The Female Scholars Foundation Scholarship 2026 pays full university costs (tuition, books and living expenses) for young Nigerian women who finished public secondary school with top grades and have been admitted into a public university. Applications opened on 1 October and close on 31 December 2026.
The entry bar is high. You must be 20 or younger, score at least 240 in the 2026 UTME and have five WAEC or NECO grades between A1 and B3. Winners also get mentorship, coaching and internship openings through the foundation’s network for the whole degree.
What the Female Scholars Foundation Scholarship covers
- Full tuition for your undergraduate degree
- Books and living expenses for the length of the course
- Mentorship from professionals in your field
- Regional and international internship openings through the FSF network
- Leadership and interpersonal skills training through private coaching, webinars and group retreats
The Female Scholars Foundation is a non-profit that sponsors university education for young women, with a focus on girls from rural areas, and supports them with guidance and mentorship so they are ready for professional jobs. It works with individuals, private companies, government bodies and development organisations.
Costs the foundation has not spelled out
“Living expenses” is the vaguest line in the offer. The foundation has not published a monthly amount, whether it pays you or your school, or whether hostel fees count as tuition or living costs. It has also not said whether it covers the costs most freshers meet before any scholarship money arrives.
- Acceptance fee and first registration charges, usually due weeks before the 31 December closing date
- Medical screening, ID card and faculty dues at resumption
- A laptop, which many courses now expect even if they do not require it
- Travel to any internship or retreat outside your state
Plan to cover these from home or another source for the first semester, and ask the foundation directly if you are shortlisted.
Female Scholars Foundation Scholarship eligibility
- Gender: female.
- Nationality: Nigerian.
- Age: 20 years or below.
- Secondary school: graduated from a public (government) secondary school.
- UTME: at least 240 in the 2026 JAMB UTME.
- O’level: at least five grades from A1 to B3 in WAEC or NECO.
- Admission: admitted into a public university in Nigeria.
Quick self-check
| Requirement | You qualify | You do not qualify |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 20 or younger | 21 or older |
| Secondary school | Public school | Private school |
| 2026 UTME | 240 and above | 239 and below |
| WAEC or NECO | Five or more A1, B2 or B3 grades | Fewer than five grades in that range |
| University | Federal or state university | Private university |
If your score is borderline, check it again with our guide on checking your JAMB result before you apply.
Eligibility edge cases
- Turning 21 soon: the published rule is “20 or below”. The call does not say on which date your age is measured, so if your birthday falls near the deadline, apply early while you are clearly within the limit.
- Older UTME score: the call asks for the 2026 UTME. A 2025 score, even a high one, does not match the wording.
- Direct Entry: the rules are built around a UTME score, so Direct Entry students without a 2026 UTME result do not fit.
- Polytechnics and colleges of education: only public universities are named.
- Moved from a private to a public school: the rule is that you graduated from a public school. If you finished SS3 in a government school, you meet the wording.
- Two sittings of WAEC or NECO: the call does not say whether the five A1 to B3 grades must come from one sitting. Upload what you have and do not hide a second result.
Information to prepare before you apply
- Full name, address, date of birth, state of origin and nationality
- An active phone number and email address
- Your public secondary school’s name and your graduation date
- WAEC or NECO exam details and grades
- Your 2026 JAMB score
- Your university and course, and your admission status
- Your O’level result and UTME result for upload
- A personal motivation essay
Scan or photograph each result in good light so every grade is readable, and save it as a PDF or clear image. Name the files plainly (“WAEC-result-Amina-Bello.pdf”) so nobody has to guess what they are opening. Type your name the same way it appears on JAMB and WAEC records.
How to write the Female Scholars Foundation motivation essay
The essay is where you stand apart from other girls with the same grades. Every shortlisted applicant has 240 or more and five strong O’level grades, so the essay and the interview decide who gets the place. The foundation has not published a word limit or a set question, so write something you could read aloud in about three minutes, roughly 400 to 600 words, unless the form gives a limit.
A structure that works:
- Where you come from: one real scene from your home, town or school. FSF says it focuses on young women from rural areas, so if that is your story, show it with detail.
- What you achieved with what you had: your grades from a public school, responsibilities at home, any leadership role.
- Why your course: a specific reason, not “I have always loved science”.
- What you will do with the mentoring and internships: the foundation prepares scholars for professional jobs, so name the kind of work you want.
- What you will give back: one concrete plan, such as tutoring girls in your old school.
A sample opening: “The nearest secondary school to my village was a forty-minute walk, and by SS2 I was one of three girls left in a class that started with eleven. I scored 262 in UTME from that school, and I am now admitted to study Pharmacy because our only chemist shop closes whenever the owner travels.” Write your own; selectors read hundreds of essays and can tell when an opening was copied.
I would draft it this week, leave it for two days, then cut anything that sounds like a speech. Ask a teacher to check spelling, but keep your own voice.
How to apply for the Female Scholars Foundation Scholarship 2026
- Check your admission: make sure your public university admission shows on JAMB. Our JAMB CAPS guide shows how to accept it.
- Open the application: the foundation’s apply page is femalescholars.org/apply-now. ScholarshipAir lists this Google Form for the 2026 call.
- Fill every section: personal details, school details, exam grades and admission status.
- Upload your results and essay: O’level result, 2026 UTME result and motivation essay.
- Submit by 31 December 2026: and keep a screenshot of the confirmation.
If the two links show different forms, use the one the foundation’s website points to. The foundation’s own form is final.
Applying is free. Never pay anyone who offers to submit, “fast track” or guarantee your application.
A practical tip on Google Forms: they often do not save a half-finished entry if you close the tab. Write your essay in a notes app first, then paste it in, and fill the form in one sitting with your files ready on the same phone or computer.
How winners are selected, and what happens after you apply
In the last cycle, FSF selected scholars in three steps: academic merit from JAMB and WAEC or NECO results, the motivation essay, then an interview for shortlisted candidates. Keep your phone on and check your email, including spam, in the weeks after you apply.
- Screening: forms that miss the age, UTME, O’level or school-type rule are dropped first.
- Essay review: the foundation reads the motivation essays of those who pass screening.
- Interview: shortlisted candidates are interviewed. The format (phone, video or in person) has not been published. Be ready to talk through your essay, your course choice and your family situation.
- Award: winners are contacted. The foundation has not published a results date, the number of places or any CGPA you must keep to stay on the scholarship.
2025 and 2026 calls compared
| Detail | 2025 call | 2026 call |
|---|---|---|
| UTME minimum | 240 (2025 UTME) | 240 (2026 UTME) |
| Age limit | 20 or younger | 20 or younger |
| Deadline | 1 December 2025 | 31 December 2026 |
| Application | apply.femalescholars.org portal | femalescholars.org/apply-now and Google Form |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Applying with a 2025 UTME score or a score below 240.
- Applying from a private university, polytechnic or college of education.
- Writing a generic essay that could belong to any applicant.
- Uploading blurred result photos where grades cannot be read.
- Leaving it to the last week of December, when holidays, travel and network problems get in the way.
- Missing the interview call because the phone number on the form was a parent’s line that is often off.
Similar scholarships for young women and freshers
| Scholarship | Who it targets | Value | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female Scholars Foundation | Women 20 or younger, public school, public university, UTME 240+ | Tuition, books, living costs | 31 December 2026 |
| ICON Scholarship | Students newly admitted to Nigerian universities | First-year tuition | 15 November 2026 |
| ASMAF Scholarship | Indigent women in professional courses at public universities | Tuition, board and upkeep for up to six years | 15 September 2027 |
| Afro-Tech Girls Undergraduate Scholarship | Female STEM students at public universities and polytechnics | ₦100,000 once | 25 September 2027 |
Federal university students can also look at the Carewave Aspire Scholarship, which closes on 9 November 2026. You can apply to several of these at once; none of the published calls forbids it.
Who should apply, and who should not
Apply if you are a Nigerian woman aged 20 or below, you finished at a public secondary school, you scored 240 or more in the 2026 UTME, you have at least five A1 to B3 grades and you have been admitted to a federal or state university. If you also come from a rural community or a family that cannot carry university costs, this is one of the few fully funded awards in Nigeria built for you.
Do not spend time on it if you are male, above 20, from a private secondary school, below 240, or admitted to a private university or a polytechnic. The table above has options that fit those situations better.
FAQ
Can I apply for the Female Scholars Foundation scholarship with 230 in JAMB?
No. The minimum is 240 in the 2026 UTME.
Can private secondary school students apply for the FSF scholarship?
No. You must have graduated from a public secondary school and be admitted into a public university.
Is the Female Scholars Foundation scholarship fully funded?
Yes. It pays tuition, books and living expenses for your whole undergraduate degree, plus mentorship and coaching. The foundation has not published the living allowance amount.
When does the Female Scholars Foundation scholarship 2026 close?
The deadline is 31 December 2026. Applications opened on 1 October 2026.
Sources and updates
The 2026 details come from the Female Scholars Foundation call as published by ScholarshipAir (2 October 2026), MySchoolGist (5 October 2026) and EduTimes Africa (7 October 2026). The selection steps, the foundation’s background (including its focus on young women from rural areas) and the 2025 figures come from After School Africa’s report on the 2025 call. More information is on the foundation’s website, femalescholars.org. The foundation has not published the number of awards, the living allowance amount, an essay word limit, the interview format or renewal conditions. Last checked 24 October 2026. I will update this page if FSF changes the deadline or announces shortlisted candidates.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
