UNICAF Scholarship 2027: How Much of Your Online UK Degree It Covers and What You Still Pay

The UNICAF scholarship is a partial tuition discount on online degrees from UK universities (Liverpool John Moores University, the University of East London and the University of Suffolk) and from Unicaf University in Africa. Unicaf says the award covers up to 75% of tuition fees. That means you, the student, pay at least 25% of the fee yourself, usually through a monthly payment plan that Unicaf sets after it reviews your application.

Unicaf does not publish a fixed percentage or a price list. Your exact scholarship and your exact balance are decided case by case, based on your academic record, your finances and the country you live in. There is no single deadline either: Unicaf admits students on a rolling basis across the year, so the UNICAF scholarship has no closing date you can miss, but each intake fills on its own timetable.

Key facts about the UNICAF scholarship

1. Run by: Unicaf, an online higher education platform founded in 2012 and based in Larnaca, Cyprus.
2. Degree awarded by: the partner university. If you study an LJMU master’s through Unicaf, LJMU awards the degree, and LJMU says you follow the same qualification as on-campus students.
3. Scholarship value: up to 75% of tuition fees. This is a ceiling, and many students get less.
4. What you pay: the remaining share of tuition (at least 25%), paid to Unicaf, not to the university, on an agreed payment plan.
5. Who it targets: able students who could not afford the full fee. Unicaf assesses each applicant on qualifications and financial situation.
6. Where you study: online, from home. Some programmes are blended or campus based at Unicaf University sites.
7. Deadline: rolling admission with several intakes a year. Apply at least two months before the intake you want so your documents and payment plan are settled in time.
8. Scale: Unicaf says it has awarded more than US$100 million in scholarships and supported about 50,000 students since 2012.

How much does the UNICAF scholarship cover?

This is the question most applicants ask first, and the honest answer is that the official figure is a maximum. Unicaf’s scholarship pages say awards go “up to 75%” of tuition. Its payment plan page says the student covers “the small percentage of fees not covered by the scholarship” through a customised plan. Neither page gives a minimum.

So you should plan with three numbers in mind:

Unicaf tells you the full fee, your scholarship percentage and your monthly instalment only after the admissions office and the scholarship committee have reviewed your file. Do not commit to a programme until you have that figure in writing.

What the student still pays

The tuition balance is the big one, but it is not the only cost. The scholarship reduces tuition only. You should also budget for:

• your laptop and a reliable internet connection, since all teaching, submissions and exams run through an online learning platform;
• an English language test, if your previous education was not in English and the programme asks for one;
• certified copies or translations of transcripts and certificates;
• any travel, if you choose to attend a graduation ceremony in the UK (a visit visa and flights are your own cost).

Because you study from home, you do not need a UK Student visa, and there is no visa funds requirement. That alone is a large saving compared with an on-campus UK degree.

Partner universities and programmes

Unicaf works with three UK universities and its own institution, Unicaf University, which has campuses in Zambia, Malawi and Uganda. The list below comes from each university’s Unicaf pages.

Programme lists change from intake to intake. One Suffolk programme is marked as campus only, so confirm the study mode on the programme page before you apply.

Who can apply for the UNICAF scholarship?

Unicaf sets three tests. You need to pass all of them.

1. Academic: you meet the entry requirements of the programme you choose. For a master’s, that usually means a recognised bachelor’s degree; for a bachelor’s, completed secondary school results at the level the university asks for.
2. Financial: you can show that you are able to pay the part of the fee the scholarship does not cover. Unicaf will not approve a scholarship for someone who cannot pay the balance.
3. Residence: scholarship terms differ by country of residence. Unicaf has learning centres in several African countries, and its online programmes take students from other regions too.

Unicaf describes the award as being for gifted students who are financially disadvantaged. There is no age limit published, and many students apply while working full time.

Eligibility edge cases

• Already living in the UK: the scholarship is aimed at students outside high-income countries, and residence affects the terms. Ask an adviser before you rely on it.
• Third-class or pass degree: entry rules come from the partner university and differ by programme. Ask your adviser for the written entry criteria before you upload anything.
• HND holders: acceptance depends on the university and programme. Do not assume an HND is treated as a bachelor’s degree.
• Switching programmes later: your scholarship is tied to the programme you were offered. A change may mean a new assessment.

How to apply: step by step

The process runs through Unicaf’s online form and a Student Adviser. Here is how it works in practice.

1. Pick a programme: use the Programme Finder on unicaf.org or the Unicaf page of LJMU, UEL or Suffolk.
2. Submit the online form: give your name, email, phone, country of residence and highest qualification, then agree to the terms, privacy policy and call recording policy.
3. Take the adviser call: a Student Adviser contacts you to talk through your qualifications, study mode, documents, scholarship level and payment options. The call commits you to nothing.
4. Upload your documents: typically a CV, transcripts, degree or school certificates, an English test result if required, and a recommendation letter. The exact list depends on the programme.
5. Wait for the review: the admissions officer checks your academic eligibility, and the scholarship committee looks at your finances. They then offer a place, a scholarship percentage and a payment plan.
6. Accept and enrol: sign the offer, pay the first instalment and get access to the online learning platform.

Unicaf does not publish a processing time. The quicker you send clear documents, the sooner the committee can review your file.

Documents checklist

If you need a referee letter, our recommendation letter for scholarship guide has samples you can adapt.

Writing the personal statement or motivation

Unicaf does not run an essay competition, but most programmes ask for a short personal statement, and it feeds into both the admission and the scholarship decision. Keep it to one page and cover four things in this order:

1. Why this subject now: one concrete problem from your job or community.
2. What you have already done: your degree, work, and any result you can measure.
3. Why online study suits you: you can keep working, support family or stay in your role.
4. What you will do with the degree, in your own country or region.

A short example opening: “In three years as a records officer at a district hospital, I have watched patient data sit unused in paper files. I want the MSc International Public Health so I can design simple data systems that a small clinic can run.”

What happens after you apply

After your documents are in, the admissions team decides whether you meet the entry requirements. If you do, the scholarship committee sets your percentage and payment plan. You receive both in an offer. Once you accept and pay the first instalment, you get a login to the virtual learning environment, where you take modules one at a time with set deadlines for assignments. When you finish, the partner university issues the certificate.

Keep paying on schedule, and read the payment terms in your offer so you know what happens if an instalment is late. The scholarship covers only the share agreed in your offer.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating “up to 75%” as a promise and budgeting on that basis.
• Paying a deposit before you have the full fee schedule in writing.
• Choosing a programme for the scholarship rather than the career it leads to. An LLM, an MBA and a nursing top-up lead to very different jobs.
• Sending blurry document scans, which slows the academic review.
• Paying an agent or a third party to “secure” a Unicaf scholarship. You apply directly on unicaf.org or a partner university’s Unicaf page, and the form is free.
• Ignoring local recognition. If you need the degree for a government job or professional licence at home, check how your regulator treats online degrees from UK universities before you start.

UNICAF compared with other UK scholarships

The on-campus awards are worth more in pounds, but you still face UK tuition, rent, a visa and proof of funds. For a working professional who cannot leave a job, the UNICAF route is usually cheaper overall even at a lower percentage. For more options open to African applicants, see our list of scholarships for African students.

Who should apply, and who should not

Apply if you are working, want a UK university degree without relocating, and can afford a monthly instalment for the length of the course. It suits nurses, public health workers, managers and IT staff who need a master’s for promotion.

Look elsewhere if you need a fully funded award with a living allowance, if your employer or regulator does not accept online degrees, or if you want the experience of living in the UK. In those cases, a fully funded scheme such as the Oxford-Weidenfeld and Hoffmann Scholarship or the Cambridge International Scholarship is the better target, though both are far more competitive.

FAQ

What percentage does the UNICAF scholarship cover?

Up to 75% of tuition. Unicaf decides the exact percentage after reviewing your academic record and finances, so many students receive less.

How much will I pay after the UNICAF scholarship?

At least 25% of the tuition fee, paid in instalments under a payment plan. Unicaf gives you the exact amount in your offer, and it does not publish a fee list.

Is the UNICAF scholarship legit and is the degree recognised?

Yes. Unicaf is the official online partner of Liverpool John Moores University, the University of East London and the University of Suffolk, and those universities award the degree. Check separately how your home regulator treats online degrees if you need it for licensing.

When is the UNICAF scholarship deadline?

There is no single deadline. Unicaf runs rolling admission with several intakes a year, so apply at least two months before the intake you want.

Sources and updates

Scholarship value, eligibility tests and application steps come from Unicaf’s scholarship opportunities page and its page on part scholarships and payment plans. Programme lists come from the Unicaf pages of Liverpool John Moores University, the University of East London and the University of Suffolk. The founding year, headquarters and partner list were cross-checked with Unicaf’s public profile, and the step order with a study.eu guide written with Unicaf. Scholars4Dev lists this programme on its Africans category page as a sponsored entry. Checked on 25 October 2026. I will update this page if Unicaf publishes a fixed percentage or fee list.

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.