Facts About Scholarships Every Nigerian Student Needs to Know

Let’s face it, if you’re a Nigerian student, you’ve probably heard the word “Scholarship” discussed around. Your teachers know and talk about it, your parents hope for it, and your friends whisper rumors about who got one. But the problem is that most students have no clue what scholarships really involve or how to actually get one.

It’s not your fault; you are not alone. Speaking from experience, the system can be confusing most times, some opportunities are real and others are fake, also too many times, students miss out simply because they didn’t know where to look, how to apply, or worse, they thought it was only for genius students with good grades and i know how this feeling can be.

But the true fact is that scholarships are more accessible than you think. The problem is lack of guidance, and believing the wrong things but no worries, I will do my best to guide you in this blog post. Now let’s talk about the untold facts or truth no one tells you, the traps to avoid, and how to position yourself to get one, even if you’re not the top student in your class.

Untold Facts about Scholarship

Back in 200 level in Abia State University, Uturu, I met a guy named Chuka, he’s quiet, always reading books, A.K.A (acada), not the loudest in the room, but focused. One day, we were at the school café when he silently told me, “Bro, I just got a $5,000 scholarship from an NGO in Canada.” I asked “how” because I didn’t even know if such opportunities existed back then.

After asking him how he did it, he replied to me and said, “People think scholarships are only for the smartest or the richest students. But no, it’s about who’s informed of the right process, your connection, and who applies.” 

That was the day i learnt a lot about scholarship and I realized it’s not always about your CGPA or background, it’s simply about information and connection.

I took a lot of lessons from him, and that is what I’m going to be sharing in this post with you readers struggling with yours so you can know what to do when you’re ready to go for a scholarship.

So, What Are the Untold Truths About Scholarships?

Here are the hard truths or facts no one is telling you:

1. Scholarships Aren’t Just for First-Class Students

This is the biggest lie many Nigerian students have believed. If you don’t have a 4.5 CGPA or above, you should forget about scholarships. That’s false.

Many scholarships don’t even ask for your results first. What they care about is your story, your goals, your passion, and how you present yourself.

In fact, some scholarships are designed specifically for average students who are financially disadvantaged or have leadership qualities and are willing to do more. So, the idea that it is basically for first-class students or a specific type of student or person is false

2. Information Matters A Lot

Let’s be real, in everything you do in this life, you need valid information before you can play it out; the same goes for scholarships, too. The problem is not that scholarships don’t exist, they do in fact different schools around the world are offering scholarships everytime, but most students don’t know where to find them.

They’re never advertised on places like TV channels, radios, and so on. But you can find them in hidden websites, foundation pages, embassy portals, and sometimes in Twitter threads or blog posts that are not widely known by the public. So, if you’re not actively searching for them on any of these places, you’ll miss them.

3. Connections

When Chuka mentioned “connections,” he didn’t mean knowing a senator or a big man in Abuja.

He meant being in the right circles, knowing the right people in the field, and having a mentor who knows everything about scholarships. Join the best scholarship groups on WhatsApp or Telegram, following the right Twitter handles.

4. Your Essay Needs to be Good enough

This is one of the most important things while applying for a scholarship. Many students fail in this part because they just copy generic essays from Google, and that is a big mistake because your essay will be reviewed.

Scholarship reviewers read hundreds of applications, and they can smell and reject a fake story fast; even if you use artificial intelligence (AI), you will still get rejected. What stands out is a real story, told from the heart, with clear goals and authenticity. Be open and talk about your struggles. That’s what makes your application human.

5. Work Against the Deadlines

Scholarship is basically free, and just because it is free, it does not mean that you should procrastinate on the process. A lot of students make this mistake a lot, and when it is gone, that is when they start to panic.

I know we don’t value that which our money is not spent on, but this is a scholarship opportunity, and just because you might know where and how to get them, that shouldn’t make you delay, because they is a high chances you might not even get the next one

When you see an opportunity, grab it once and don’t delay, because by the time most students finally decide to apply and finish the process, the portal is closed or the spot has been filled. Trust me, scholarships wait for no one.

7. Rejection Doesn’t Mean You’re Not Good Enough

Trust me, I am a human also, and i know how it feels when you’re being rejected. But that shouldn’t stop you from getting what you want. I know someone who got rejected 7 times before finally getting a scholarship to study in Germany.

Each rejection helped her improve. Her essays got better. Her mindset changed. She started owning her storymore confidently. So if you apply and you get rejected, please don’t give up, because it’s not the end. It’s just a step.

Final Words

These are the things most people don’t know and I wish I knew them earlier. This things no lecturer or school seminar ever taught us. If you can hold onto these, you given yourself 10 steps ahead of the average Nigerian student who’s still waiting for someone to hand them a scholarship on a platter.

In the next part, I’ll walk you through how to start finding real scholarships that actually match your profile and how to position yourself to win even without perfect grades or big-name connections.