Gabriel Ezenri Foundation Scholarship 2027: Up to ₦500,000 for Nigerian Undergraduates

The Gabriel Ezenri Foundation Scholarship gives Nigerian undergraduates up to ₦500,000 a session for tuition, fees and learning materials. The 2026 call has closed: the foundation’s apply page gave 1 to 30 September 2026, listings later reported 15 October, and decisions go out by email by 30 November 2026.

The Gabriel Ezenri Foundation Scholarship deadline is 30 September 2027, with applications opening on 1 September 2027. Continuing students need a CGPA of 3.5 out of 5.0, and new entrants need 250 or more in UTME or five O’level credits including English and Mathematics.

Gabriel Ezenri Foundation Scholarship dates

(based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens)

What the Gabriel Ezenri scholarship pays

• Up to ₦500,000 per academic session
• Tuition and registration fees
• Learning materials
• A living stipend, according to the scholarship listing
• Renewal each year if you keep a CGPA of at least 3.5 on a 5.0 scale

The three funding tracks

The foundation runs three tracks, and you can apply to only one per cycle.

For 2026 the foundation planned 10 undergraduate scholarships and 5 research grants, as reported by After School Africa. With that few places, your documents need to be strong.

Gabriel Ezenri Foundation Scholarship eligibility

1. Nationality: Nigerian citizen or resident.
2. School: enrolled in, or admitted to, an accredited university or polytechnic in Nigeria.
3. Continuing students: a CGPA of at least 3.5 on a 5.0 scale.
4. New entrants: a UTME score of 250 or more, or five O’level credits including English and Mathematics.
5. Financial need: genuine, demonstrable need.
6. Documents: able to provide everything the form asks for.

The new entrant rule says “or”, so a fresher with five good credits including English and Mathematics can apply even with a UTME score below 250. Research grant applicants need a clear research question, a realistic budget, likely impact and a plan they can finish on time.

Documents for the Gabriel Ezenri Foundation Scholarship

Our scholarship recommendation letter samples will help whoever writes your reference.

How to apply for the Gabriel Ezenri Foundation Scholarship

1. Visit the apply page: gabrielezenrifoundation.org/apply from 1 September 2027.
2. Choose one track: Scholarships for undergraduates.
3. Read the criteria: each track has its own requirements.
4. Fill the online form: at gabrielezenrifoundation.org/apply/form.
5. Upload your documents: transcript, proof of admission, personal statement and reference.
6. Submit before 30 September 2027: late or incomplete applications are not reviewed.

Questions about applying go to apply@gabrielezenrifoundation.org. The foundation says it never charges an application fee and nobody acting for it will ask for money; report any payment request to hello@gabrielezenrifoundation.org.

Applying is free. Never pay anyone who offers to submit, “fast track” or guarantee your application.

How winners are selected

The foundation uses a holistic review. Applicants are shortlisted against their track’s requirements, and shortlisted candidates have a virtual interview with the review panel. Winners are told by email and announced on the foundation’s website.

Step-by-step: getting your Gabriel Ezenri application ready

The form is only open for 30 days, and most of that time disappears if you start gathering papers on 1 September. Treat August as your preparation month. This is the order I would work in.

1. Request your transcript early (July or August): some faculties take weeks to release an official result. If your school only gives a statement of result or a printed portal result, get it stamped by your department.
2. Ask your referee by mid August: pick a lecturer (or, for freshers, a secondary school teacher) who knows your work. Give them your CV, your result and a short note on why you need the award.
3. Scan everything clearly: admission letter or school ID, registration slip and result. Use a scanner app, keep each file as a clear PDF and name it plainly, for example “Surname_Transcript.pdf”.
4. Draft your personal statement offline: write it in a document, check the word count (500 to 800 words) and paste it into the form only when it is final.
5. Open the form on 1 September: go to gabrielezenrifoundation.org/apply, pick the Scholarships track and fill every field. Use an email address you check daily, since every decision comes by email.
6. Submit in the first two weeks: do not wait for the last day. If the site slows down near the deadline, you still have time to retry or email apply@gabrielezenrifoundation.org.
7. Save your confirmation: screenshot the submission page and keep any confirmation email in a folder you can find in November.

The foundation has not published file size limits or accepted formats on its apply page. PDF for documents and a JPG for any photo is the safe default; if the form states otherwise, follow the form.

How to write the Gabriel Ezenri Foundation Scholarship personal statement

The personal statement is where you win or lose a place. With about 10 undergraduate awards in a cycle, many applicants will meet the 3.5 CGPA line, so grades alone will not separate you. The foundation has not published a prompt, so build the statement around the two things its criteria name: academic merit and financial need.

A structure that works in 500 to 800 words

1. Opening (about 80 words): one concrete moment that shows who you are and why your course matters to you.
2. Academic record (about 150 words): your CGPA or UTME score, a course or project you did well in, and anything that shows effort, such as tutoring classmates.
3. Financial situation (about 150 words): plain facts. Who pays your fees now, what has gone wrong, what you have done to cope. No exaggeration; reviewers can tell.
4. How you would use the money (about 100 words): fees, books, a laptop for a design course, and what that frees you to do.
5. Goals and giving back (about 100 words): where your course leads and one realistic way you help others now or plan to.

A sample opening

Here is the kind of opening that gets read to the end. Use it for the shape, not the words:

“In my second semester, I sat my Engineering Mathematics exam two days after my father’s shop in Onitsha was shut down. I scored 71. That result is why I am still in school: my department used it to recommend me for a fee deferral, and I have spent the year since paying it off with weekend tutoring.”

It names a real event, gives a number, shows need and shows effort, all in three sentences. Avoid openings such as “I have always been passionate about…” because every third statement starts that way.

Eligibility edge cases

• CGPA on a 4.0 scale: the published rule is 3.5 out of 5.0. Some polytechnics grade on 4.0. The foundation has not published a conversion, so state your scale clearly in the form and email apply@gabrielezenrifoundation.org if you are unsure.
• Freshers without a CGPA yet: you apply under the new entrant rule (UTME 250 or five O’level credits including English and Mathematics) and send your admission letter as proof.
• Direct entry students: the criteria do not mention direct entry. If you have no university CGPA yet, your A level, ND or IJMB result is the closest evidence; ask the foundation before relying on it.
• Private university students: the listings say “accredited” university or polytechnic and do not exclude private schools. Be honest about fees in your statement, since a ₦500,000 cap covers much less of a private tuition bill.
• Final year students: nothing published bars you, but the award renews yearly on CGPA, so a student with several years left gets more value from it.
• Two tracks at once: not allowed. The apply page says choose exactly one track per cycle.

Common mistakes that sink applications

• Starting on the last weekend of September, then finding the referee is unreachable.
• Uploading blurred phone photos of documents, or a result with the CGPA cut off.
• Going over 800 words or writing a 200 word statement that says nothing.
• Writing a statement that is all hardship and no evidence of academic effort, or the reverse.
• Copying a statement from the internet or generating it word for word with an AI tool. Panels see the same text many times.
• Using a school email or a friend’s phone you will lose access to before November.
• Paying an “agent” who promises a guaranteed slot. The foundation says it never charges a fee.

What happens after you apply

Applications are screened against the track requirements after the form closes. Shortlisted applicants are invited to a virtual interview with the review panel. For the interview, expect to be asked about your course, your result and how the money would change your situation, so reread your own statement first and test your internet connection and camera the day before.

Decisions go out by email by 30 November, and winners are also listed on the foundation’s website. The foundation has not published how the money is paid (to you or to your school), so ask when you receive an offer. To keep the award the next year, you need to stay at or above a 3.5 CGPA, so send your new result as soon as it is released.

Costs the scholarship may not cover

₦500,000 is a ceiling, not a guarantee, and the official page lists tuition, fees and learning materials. Plan for these from other money unless your offer letter says otherwise:

• Hostel or off-campus rent
• Feeding and daily transport
• SIWES or industrial training costs, field trips and clinical postings
• Departmental and faculty dues not on the school fee schedule
• Any fees above ₦500,000, which mostly affects private university students

ScholarshipAir mentions a living stipend, but the foundation’s own page does not, so do not budget on it until it appears in writing.

How it compares with similar scholarships

Nothing published stops you from applying to several of these in the same year. If you win more than one, read each offer letter for rules on holding other awards.

Who should apply, and who should not

Apply if you are a Nigerian undergraduate with a CGPA of 3.5 or above (or a strong UTME or O’level result as a fresher), you genuinely struggle to pay fees, and you can get a reference and a clean transcript before September. Polytechnic students should apply too, since many Nigerian scholarships ignore them.

Skip it if your CGPA is below 3.5 and you are past your first year, if your family can comfortably cover fees (the review weighs need), or if you are a graduate looking for master’s funding. Graduates should look at the Academia Support track instead.

Scholarships you can apply for now

While you wait for 2027, these are still open: the Carewave Aspire Scholarship for federal university students (closes 9 November 2026), the ICON Scholarship for 2026 freshers (15 November 2026) and the Female Scholars Foundation Scholarship for young women (31 December 2026).

FAQ

Is the Gabriel Ezenri Foundation scholarship still open?

No. The 2026 call has closed. The deadline is 30 September 2027, with applications opening on 1 September 2027.

What CGPA do I need for the Gabriel Ezenri scholarship?

At least 3.5 on a 5.0 scale if you are already in school. New entrants need 250 in UTME or five O’level credits including English and Mathematics.

Can polytechnic students apply for the Gabriel Ezenri scholarship?

Yes. Students at accredited universities and polytechnics in Nigeria can apply.

Does the Gabriel Ezenri Foundation charge an application fee?

No. The foundation says it never charges a fee, and any request for money should be reported to hello@gabrielezenrifoundation.org.

Sources and updates

The dates, tracks, amounts, contacts and fee warning come from the Gabriel Ezenri Foundation’s apply page (registered non-profit RC 9657992). The eligibility rules, documents, selection steps and award numbers come from After School Africa (25 September 2026) and ScholarshipAir (21 September 2026), which both give 15 October 2026 as the closing date. Last checked 24 October 2026. I will update this page when the foundation opens the 2027 call.

Jude Chinecherem

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.