students and young researchers from developing countries who aspire to pursue a Master’s degree program. The scholarship covers the cost of tuition, travel, living expenses, books, and health insurance.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must meet the following criteria:
- Demonstrate exceptional academic achievements, as evidenced by letters of recommendation.
- Have received a conditional acceptance to the desired Master’s degree program before the scholarship’s application deadline.
- Possess outstanding grades from your undergraduate studies.
- Prove proficiency in the English language, as per the admission requirements of the chosen Master’s program.
- Be available to fully participate in the program and complete the studies.
- Have no financial support for the Master’s program.
12. Honjo International Scholarship Foundation
The Honjo International Scholarship offers opportunities for international students to pursue a graduate program of their choice at a higher-learning institution in Japan. The scholarship amount varies based on the length of the program.
For graduate programs lasting between 1 and 2 years, recipients will receive a monthly stipend of 200,000 Yen. For programs lasting three or more years, the monthly stipend will be 180,000 Yen. For graduate programs lasting 4 years or more, the monthly stipend will be 150,000 Yen.
To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must:
- Be registered to study or have been admitted to a graduate program starting after April 1st.
- Provide proof of enrollment or a letter of admission.
- Be no more than 30 years old for master’s programs and 35 years old for Ph.D. programs.
- Demonstrate their ability to secure employment in their home country after completing their graduate program.
- Not hold Japanese citizenship.
- Demonstrate financial need.
13. Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund Scholarship
The Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund (MMMF) annually awards scholarships to female students from developing nations to develop their leadership skills and positively impact the lives of women and children.
Awards of up to $15,000 are available to women from developing and middle-income nations, with the expectation that upon completion of their studies, they will return to their home country or another developing country to make a difference.
To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be a citizen of a country listed on the MMMF Country Eligibility List.
- Be 25 years of age or older by the application deadline.
- Demonstrate a commitment to empowering women and children in developing countries.
- Be enrolled at a recognized institution at the time of application and plan to be enrolled full-time upon receiving the award.
- Not be related to any staff member or spouse working for the World Bank Group, International Monetary Fund, or Inter-American Development Bank.
- Not have previously received an MMMF grant.
14. Mo Ibrahim Foundation GDAI Ph.D. Scholarship
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation (MIF) awards scholarships on an annual basis to African students for pursuing a full-time Ph.D. program in Governance for Development in Africa at the University of London in the U.K.
The selected scholars will be given an amount of £5,000 in the second and third years of the study program. The scholarship funds will cover tuition fees for the entire three-year program and accommodation expenses only for the first and third years.
The scholarship also includes two round-trip airfare tickets, one for the first year and one for the viva.
Eligibility
- The candidate must be a permanent resident of an African nation.
- Preference will be given to applicants who reside in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Note: The above criteria are subject to change and are only meant to provide a general overview of the eligibility requirements
How can I get an NGO scholarship for poor students?
Obtaining a scholarship from an NGO is comparable to securing any other scholarship. The process involves meeting the eligibility criteria specified by each scholarship program for underprivileged students and submitting your application before the deadline.
Subsequently, it is imperative to monitor your email and the scholarship website frequently to be aware of the announcement of the awardees.
Are there 100% full NGO scholarships for poor students?
Indeed. There are numerous fully-funded NGO scholarships accessible to students globally, allowing them to pursue any degree program of their preference at higher education institutions. You can discover some of these comprehensive NGO scholarships in the article mentioned.
