Scholarship Roundup, June 2026: What's Genuinely Open, What's Coming, and One Important Correction

Before going through each item, one clarification matters enough to state upfront: Chevening has not opened applications for a "2027 intake" as of today, June 19, 2026. The official Chevening application timeline confirms the most recent cycle ran from 5 August 2025 to 7 October 2025 — that was the application window for students starting their UK master's in September/October 2026 (commonly referred to as the "2026/2027 cohort"). Results for that cohort are expected around June 2027. The next application window, for students starting in 2027/2028, is expected to open around August 2026 — still roughly six weeks away from today, not currently open. I've corrected this in the write-up below rather than repeating the premise as fact, since presenting a closed or not-yet-open scholarship as "now open" could cause real harm to applicants who go looking for a live portal that doesn't exist yet.

1. Chevening Scholarship — 2027/2028 Intake: Not Yet Open, Here's the Real Timeline

Chevening is the UK government's flagship international scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in partnership with UK universities and other contributing organisations. Since its founding in 1983, it has awarded scholarships to more than 60,000 professionals from over 160 countries and territories, building one of the most extensive and influential global alumni networks of any scholarship programme in existence — alumni who go on to occupy positions across government, business, civil society, media, and academia in their home countries.

The scholarship funds a one-year taught master's degree at any UK university of the recipient's choosing, in any subject. This flexibility distinguishes Chevening from many other major international scholarships, which often restrict recipients to specific institutions or fields of study. The package is comprehensive: full university tuition fees, a monthly stipend to cover living costs, return economy airfare to and from the UK, an arrival allowance, a homeward departure allowance, the cost of one UK visa application, and a discretionary travel grant to attend official Chevening events during the scholar's time in the UK.

Crucially, Chevening is explicitly not a purely academic award. The selection process weighs four criteria: demonstrated leadership and influence, networking ability, a clearly articulated plan for how the UK degree will translate into positive impact back home, and the quality and coherence of the overall study proposal. Roughly 1,500 to 1,800 scholarships are awarded globally each year, against an estimated acceptance rate in the region of 2 to 3 percent — making it one of the most competitive scholarship programmes in the world relative to its applicant pool.

Eligibility for the next cycle (2027/2028, for study beginning in September/October 2027) will almost certainly mirror the requirements applied in the most recent cycle: applicants must be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country or territory (over 160 are currently eligible, though the list is reviewed periodically); must hold an undergraduate degree equivalent to a UK upper-second-class (2:1) honours degree; must have accumulated at least 2,800 hours of work experience (roughly two years of full-time equivalent work, which can include paid or unpaid internships, part-time work, or voluntary work, accumulated over a longer period if not continuous); must have completed their undergraduate degree at least two years before the relevant application deadline; and must commit, as a binding condition of the award, to returning to their home country for a minimum of two years after the scholarship ends. Applicants must also apply to three eligible UK master's courses and secure at least one unconditional offer by a mid-year deadline (this fell on 9 July in the most recent cycle).

There are also standard exclusions: holders of British or dual British citizenship are not eligible (with limited exceptions for British Overseas Territories citizens or BN(O) status holders from Hong Kong); individuals currently or recently employed by, or closely related to someone employed by, the UK government, British embassies or high commissions, the British Council, or sponsoring UK universities are excluded from that specific year's competition; and those who have previously studied in the UK on a separate UK-government-funded scholarship are generally ineligible to reapply.

For Nigerian applicants specifically — who fall within Chevening's eligible country list — practical preparation should begin now, well ahead of the actual opening. Past Chevening guidance and successful applicants consistently emphasise that the most competitive applications are not written in the weeks before the deadline but developed over months: refining a specific, evidence-based personal leadership narrative; researching and shortlisting three genuinely suitable UK master's programmes; lining up referees early; and beginning to draft essay responses to Chevening's standard prompts (leadership examples, networking examples, career plan, study choice rationale) well before the portal goes live. Reapplication is explicitly permitted and common — many successful Chevening scholars were selected only after a second or third attempt.

Recommended action: do not search for or attempt to access a "2027 intake" portal today, as none exists yet. Instead, bookmark chevening.org and watch for the official opening announcement expected around August 2026, with a deadline historically falling in the first or second week of October.

2. University of Genoa PhD Scholarships (Italy) — Genuinely Open Now, Deadline 9 July 2026

Unlike Chevening, this opportunity checks out as currently live. The University of Genoa (Università degli Studi di Genova) has officially opened applications for its 2026/2027 PhD programmes, with the university confirming a formal application deadline of 9 July 2026 at 12:00 noon Central European Summer Time — roughly three weeks from today, making this the most time-sensitive item on this list.

UniGe is one of Italy's largest and most prestigious universities, and its PhD offerings span a broad portfolio of structured doctoral programmes, many delivered in collaboration with other Italian or international universities and research institutions, reflecting Italy's increasingly networked approach to doctoral training. Programmes run for a minimum of three years and provide candidates with structured academic training, hands-on research supervision, and professional development oriented toward careers in academia, industry, and international institutions.

A significant number of scholarships are available across the various doctoral fields on offer, and — critically for international applicants — some positions are specifically reserved for non-EU candidates residing abroad, a deliberate design choice that reflects the university's institutional commitment to internationalisation and academic diversity rather than treating international applicants as an afterthought competing against a much larger domestic pool. One concrete current example of the scale involved: the University of Genoa's PhD Programme in Security, Risk and Vulnerability for its XLII Cycle (the June 2026 call) is offering 20 total positions, of which 19 carry scholarships — an unusually high scholarship-to-place ratio that illustrates how seriously individual doctoral programmes within the university are funded.

Selection methodology varies by specific programme but generally involves some combination of academic qualification assessment, review of publications (where applicable), interviews, and in some cases written examinations. Candidates must register through the university's UniGePass online identity system before submitting any application, and the formal call documentation for this cycle is published as Decree of the Rector (DR) 2458, dated 5 June 2026, along with its accompanying Annex A — both of which prospective applicants are strongly advised to read in full, since programme-specific requirements, scholarship amounts, and selection criteria are detailed there rather than in general university marketing materials. Shortlists are published online according to programme-specific timelines following the 9 July deadline, and final admission is determined by ranking results combined with scholarship availability — meaning a strong ranking does not automatically guarantee funded admission if scholarship slots for that specific programme are limited.

For Nigerian and other non-EU prospective doctoral candidates, the practical takeaway is straightforward and urgent: with roughly three weeks remaining before the 9 July deadline, anyone interested needs to identify their target programme on the university's doctoral programmes portal immediately, register on UniGePass without delay, and assemble the required documentation — typically including a research proposal or statement of interest, academic transcripts, degree certificates, a CV, and reference letters — well before the noon CEST cutoff, since international document verification and translation requirements can themselves consume meaningful time.

3. Morocco and Serbia Scholarships — Two Separate National Programmes, Not One Joint Pool

Worth clarifying here too: these are two distinct, unrelated government scholarship schemes rather than a single combined "20 scholarships across Morocco and Serbia" programme. Each merits its own explanation.

The Moroccan Government Scholarship Programme 2026/2027 is administered by the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI) under the Academic Cooperation Programme of the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco. It offers twenty (20) scholarships to international students for the 2026/2027 academic year, covering undergraduate, master's, and doctoral study at Morocco's public universities, higher education institutes, and vocational training centres. The programme spans an unusually broad range of academic disciplines, including medicine, engineering, business, agriculture, and architecture, among others.

The financial package is modest by the standards of fully funded Western scholarships, reflecting both Morocco's lower cost of living and the programme's design as primarily an access-and-cooperation vehicle rather than a lavish stipend scheme: a monthly living allowance of 1,750 Moroccan Dirhams (approximately $175 to $190 depending on exchange rate fluctuations), one one-way ticket to Morocco at the start of the programme and one return ticket at its conclusion, and health insurance coverage. Importantly, the monthly stipend is explicitly described as a living allowance only — it does not cover tuition or enrolment fees, local transportation, accommodation, or other study-related costs, meaning applicants need realistic additional financial planning or separate fee-waiver confirmation before committing.

Eligibility requires possession of an accredited qualification appropriate to the intended level of study (secondary school certificate for undergraduate applicants, a bachelor's degree for master's applicants, a master's degree for doctoral applicants), a strong academic record, and fulfilment of the specific admission requirements of the chosen Moroccan institution. The application deadline cited across multiple current listings is 22 July 2026 — just over a month away. Applications are submitted through the official scholarship portal, with successful candidates subsequently applying for a Moroccan student visa through their nearest Moroccan embassy or consulate before travelling to complete in-person university registration.

The Serbian Government Scholarship for 2026/2027, separately, operates primarily under the "World in Serbia" project — described by the Serbian government as an initiative of national importance, first launched in 2010 and continuing to expand. Unlike Morocco's programme, World in Serbia targets candidates specifically from the 127 member and observer states of the Non-Aligned Movement, spanning Africa, Asia, and Central and South America — Nigeria, as a Non-Aligned Movement member state, falls within this eligible pool. The scholarship enables free education at Serbian public higher education institutions and covers accommodation and meals within Serbia's student standard system, a monthly stipend, and health insurance. A distinctive feature of the Serbian programme is its built-in language preparation component: scholarship recipients attend free, intensive Serbian language courses upon arrival, completed before they formally enrol in their chosen degree programme — a recognition that most instruction at Serbian public universities is delivered in Serbian rather than English, unlike many competing European destinations.

Both programmes represent meaningful, low-cost-of-living alternatives to the more commonly discussed Western European and North American scholarship destinations, and both are particularly worth considering for Nigerian applicants for whom the financial threshold of more expensive destinations (even with full tuition coverage) can remain a barrier due to costs the scholarship does not cover. Prospective applicants should apply directly through each country's official government scholarship portal — applications for both can typically also be coordinated through the applicant's home-country embassy of the relevant country, where one exists, which can assist with verifying current deadlines and required documentation.

4. Nigerian Student Kamdi Okeke Wins $442,044 — But the Full Story Is Even More Remarkable Than the Headline

This is a genuine and well-documented good-news story, and it deserves the fuller context that the original headline compresses. Kamdi Okeke, a 21-year-old Nigerian student, graduated summa cum laude from Drexel University in Philadelphia on June 11, 2026, earning a Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering with a 3.95 GPA — a result that placed him among the very top graduates of his entire programme and earned him first-class honours with the highest distinction available.

The scholarship award itself is specifically for medical school, not a generic graduate programme as a brief summary might suggest. Okeke achieved a score of 521 on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) — a score that places him in roughly the top 1 to 2 percent of all MCAT test-takers globally, since the maximum possible score is 528 and a 521 is considered an exceptional, top-decile result by any US medical school admissions standard. Combined with his academic record and a substantial portfolio of community service and research contributions spanning biomedical engineering and artificial intelligence applications in healthcare, Okeke secured admission offers from five top-tier United States medical schools and was additionally placed on the waitlist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine — one of the most competitive medical schools in the world, where even a waitlist placement reflects an exceptionally strong application.

He has chosen to attend the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League institution, where he is scheduled to begin his Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme in August 2026. In recognition of his academic excellence, leadership qualities, and demonstrated promise in biomedical innovation and medicine, Okeke was selected for the highly competitive Perelman School of Medicine Twenty-First Century Scholars Award — a merit-based scholarship that covers full tuition and fees for the entire four-year MD programme, valued at more than $320,000. The University of Pennsylvania supplemented this with an additional scholarship package worth $110,511. Combined, the two awards total $442,044 in scholarship support across the full duration of his medical education — meaning Okeke will complete his entire MD degree at one of America's leading medical schools without personal tuition cost.

Okeke's journey to this point has been building for several years and is documented well beyond this single graduation announcement. As early as 2024, while still an undergraduate, he was inducted into Tau Beta Pi, the oldest engineering honour society and the second-oldest collegiate honour society in the United States (founded in 1885), in recognition of his sustained academic distinction and professional integrity. He has been on Drexel's Dean's List continuously since enrolling in winter 2021, and he received Drexel's Paul Scheffler Endowed Award in 2025. His undergraduate training included substantial hands-on research experience, including work at the McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory affiliated with Penn's Perelman School of Medicine, where his research interests centred on biological mechanisms at the molecular level — particularly autophagy, aging, and epigenetic regulation — areas of inquiry that sit at the leading edge of contemporary biomedical research and that plausibly informed both his research portfolio and his eventual specialisation interests heading into medical school.

For the Nigerian education and scholarship community, Okeke's trajectory — Nigerian secondary education, an undergraduate biomedical engineering degree completed with the highest distinction at a respected American research university, and now a fully funded place at an Ivy League medical school — offers both genuine inspiration and a useful template: sustained academic excellence from the outset, early and consistent research engagement rather than research begun only in the final year, strategic standardised test preparation (the MCAT specifically), and a demonstrated, evidenced commitment to community service and applied impact, rather than any single one of these elements in isolation, appear to be what distinguished his application at the most competitive tier of US medical school admissions.

Upcoming Opportunities Worth Tracking: The Bigger Picture

Beyond the four headline items, three broader points are worth tracking for anyone using this period to plan ahead.

Chevening will open for its next cycle (2027/2028 study year) around August 2026, with a deadline historically falling in the first half of October. Given the roughly six-week lead time before opening, now is exactly the right moment to begin the kind of long-form preparation — leadership narrative development, UK programme research, referee identification — that distinguishes competitive applications from rushed ones, even though the portal itself is not yet live.

McCall MacBain Scholarship at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, by contrast, genuinely is open right now for its 2027 cohort, having launched on June 1, 2026. This is Canada's largest leadership-based graduate scholarship programme, offering up to 30 full scholarships (typically split roughly 20 Canadian and 10 international) plus up to 100 additional entrance awards for outstanding candidates pursuing eligible master's or second-entry professional programmes across more than 150 fields of study at McGill. The full scholarship covers tuition and fees for the entire normal duration of the chosen programme, a living stipend of $2,300 per month during academic terms, a one-time relocation grant, and free French language courses — plus, notably, access to up to $5,000 in additional funding for scholars pursuing meaningful summer initiatives during terms when they are not enrolled in academic coursework. International applicants (those studying at universities outside Canada and the United States) face a deadline of 19 August 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time — roughly two months from today. Students and graduates of Canadian and US universities, along with Canadians studying abroad, have a later deadline of 23 September 2026. Eligibility requires either being on track to complete a first bachelor's degree by August 2027, having earned a first bachelor's degree in January 2021 or later, or — for those who graduated more than five years ago — having been 30 years old or younger as of January 1, 2026. Applicants must separately meet the standard admission requirements of their chosen McGill master's or professional programme, including any specific degree and language prerequisites, and the scholarship application process runs in parallel with, but is administratively distinct from, the standard McGill graduate admissions process.

Fully funded scholarship lists more broadly — covering ongoing and newly announced opportunities across the UK, Canada, Germany, Japan, and the United States — continue to be actively updated throughout 2026 by various scholarship-tracking platforms and country-specific government and university portals. For Nigerian students and professionals planning their next academic move, the most efficient practical strategy is to identify two or three reputable, frequently updated tracking platforms (rather than relying on any single source), cross-reference any opportunity of interest directly against the issuing institution or government's own official portal before investing significant application effort, and build a personal calendar of deadlines months in advance — since, as this roundup itself demonstrates, even reputable-sounding scholarship announcements can sometimes conflate timelines, combine separate programmes into one listing, or describe opportunities as "open" when they are in fact still weeks from launching. Verifying directly against the official source before committing time, travel plans, or application fees remains the single most important habit for any serious international scholarship applicant.

Sources

1. Chevening — Official Application Timeline
2. Scholarship Roar — Chevening Scholarship 2027 (Fully Funded) Application Process
3. Global Admissions — Chevening Scholarship 2027-2028: Complete Guide
4. Scholarships Institute — Chevening Scholarship 2027 – Fully Funded
5. MM News — How to Apply for Chevening Scholarship 2027?
6. Global South Opportunities — University of Genoa Announces 2026/2027 PhD Programmes with Scholarship Opportunities for International Candidates
7. Global South Opportunities — Call for Applications: University of Genoa PhD in Security, Risk and Vulnerability with 19 Fully Funded Scholarships Available
8. ScholarshipLit — UniGeApply International Admissions 2026/27 | University of Genoa
9. Opportunities Circle — Moroccan Government Scholarship Programme 2026-27
10. United Nations Recruit — Moroccan Scholarship Programme 2026–2027: Fully Funded Study Opportunity in Morocco
11. Opportunities Pedia — Moroccan Government Scholarship Programme 2026-27 (Fully Funded)
12. JPA Scholarships — Serbia Government Scholarship 2026 | Fully Funded
13. TKI Eswatini — 2025/2026 Scholarships by the Republic of Serbia
14. The Sun Nigeria — Okeke Shines at Drexel, Wins $442,044 Scholarship for UPenn Medical School
15. AllAfrica — Nigerian Student Kamdi Okeke, Graduates Summa Cum Laude, Wins $442,044 UPenn Scholarship
16. Vanguard News — Nigerian Student Kamdi Okeke, Graduates Summa Cum Laude, Wins $442,044 UPenn Scholarship
17. McGill University — McCall MacBain Scholarship | Future Graduate Students
18. McCall MacBain Scholars — Apply Now
19. McCall MacBain Scholars — FAQ
20. ScholarWaka — McCall MacBain Scholarships 2027 in Canada | Fully Funded