The Czech Republic is still a good place for African students to study in 2026 because it has a high standard of living and world-class academic programmes. The Government Quota is the most well-known scholarship, but there are also more and more university-led programmes that aim to promote international development.
1. The Scholarship from the Czech Government
This is the main source of money for students from developing countries, and it is part of the Czech Republic’s Foreign Development Assistance programme.
African countries that can apply for 2026/2027
For this academic year, the scholarship is specifically for students from:
- Ethiopia
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- Zambia
Benefits and Coverage
The scholarship pays for everything and includes:
- Full tuition is available at public schools all over the Czech Republic.
- Monthly stipend to help with living costs.
- Preparatory Course: The government offers a one-year intensive language and preparatory course if the programme you want to take is in Czech.
- Health insurance: full coverage for the whole time you are in school.
Key 2026/2027 Deadlines
- Application Window: Usually opens in August 2026 for the 2027/2028 school year.
- The online application must be submitted by September 30, 2026, which is the last day.
- Important: The deadline for the 2026/2027 school year (which starts this September) was September 30, 2025.
2. The Charles University Development Scholarship
Charles University, which is the oldest and biggest university in the country, has a special “Development Scholarship” for students from developing countries or those whose economies are changing.
Money Prize
This scholarship gives a one-time payment of CZK 75,000 (about €3,000) to help with living and travel costs. It is meant for students in the Faculty of Social Sciences in particular.
Details about the application for 2026
- Deadline for applications: April 30, 2026.
- Requirement: This scholarship pays for living and travel costs, but not tuition. You must have already applied to a degree programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences for the 2026/2027 school year.
- Submission: Applications must be sent by email to the university’s admissions office along with a motivation essay and letters of recommendation.
3. The South Moravian Centre for International Mobility (JCMM)
The JCMM gives special grants to students from outside the EU who want to study in Brno, which is the second-largest city in the Czech Republic.
Scope of Help
The grant is mostly for students who are getting their Master’s or PhD in a technical or natural science field.
- Benefit: A monthly payment of 7,000 CZK (about €280) for the first year of study to help with food and dorm costs.
- Language Requirement: If you study in Czech, you can go to public universities for free and the JCMM grant can pay for your living expenses.
4. Grants for merit and accommodations that are specific to each university
In 2026, a lot of public universities give out internal grants that are given out automatically or when you get there.
The Czech Technical University (CTU)
CTU gives Merit Scholarships to Bachelor’s and Master’s students based on their GPA. These are given out after each semester, looking back. In May, these are usually paid out for the summer semester of 2026.
Scholarships for Housing
Most public universities, like Masaryk University and Palacký University, offer a “Boarding/Accommodation Scholarship” to almost all international students who don’t live in the city where they study. This is a small payment made every three months to help pay for rent.
5. Strategic Guidance for African Applicants
The “Czech Language” Trick
In 2026, all nationalities can still get free public higher education in Czech. If you’re willing to spend a year in the intensive “Preparatory Faculty” (which is paid for by a government scholarship), you can get a European degree and not have to pay for the rest of your studies.
Legalisation of Documents (Superlegalization)
The Czech Republic is very strict about making sure documents are real. For students from many African countries, the Czech Embassy in their home country (for example, Abuja for Nigerians or Addis Ababa for Ethiopians) must superlegalize their diplomas. This process can take a few weeks, so get started before your scholarship interview.
Mundus Erasmus Notice
Many Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters programmes with Czech universities have stopped giving out scholarships for the 2026/2027 school year because of funding cycles. If you’re applying for 2026, you might want to look at the government or university-specific options listed above instead.
Are you trying to get a Bachelor’s degree, or are you looking for a Master’s or PhD programme in a specific field, like Engineering or Economics?