We list 3 fully Funded Undergraduate Scholarships for Nigerian Students in New Zealand, with the deadline, study level and eligibility of each one taken from the award's own terms. 2 state eligibility that includes Nigerian applicants. Awards with a known closing date are listed soonest first.
Written from the 3 awards on this page — every figure below is counted from what the awards themselves state. 6 min read.
This page brings together 3 fully funded undergraduate scholarships in New Zealand that are open to Nigerian students. Every award listed here is labelled fully funded by the provider, and every one of them sits at bachelor's level. They come from three institutions: the University of Waikato, the University of Otago and Lincoln University.
New Zealand is a small destination compared with the United Kingdom, Canada or the United States, and the number of awards reflects that. Three is a short list. It is also a list you can work through properly in an afternoon, which is not true of the bigger destinations.
Two of the three awards are open to Nigerian applicants without a nationality restriction written into the award. The eligibility position on the third is not stated on the award itself, so you will need to read the individual page before you decide whether it is worth your time.
These are first-degree awards. The pathway into them is your senior secondary result — WAEC, NECO, NABTEB or SSCE — usually combined with an admission offer from the university before the scholarship is confirmed. Each award page quotes its own entry requirement, and those requirements differ, so treat the general picture as a starting point only.
On eligibility for Nigerian applicants specifically:
That middle line matters. No award on this page singles out Nigeria or the region, which means you are applying as an international candidate in the general pool rather than through a country-specific route. There is no separate Nigerian quota to aim at here, and equally no separate Nigerian barrier.
Two of the three awards ask for a minimum degree class. That wording is worth pausing on. For a bachelor's award it usually refers to the academic standard you must have reached in your previous study — your secondary results, or a completed qualification if you are applying as a mature or transfer candidate. Read the exact wording on each award page rather than assuming it means a UK-style classification.
All three awards are labelled fully funded. Beyond that label, the benefits named in writing on the award pages are narrower than the phrase suggests, so it is worth being precise about what is actually stated.
Tuition is the consistent element. Living costs and health insurance appear on one award each, and they are not necessarily the same award. If you need a contribution towards rent, food and insurance, check which of the three actually says so before you build your plan around it. A fully funded label and a full living stipend are not the same thing, and the difference is the part that decides whether you can afford to go.
None of the awards on this page state a cash value or a number of awards in the brief, so there is no figure to quote here. Where an award page carries that detail, it will be on the page itself.
Two of the three also carry master's awards alongside the undergraduate ones, and the Otago listing extends to PhD. If you are weighing up whether to apply now for a first degree or wait and apply later for postgraduate study, the same three pages serve both routes.
The deadline picture across these three awards is mixed, and that is the single most useful thing to understand before you start gathering documents.
January is the busiest month, with one deadline falling in it. The award closing soonest is the Lincoln University Scholarships 2026-2027, which closes on 31 January — that is 115 days from now. If Lincoln is on your list, it sets your clock. Everything else can be arranged around it.
The other 115 days is not a long runway once you account for what has to happen first: requesting transcripts, paying for them, paying courier fees, and getting an admission decision out of the university. Treat the 31 January date as the end of a process that starts now, not as a date you can begin working towards in December.
The Waikato award is open year-round, which removes deadline pressure but not the need to have your documents ready. The Otago award shows its deadline on the award details, so open that page and read it before you plan anything.
The brief records one requirement across these awards: two of the three ask for a minimum degree class. Nothing else is recorded as a stated requirement, so the practical demands are the standard ones for any international undergraduate application — your secondary school results, proof of English where the university requires it, and an admission offer.
Two things are worth planning for as a Nigerian applicant. First, your WAEC or NECO result is the document the university will assess, and a scratch card or portal verification may be needed alongside the certificate. Second, transcripts and courier fees come out of your own pocket, and the timeline for a Nigerian institution to produce and post a transcript is the part applicants most often underestimate. Start those requests before you need them.
On English tests: some New Zealand universities waive the requirement where your previous education was taught in English. Whether a waiver applies to you is a question for the university's admissions office, not something to assume either way. Ask early, because if a test is required, booking and sitting it adds weeks to your timeline.
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 129 Nigerian students were studying in New Zealand in 2024, placing Nigeria 51st among source countries. That is a small community. It means fewer compatriots to ask for advice once you arrive, and it also means the scholarship pool is not crowded with applicants from Nigeria.
Open the Lincoln page first, because it has the fixed date and the shortest runway. Confirm whether the eligibility wording covers you, then check whether the award names living costs or only tuition. If it covers tuition only, work out the shortfall before you invest in transcripts and courier fees.
Then read Waikato and Otago. Waikato is open year-round, so it suits an applicant who needs more time to assemble documents. Otago covers the widest range of levels, so it is the one to keep on your list even if you are not applying for a first degree this cycle.
Across all three, the sequence is the same: confirm you meet the entry requirement, secure your admission offer, gather your secondary results and any English evidence, and submit well before the stated date. Three awards is a short list, but it is a list you can complete properly rather than skim.
Are you planning to study abroad in 2026 and searching for fully funded opportunities? New Zealand is one of the most sought-after study destinations among international students, offering world-class education, globally ranked universities, and a safe, welcoming environment. The best part is that a number of fully funded and partially funded scholarshipsare now open for international students in New Zealand for the 2025–2026 academic year. These scholarships are available for undergraduate, master’s, and PhD degree programs and offer financial assistance in the form of tuition fee waivers, monthly stipends, accommodation support, travel allowances, and medical insurance.
Whether you’re aiming to pursue higher education in engineering, business, social sciences, life sciences, environmental sciences, or any other field, New Zealand provides generous funding opportunities through government-sponsored programs and university-specific scholarships. Below is a comprehensive guide to some of the top scholarships available for international students in New Zealand, along with their benefits and how to apply.
*UNESCO Institute for Statistics, inbound internationally mobile students from Nigeria, 2024.
A browser notification when a scholarship you can apply for is added or about to close. No account needed.
