Ruth Titilayo Foundation Scholarship 2027: Secondary, Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Vocational Awards

The Ruth Titilayo Foundation Scholarship 2027 is open now and closes on 31 October 2026. The Ruth Titilayo Educational Foundation (RTEF) offers four awards for students in Nigeria: secondary school, undergraduate, postgraduate and technical or vocational. Each pays a tuition allowance of up to ₦100,000, plus a maintenance allowance of ₦15,000 or ₦20,000 depending on the level.

The “2027” in the name is the scholarship year, and the application window runs from 1 October to 31 October 2026. Some listings give the deadline as 31 October 2027; that is wrong. You fill a short online form first, and only shortlisted candidates send documents and sit an online interview in December 2026.

Ruth Titilayo Foundation Scholarship 2027 categories compared

Category	Who it is for	Tuition allowance	Maintenance	Query email
Secondary school	Students in state secondary schools in Nigeria	Up to ₦100,000 a year	Up to ₦15,000	secondary.grants@ruthtitilayofoundation.org
Undergraduate	Students at a federal or state university, under 25, GPA 4.0/5 or equivalent	Up to ₦100,000	Up to ₦20,000	undergrad.grants@ruthtitilayofoundation.org
Postgraduate	Holders of a 2:1 or better, with a degree from a Nigerian institution	Up to ₦100,000	Up to ₦20,000	postgrad.grants@ruthtitilayofoundation.org
Technical and vocational	Students of approved Vocational Enterprise Institutions with at least four credits in secondary school	Up to ₦100,000	Up to ₦15,000	vocational.grants@ruthtitilayofoundation.org

The foundation says the grant may cover all your costs or only part of them, and its committee can add allowances for travel, research or fieldwork linked to your course. The figures above are maximums.

Ruth Titilayo Foundation Scholarship 2027 dates

Stage	Date
Applications open	1 October 2026
Applications close	31 October 2026
Shortlisted candidates contacted	From 11 November 2026
Online interviews	December 2026
Awards	After the interviews

Eligibility for each Ruth Titilayo scholarship

Undergraduate scholarship

1. Domicile: you live in Nigeria.
2. Age: under 25.
3. Student status: a student now, or registered as one within the last three years.
4. Grades: a GPA of at least 4.0 on a 5-point scale, or the equivalent on another scale.
5. School: a federal or state university in Nigeria. Final-year students can apply.

The undergraduate page names federal and state universities only. Polytechnic students should look at the technical and vocational category or ask the foundation before applying. Fresh 100 level students with no GPA yet are a grey area the foundation does not address, so email undergrad.grants@ruthtitilayofoundation.org before you rely on a secondary school result.

Postgraduate scholarship

1. Degree class: a first degree of 2:1 (second class upper) or higher.
2. Nigerian degree: your first degree or a further degree must come from a Nigerian institution.
3. Student status: a student now, or registered as one within the last five years.
4. Not eligible: final-year undergraduates.

Applicants on a master’s or equivalent programme, and those with research or work experience, have an advantage, though neither is required. The postgraduate page sets no age limit.

Secondary school scholarship

This one is for students in state (public) secondary schools in Nigeria. You need any of these: a strong Common Entrance result, outstanding grades in secondary school, or proof you are a student now or were registered within the last year. The page fixes no age or class.

Technical and vocational scholarship

This covers trades such as carpentry, welding and electrical work, taken at approved Vocational Enterprise Institutions (VEIs) on the NBTE list. You need at least four credits in your secondary school result and must be a student now or registered within the last two years.

How to apply for the Ruth Titilayo Foundation Scholarship

1. Pick your category: go to the scholarships page at ruthtitilayofoundation.org/scholarships and open the form for your level.
2. Fill the online form: enter your school, course or class, grades and contact details. Use an email you check daily.
3. Line up two tutors: shortlisted candidates need two reference letters from tutors, so ask them before you submit.
4. Submit by 31 October 2026: make sure you used the form for your own level.
5. If shortlisted, send documents: these are requested only after shortlisting.
6. Prepare for the interview: an online, competency-based interview pitched at your year group in December 2026.

Documents shortlisted candidates send

Document	Notes
Current school result	Latest transcript, result sheet or report card
Two reference letters	From tutors or teachers who know your work
Personal statement	Your goals, your need and what the money will do
Supporting documents	Anything else the committee requests

Have these ready before 11 November so you can reply fast. Our scholarship recommendation letter samples will help you brief your tutors.

Preparing for the Ruth Titilayo interview

Competency-based means the panel asks you to describe real situations: a time you solved a problem, worked in a team, managed money or kept up your grades under pressure. Prepare three short stories from school or home and practise telling each in under two minutes. Test your internet, camera and a quiet room a day before. For long study sessions in the run-up, our guide on studying for long hours may help.

About the Ruth Titilayo Educational Foundation

The foundation is named after Ruth Titilayo, born in 1952, who attended Abeokuta Girls Grammar School and the University of Ibadan and cared deeply about education and the less privileged. The foundation was set up on the 20th anniversary of her death. Its trustees are chaired by Philippa Abayomi-Taiwo, and it says it aims to support 100 people a year at first, then thousands.

How to write the Ruth Titilayo personal statement

Shortlisted candidates send a personal statement with their results and references. The foundation has not published a word limit or a set question, and it says candidates are judged on academic merit and the information in their application. So your statement has one job: make your grades make sense, and show the committee where the money goes.

A structure that fits this award

1. Who you are and what you study: course or class, school, level, current GPA or position.
2. Your record and how you built it: one example of effort behind the grade, such as a hard course you turned around or a project you led.
3. Your plan: where the course is taking you, kept specific and realistic.
4. Your costs: what your fees and upkeep come to, what is already covered and the gap the award would close.
5. Beyond the classroom: tutoring, volunteering, a part-time job, family duties. One real example is enough.

I would keep it to one page unless the foundation asks for more. A committee reading many statements will thank you for short paragraphs and real numbers.

A sample opening

Here is the kind of first paragraph that works. Do not copy it; use it to judge your own tone:

“I am a 300 level Microbiology student at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, with a CGPA of 4.31. In 200 level my CGPA dropped to 3.8 after I took a weekend job to cover my hostel rent. I rebuilt it by forming a four-person study group for our two hardest courses, and the two members who had been failing both passed. I want to work in public health laboratories, and next year’s fees and lab costs come to about ₦160,000, of which my family can manage half.”

It gives the grade, the setback, the fix, the goal and the money gap in five sentences. Each of those can become an interview question, which is useful, because the panel will usually ask about what you wrote.

Eligibility edge cases

• Turning 25: the undergraduate rule is under 25. If you are already 25, you do not fit the rule as written.
• Private university students: the undergraduate page names federal and state universities, so private university students are left out. The secondary award is also for state (public) schools.
• GPA on a 4-point or percentage scale: the foundation accepts “the equivalent” of 4.0 out of 5 but has not published a conversion. If your school grades differently, explain your scale and class position in your statement.
• Recent leavers: undergraduates registered within the last three years, postgraduates within five and vocational students within two can apply, so a gap year does not automatically rule you out.
• Postgraduate applicants with a foreign first degree: you can still qualify if you hold a further degree from a Nigerian institution.
• Final-year students: eligible for the undergraduate award, but not yet for the postgraduate one.
• Living outside Nigeria: the undergraduate rules require you to be domiciled in Nigeria.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying on the wrong category form, for example a polytechnic student using the undergraduate form.
• Naming two tutors on the form without asking them first. Shortlisted candidates need those two references quickly.
• Rounding your GPA up. Your result sheet will be checked against what you entered.
• Using an email you rarely open. Shortlist messages start from 11 November and may land in spam.
• Writing a statement only about hardship. This award is merit based, so the grades and the plan carry the most weight.
• Missing the interview because of a dead battery or no data. Charge up and buy data the day before.

What happens after you apply

1. Form review: after 31 October, the committee screens forms against the category rules.
2. Shortlist: from 11 November 2026, shortlisted candidates are contacted and asked for their result, two references and personal statement.
3. Online interview: held in December 2026, with competency-based questions pitched at your year group.
4. Award: winners are told after the interviews. The foundation has not published how many awards it gives or exactly how payment is made.

If you are not shortlisted, the foundation has not said it will write to you. The scheme runs yearly: the previous undergraduate call also opened in October and closed on 31 October 2024, so if you miss out, you can apply again in October 2027 with a stronger result.

Costs the award will not cover

Up to ₦100,000 for tuition and up to ₦20,000 for upkeep helps, but for most university students it will not cover a full year. Plan for:

• Hostel or rent, which in many cities costs more than the maintenance allowance on its own
• Tuition above ₦100,000, common in some state universities and professional courses
• Departmental dues, textbooks, practicals and projects
• Tools and materials for vocational trainees, unless the committee adds an allowance

The committee can add allowances for travel, research or fieldwork tied to your course, so mention those costs in your statement if they are real.

Similar Nigerian scholarships to compare

Scholarship	Who it is for	Amount
Ruth Titilayo Foundation Scholarship	Secondary, undergraduate, postgraduate and vocational students in Nigeria	Up to ₦100,000 plus ₦15,000 to ₦20,000 upkeep
Gabriel Ezenri Foundation Scholarship	Nigerian undergraduates	Up to ₦500,000
SOHCAHTOA Foundation Scholarship	Students in 200 level and above	₦250,000
Ejiro M Ukiri Scholarship Fund	SS3 leavers starting university	Up to ₦150,000
Afro-Tech Girls Undergraduate Scholarship	Female STEM students in Nigeria	₦100,000

Who should apply, and who shouldn’t

Apply if you have strong grades and you fit one of the four categories: a public secondary school student with good results, a federal or state university student under 25 with a GPA of 4.0 or better, a graduate with a 2:1 from a Nigerian institution, or a vocational trainee at an approved VEI. Few Nigerian foundations cover all four levels, so check every category that fits.

Skip the undergraduate form if you are 25 or older, at a private university, or below the GPA bar; those rules are written plainly. If you need full fees covered rather than a contribution, apply here and to larger awards too, because this one is designed to help with part of the cost.

FAQ

When is the Ruth Titilayo scholarship 2027 deadline?

31 October 2026 for all four categories. The 2027 label is the scholarship year; the forms close in 2026.

Can polytechnic students apply for the Ruth Titilayo scholarship?

The undergraduate award is limited to federal and state universities. Polytechnic and other technical students should check the technical and vocational category or email the foundation first.

How much is the Ruth Titilayo Foundation Scholarship?

Up to ₦100,000 for tuition plus up to ₦20,000 maintenance for undergraduate and postgraduate winners, or up to ₦15,000 for secondary and vocational winners. Extra allowances are at the committee’s discretion.

What GPA do I need for the Ruth Titilayo undergraduate scholarship?

At least 4.0 on a 5-point scale, or the equivalent. Postgraduate applicants need a 2:1 or better.

Sources and updates

Every figure here comes from the foundation’s own website: the home page notice that the 2027 RTEF scholarship closes on 31 October 2026, the secondary, undergraduate and postgraduate scholarship pages, the Who We Are page and the contact page (phone +234 906 687 5115, info@ruthtitilayofoundation.org). The foundation posts on Facebook, X and Instagram as @theruthtitilayo. The technical and vocational details (four credits, VEIs, two-year rule, amounts) come from listings of the 2027 call because I could not open that category page directly, so confirm them on the form. The selection basis and the previous round’s 31 October 2024 closing date come from the foundation’s 2025 undergraduate call as listed by Opportunity Desk. Last checked 24 October 2026; I will update this page if the foundation extends the deadline or publishes the shortlist.