Fees should not decide who finishes school.
Bright Futures Trust pays school, college and university fees for bright young people from families who cannot. Apply in seven short steps, then track every stage with your reference, the same way you track a parcel.
Free to apply. We never charge a fee or ask for money to process a form.
Six stages. You can see every one.
Most applicants never hear back from a scholarship. Ours get a reference in seconds and can check where they are at any time, on any phone.
- 1
Check you fit
Five questions, one minute. No sign up.
- 2
Apply online
Seven short steps. Save as you go.
- 3
Get a reference
By SMS and on screen, straight away.
- 4
Test and interview
Near home, with travel money paid.
- 5
Decision
Every applicant hears back, yes or no.
- 6
Fees paid direct
To the school, every term, on time.
Already applied? Check now.
Type the reference from your SMS. Try one of the demo references to see a full journey, from received to fees paid.
- Updates the same day a stage moves
- Tells you exactly what to bring and when
- Flags any document we still need
Sent from this device:
One trust, three ways in.
Each programme pays fees straight to the school or centre and comes with a mentor. Pick the one that fits where you are now.
Girls in STEM bursary
Fees, books, uniform and exam fees for girls who love science and maths, paid every term until SS3.
₦180,000 a yearSee the bursary University and polytechnicUndergraduate merit award
Tuition, hostel, a monthly allowance and a laptop on loan, renewed each session.
₦450,000 a yearSee the award School leavers, 17 to 25Skills and trades grant
Course fees, a tool kit and six months of business coaching to start earning from a trade.
₦250,000 onceSee the grantCan I apply?
Five questions. No name, no phone number, nothing saved. The answer appears as you click.
Your result shows here
Answer the five questions. We do not save your answers or ask for your name.
- Girls in STEM bursaryWaiting
- Undergraduate merit awardWaiting
- Skills and trades grantWaiting
What steady funding does.
Example figures for this demo, from twelve years of awards across nineteen local government areas.
They paid the school before I even asked. The first term I had no fees letter in my bag was the first term I came top of my class.Hauwa, 200 level nursing, example scholar
Paid to schools, tracked to the naira
Every payment goes straight to a school, college or university account against an invoice. Our accounts are audited each year and published on the about page, with the share that reaches students shown first.
See where the money goesDo not leave it to January.
We screen applications as they arrive, so early applicants get earlier tests and more time to fix a missing document.
Applications close in
- Applications open
The 2027 cycle opens online and at the Barnawa office. - First aptitude test
For everyone whose documents were checked by 31 October. - Second aptitude test
Held in Barnawa, Zaria and Kafanchan (example venues). - Applications close
Midnight. Paper forms must reach the office by 16:00. - Final aptitude test
For late applicants and anyone who missed a date. - Interviews
Three Saturdays. Travel money paid on the day. - Decisions sent
By SMS and email to every applicant. - First payments
Straight to schools for the third term.
₦15,000 keeps a girl in class for a month.
Give once, give monthly or sponsor a named scholar through to graduation. Our calculator shows exactly what your gift pays for.
From the trust.
From Barnawa to the lab: Zainab’s first year
A girl who studied by generator light, and the first year of a chemistry degree.
How we score an application, line by line
The 100 point sheet our panel uses, published in full.
Award day 2026 in pictures
Ninety three new scholars, their families and a very long photo line.
Before you ask.
More in the full list of questions, or send a WhatsApp message and a programme officer will reply on a weekday.
Does it cost anything to apply
No. Applying is free and always will be. Anyone asking for money to process a Bright Futures form is not from the trust. Report them to us.
I do not have a smartphone. Can I still apply
Yes. Collect a paper form from the Barnawa office or from any partner school, fill it in and bring it back. We give you a reference on the spot and send updates by SMS.
Who decides
A panel of three: a programme officer, a teacher or lecturer from outside the trust, and a former scholar. Nobody on the panel knows the applicant.
Is the money paid to me
Fees are paid straight to the school, college or university. Allowances and transport money go to the scholar’s own bank account.
Ready when you are.
The form takes about twenty minutes and you can stop and come back. Have your latest result slip close by.