Emergency Small Grants Programme – UK: This provides emergency small grants to students who have come from Africa to study in the UK but run into unexpected financial difficulties in their last few months of study.

It is not intended for refugees or asylum seekers but for students who are studying on a student’s visa.

Recipients have to be in the final two or three months of completing their research or degree courses, which has lasted three or four years, and are in danger of having to return home without finishing.

This could be because their own government had failed to send their grant, or because devaluation of their local currency has meant that their savings did not stretch to cover the remainder of their course.

Each year about 50 people receive small grants valued around £450 each.

This may seem a small amount but it is invaluable to these students so close to the end of their education and desperate to finish it.

AET have helped students from almost every country in Africa to complete their studies and return home with new skills to aid the rehabilitation of Africa.

Emphasis is placed on subjects that are directly related to development and priority is given to students who can show a clear commitment to returning and using their qualifications and skills in Africa.

The scheme is open to students from any African country and most awards are made to students studying at post-graduate or doctoral level.

For more Scholarship information and application, see: Emergency Small Grants Programme Website