United States
Destination guide for African students
1–3 years
OPT work period
$1,500–3,000
Avg. monthly cost
Yes (selective)
Fully-funded options
Top Scholarships
Fulbright Foreign Student Program
Full funding for graduate study or research. Applied through your country's Fulbright commission. Very competitive.
AAUW International Fellowships
Full funding for women from outside the USA. Graduate and postdoctoral research.
University Fellowships & Assistantships
Many US graduate programmes — especially PhD and STEM master's — offer full tuition waivers + stipends via teaching/research assistantships.
MasterCard Foundation Scholars (Wellesley, ASU)
Specifically for African students. Full funding at select US partner institutions.
F-1 Student Visa
You need an F-1 student visa to study in the USA. Apply at the US Embassy or Consulate in your country after your university issues a Form I-20.
SEVIS fee: $350, paid online before your visa appointment.
Visa interview: Required at most African embassies. Bring your I-20, proof of financial support (scholarship letter or bank statements), ties to home country evidence, and university acceptance letter.
Processing: 2–8 weeks depending on location. Book early — some African embassy slots are booked months out.
OPT: Post-Study Work
After graduation, Optional Practical Training (OPT) gives you 12 months of work authorisation. STEM graduates can apply for a 24-month OPT extension, giving up to 3 years total. To remain long-term, you would need an employer to sponsor an H-1B visa — a lottery-based system that has become increasingly competitive.
The Realistic Cost Picture
The US is one of the most expensive destinations for international students. Tuition at private universities can exceed $50,000/year. The path to full funding is real — but mostly through graduate assistantships (teaching or research), which cover tuition plus a living stipend of $15,000–30,000/year. These are common in STEM PhD programmes; less so in coursework-only master's. Apply to programmes that fund their graduate students, not just those with famous names.