Building on our established undergraduate partnerships with leading UK universities, our new partnership with the University of Leicester opens a world-class education to more talented young leaders from Africa.
We are delighted to announce a new partnership with the University of Leicester from 2027 entry. Through it, we will offer full-tuition scholarships for undergraduate study at Leicester. Every scholar will also join our leadership programme, with mentoring, leadership training and a lifelong network of fellow changemakers.
It is a partnership built on a shared belief. We look for young people who are already making a difference, not simply hoping for one day. Leicester’s ambition is for every graduate to become a Citizen of Change, and it wants more of those graduates to come from Africa.
“There is so much talent and ambition across Africa, and we want to help create opportunities for that potential to flourish,” says Jules Pringle, Leicester’s Deputy Head of International Recruitment for Africa and the Middle East.
“A Leicester education is about more than gaining a degree. It’s about developing the skills, confidence and experience to become one of our Citizens of Change. We want to see more talented students from Africa become those future Citizens of Change and use their Leicester experience to make a positive impact at home, across the continent and beyond.”
The University of Leicester brings a great deal to our scholars’ journey. It holds a Gold rating in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework and a QS Stars rating of 5+ for 2026, and is ranked in the top 10 UK universities for student experience by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026. It is also one of the UK’s most culturally diverse cities, with affordable living costs and a thriving international community.
Leicester is the second university to partner with us this year, following Bangor University, and joins Cardiff, Exeter, Imperial College London and LSE in our UK university network. Each new partner widens the path our scholars can travel. “From our very first scholars, we have backed young Africans who take people with them,” says our Trustee Ajay Sood. “Our aim has always been a community of ethical leaders who will one day sit at the policy table and give back. Leicester shares that ambition, and we are proud to welcome them as a partner.”
The Beacon Scholarship for University is open to secondary school students from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa who are applying for undergraduate study in the UK. We look for scholars with outstanding academic results who are dedicated to becoming leaders, take people with them, and want to return home and give back. Candidates need a nomination from their school head and an offer from a Beacon partner university. Our application round is open – details of our current university scholarship round, including the full criteria and how to apply, can be found on our application page.
