StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarship
UNICAF is an online higher-education platform that partners with established universities to deliver their degrees at a reduced fee. UNICAF itself does not award the degree: the degree comes from the partner university, and UNICAF’s own page states that the degree title has the same value and status as one earned on that university’s campus. The partner list most often cited in current guides is the University of East London, Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Suffolk in the United Kingdom, Unicaf University (with campuses in Zambia and Malawi), and the University of California, Riverside Extension in the United States. Not every subject is offered through every partner, so the first check before applying is whether your chosen degree is actually open through a UNICAF partner at your level.
The scholarship model is deliberately different from a conventional award. There is no separate scholarship competition with a closing date and a winner list. You apply for a degree through UNICAF, a Student Adviser discusses your options and the portion of fees you will need to pay, and the UNICAF Scholarship Committee and the Admissions Officer review your application and documents. If all is in order you receive an Offer Letter for the specific programme, stating the scholarship and the fees you must pay. Only after you accept the offer and pay the relevant fees do your studies begin, starting with an induction module on the virtual learning environment and a personal tutor assigned to support you through to graduation.
Benefits
- Up to 80% off tuition fees: the UNICAF Scholarship Programme can cover up to 80% of the cost of tuition fees, according to UNICAF’s own page. The exact percentage for your programme is set in your Offer Letter — it is not a guaranteed 80% for every applicant or every course.
- Monthly instalments for the balance: the remaining fees are spread in monthly payments over the duration of your studies, so you study while you earn rather than paying a lump sum up front.
- Study from anywhere, at your own pace: courses are delivered online through UNICAF’s digital platform, with 24/7 access to materials, so you can keep a job and family commitments. Some programmes offer blended or on-campus options through Unicaf University.
- A recognised degree, not a UNICAF certificate: the qualification is awarded by the partner university. UNICAF’s page adds that you may attend the graduation ceremony on the relevant campus, with travel, visa and accommodation costs covered by yourself.
- What it does not include: no living-cost stipend, no accommodation, no travel funding and no visa sponsorship are published as part of this scholarship. Aggregator claims of “fully funded” study, visa sponsorship or an immigration pathway are not supported by UNICAF’s own page and should be ignored.
Who can apply
- Programme entry requirements: you must meet the entry requirements of the specific programme at the specific partner university — a Bachelor’s for a Master’s, a Master’s for a doctorate, and any subject or experience requirements that programme sets.
- Able to pay the balance: UNICAF’s page is explicit that candidates should be in a position to pay the portion of fees left after the scholarship. The scholarship was set up for candidates who have the qualifications but not the funds for full fees — not for candidates who cannot pay anything.
- Academic record and financial situation: both are taken into consideration when eligibility is assessed. UNICAF states that it aims to offer scholarships to all candidates who need them provided they have a good academic record and the required qualifications.
- English: guides note that applicants whose first language is not English may need to evidence English proficiency, depending on the programme. Confirm the exact requirement for your programme with your adviser, since UNICAF’s own scholarship page does not publish a single test score.
- No single nationality rule is published: current guides describe the programme as open to applicants from many countries, with awards depending on qualifications, financial ability and country of residence. Do not trust any page that promises eligibility for “all nationalities” without that qualification check.
Documents required
- The online application form itself — your basic information, academic history and chosen programme — is the starting point, not a separate scholarship form.
- Identification documents and academic transcripts or qualification certificates, as requested by your Student Adviser for your chosen programme.
- Any further documents your adviser requests for the partner university’s admission decision. Because the document set varies by programme and partner, this article does not invent a fixed checklist: get your list from your adviser in writing before you pay anything.
- Get the fee breakdown in writing in your Offer Letter — the scholarship percentage, the balance you owe, and the instalment schedule — before accepting. That letter is the only reliable statement of what you will pay.
How to apply
- Check your eligibility on the UNICAF website for the programme you want: your academic qualifications for that course, and your ability to pay the remaining fees.
- Complete the online application form with your basic information. A Student Adviser will call you to discuss your options, the portion of fees you will need to pay, payment plans, and any additional documents you may need.
- Submit the documents your adviser requests. The UNICAF Scholarship Committee and the Admissions Officer review your application and documentation.
- If all is in order, you receive an Offer Letter for the specific programme, stating the scholarship and the fees due. Read it carefully — especially the balance and instalment terms — before accepting.
- Accept the offer and pay the relevant fees, then begin with the induction module on the virtual learning environment. A personal tutor is assigned to support you until graduation.
- There is no fixed closing date, and intakes run monthly, so apply when your documents and finances are ready rather than rushing to a deadline that does not exist.
FAQs
No. It is a partial tuition scholarship: up to 80% of tuition fees on UNICAF’s own page, with the student paying the balance in monthly instalments. Any page calling it fully funded is wrong, and any page promising a visa or immigration pathway from it is inventing a benefit UNICAF does not publish.
Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate degrees (including PhD, DBA and EdD in current guides), awarded by partner universities — most often the University of East London, Liverpool John Moores University, the University of Suffolk, Unicaf University, and the University of California, Riverside Extension. Not every subject is available through every partner.
No fixed deadline is published. Applications are rolling and intakes run monthly, so you apply when you are ready — but your Offer Letter, not an aggregator page, states your actual fees and start date.
Yes. You pay the portion of tuition fees left after the scholarship, in monthly instalments, plus any deposit or fees stated in your Offer Letter. Get that breakdown in writing before accepting.
The degree is awarded by the partner university, and UNICAF’s own page states it has the same value and status as a degree earned on that university’s campus. Check the specific university and programme accreditation for your own country before enrolling, since recognition rules vary.
No — that is the point of the model. Study is online, at your own pace and place, through UNICAF’s digital platform, so you can keep working while you study.
Verified 29 Oct 2026 against UNICAF's own scholarship page (unicaf.org/change-life-unicaf-scholarship: scholarship can cover up to 80% of tuition fees; eligibility considers academic qualifications for the chosen course and financial situation; three steps - check eligibility, application page, adviser call about the portion of fees to pay, payment plans and additional documents; Scholarship Committee and Admissions Officer review, then an Offer Letter; after accepting and paying relevant fees studies begin with an induction module and a personal tutor; degrees from partner universities in the UK, US, Africa or Europe, studied online; graduation ceremony attendance at own cost) plus current guides (Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorate levels; partners University of East London, Liverpool John Moores University, University of Suffolk, Unicaf University Zambia/Malawi, University of California Riverside Extension; monthly intakes; partial scholarship paid as a discount with the balance in instalments). CONFLICTS: (1) Aggregator pages labelling this 'fully funded' with visa sponsorship and immigration pathways are REJECTED - UNICAF's own page publishes none of those. (2) No single English test score or fixed document checklist is published on UNICAF's own page, so the article states none and directs applicants to their adviser and Offer Letter. (3) Partner lists vary slightly between guides; the article uses the most commonly cited five and warns that not every subject runs through every partner.
