The Rotary Foundation Global Grant Scholarship is one of the few funding routes that ties postgraduate study directly to real-world development work. Funded by The Rotary Foundation through its global grant programme, the award supports one to four academic years of graduate-level coursework or research in one of Rotary’s six areas of focus.
What makes this scholarship distinctive is the local sponsorship model: you apply through a Rotary club or district rather than directly to Rotary International. You study at an approved university in a country that has a host Rotary club or district — and critically, that university must be outside your home country. For an African applicant, that means the grant can open doors to graduate programmes overseas while keeping your studies anchored to a development cause that matters back home.
The minimum budget for a global grant scholarship is $30,000, and the application is built jointly by you and your sponsoring club. Because there is no fixed annual deadline, timing depends on when you connect with a local club and when you intend to start your programme.
Scholarship benefits
- A minimum budget of $30,000 per global grant scholarship
- Tuition fees
- Room and board
- Travel expenses (as specified in the grant terms and conditions)
- Passport and visa costs
- Inoculations
- School supplies and household supplies
- Language training courses — but not where university admission depends on improving your language skills
- Note: most personal and miscellaneous expenses are not covered
Eligibility checklist
- ✔ You are a non-Rotarian sponsored by a Rotary district or club
- ✔ Your intended study falls within one of Rotary’s six areas of focus: peace and conflict prevention/resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, or economic and community development
- ✔ You plan to pursue graduate-level coursework or research lasting one to four academic years
- ✔ You will study at an approved university in a country with a host Rotary club or district, outside your home country
- ✔ For all specific eligibility rules, you confirm requirements directly with the Rotary club or district where you intend to apply — these are set locally
Application tips for African students
- Find your local club early. Use the Rotary Club Locator to identify and contact a club or district in your area; the relationship you build with a sponsor is the foundation of the whole application.
- Tie your study plan to a Rotary area of focus. Be explicit about how your degree links to peace, health, water, education, or community development — vague academic goals will not stand out.
- Mind the three-month rule. Submit your application at least three months before your intended departure to allow time for Foundation review and processing, and remember each club may run its own internal timeline that is even earlier.
- Get documents certified and translated. Have your transcripts, degree certificates, and any supporting paperwork officially certified — and translated into English where needed — well before you start the online application.
- Secure your university admission separately. The grant pays for an approved programme, so line up your admission and confirm any language requirements; note that language training is not funded if admission hinges on improving those skills.
- Prepare visa and travel logistics. Passport, visa, and inoculation costs can be covered, but you should still organise these early to avoid delays before departure.
- Read the Global Grant Scholarship Supplement. It spells out the details your sponsoring club will expect you to understand before you complete your scholar profile.
How to apply
Start by contacting a local Rotary club through the Rotary Club Locator to ask how to be sponsored for a global grant. Applications are submitted online: your sponsoring club or district creates the initial application, and you then complete the scholar profile online. Global grant scholarship applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year, but should be submitted at least three months before your intended departure date. Read the Rotary Global Grant Scholarship Supplement and check the official page for full details: https://my.rotary.org/en/take-action/apply-grants/global-grants
Frequently asked questions
Who can apply for a Rotary Global Grant Scholarship?
The award is for non-Rotarians who are sponsored by a Rotary district or club. Specific eligibility requirements are set by the club or district where you apply, so check directly with them.
What does the scholarship cover?
The minimum budget is $30,000, which can fund tuition, room and board, travel, passport/visa, inoculations, school and household supplies, and language training (with conditions). Most personal and miscellaneous expenses are not covered.
Where can I study?
You can study at any approved university located in a country that has a host Rotary club or district — but it must be outside your home country.
What is the deadline?
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. They should be submitted at least three months before your intended departure date, and individual clubs or districts may have their own timelines.
What level and field of study does it support?
It funds graduate-level coursework or research lasting one to four academic years, within one of Rotary’s six areas of focus.
How do I start the application?
Contact a local Rotary club via the Rotary Club Locator to inquire about sponsorship. The sponsor club or district creates the initial application, and you then complete the scholar profile online.