Thanks to its massive diamond revenues and stable economy, the Botswana government (via the Department of Tertiary Education Financing - DTEF) essentially sponsors the higher education of almost all its qualifying citizens, either locally at the University of Botswana or abroad in countries like South Africa, the UK, or Australia.
Quick Overview
Full Requirements & Details
Academic Requirements
- Min. CGPA
- 3.0
- Offer Degrees
- Bachelors, Masters
- Subjects
- Agriculture, Arts, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, History, Law, Mathematics, Medicine, Physics, Psychology
- Seats Available
- Thousands annually
- Study Gap Allowed
- No Restrictions (Gap Allowed)
- Research Publication
- No
- Work Experience
- No
- Age Range
- No Age Limit
Language Requirements
- IELTS
- No
- TOEFL
- No
- GRE
- Not Required
- Local Language
- English
- Local Lang Test
- No
- Study Languages
- English
Financial Details
- Type
- Full
- Fund Details
- See Description
- Monthly Stipend
- BWP 0/mo
- Tuition
- Full
- Living Costs
- Full
- Travel & Health
- Yes / Yes
- Application Fee
- Free (No Application Fee)
- Spouse Allowed
- No
What Matters Most
Required Documents
Why You Should Apply
For Botswana citizens, it is the default path to higher education. If you meet the cut-off points, the government pays your full tuition, provides a monthly living allowance, pays for your books, and (if studying abroad) covers your flights and medical insurance.
Application Process
You apply centrally through the DTEF portal after your BGCSE results are released. You select your preferred institutions and programs. Placement is heavily determined by your points score and the national 'critical skills' list.
How to Win This Scholarship
The game here is points. If you score high enough (e.g., 40+ points), you have the leverage to demand placement in elite foreign universities for programs not offered locally (like specialized medical or engineering degrees). If you score lower, you will be placed in local private or public colleges.
To get the lucrative study-abroad sponsorships, you must aggressively target STEM or highly specialized medical fields that the government desperately needs.
Benefits After Completing Study
It guarantees your education is debt-free, though you are expected to return and contribute to the national economy.
Technically, this is a loan/grant hybrid. Upon graduation and securing employment, you are legally required to repay a small percentage of the sponsorship back into the government revolving fund, though enforcement of this collection has historically been lenient.
Official Source
For complete details and to verify all requirements, please refer to the scholarship provider's official website.
Visit Official Source