Funding higher education as a Gabonese student

The ANBG, the backbone of study funding

The Agence nationale des bourses du Gabon awards and pays national and overseas scholarships. For most families, obtaining this scholarship determines whether a student can leave for a Moroccan, Senegalese or French university, far more than any loan.

Scholarships refocused on strategic fields

From the 2025-2026 academic year, new overseas scholarships are reserved for priority fields: processing of raw materials, agronomy, digital technology, aeronautics, renewable energy and certain medical specialities, under a decree of February 2024.

The annual cost of a year of study abroad

The ANBG puts the annual cost of a scholarship holder at about 3.1 million CFA francs in Senegal, 5.5 million in Morocco and 8.5 million in France. These amounts serve as a benchmark for families funding a departure themselves.

Gabonese public universities and moderate fees

Omar Bongo University in Libreville and the Masuku University of Science and Technology in Franceville charge modest registration fees. The main costs are housing, transport and everyday living, especially for students coming from the interior.

Private institutions and payment arrears

Some scholarship students were placed in private institutions, to which the ANBG has built up a debt of more than 12 billion CFA francs according to the press. These arrears can force families to advance the fees themselves.

Why banks do not lend to students in Gabon

Without domiciled income or collateral, a student does not meet the criteria of Gabonese banks. The loan is therefore almost always taken out by an employed parent or civil servant, as a Gabonese personal loan backed by their salary.

Parents' school loans as a stopgap

For registration fees, visas or plane tickets, some parents use a loan designed for the start of the academic year. How these loans work is detailed on the page about school loans in Gabon, which also covers primary and secondary school.

Proof of funds for a student visa

Consulates often ask for a scholarship certificate or proof of sufficient resources. Without an ANBG scholarship, the family must show a funded bank account or a signed financial guarantee, which sometimes leads them to borrow before departure.

Prepaid cards and transfers abroad

To send money to a student in Morocco or France, families use bank transfers, money transfer companies or prepaid cards. The options and fees are compared on the page about the bank card in Gabon.

Side jobs and microfinance for students

Students are among the clients of Gabonese microfinance institutions, mostly for savings. Some MFIs grant small loans to those with an income-generating activity, such as reselling goods or giving private lessons in Libreville.

Mobile money and everyday spending

Airtel Money and Moov Money are used to receive money from parents and pay for everyday expenses. Small advances by phone nevertheless remain costly relative to the amount borrowed and do not replace structured study funding.

How studies are funded in Cameroon

In neighbouring Cameroon, students also rely mainly on their families and a few public grants, within a much larger university system spread across Yaoundé, Douala and several regional cities. The page about the student loan in Cameroon presents these schemes.

Planning higher education funding in Gabon

1. Check whether the intended course is among the priorities set by the ANBG for awarding scholarships.
2. Submit the scholarship application on time with transcripts, diploma and certificate of admission.
3. Draw up a full annual budget: registration, housing, transport, health insurance and visa fees.
4. If the scholarship is refused, consider with an employed parent a personal loan backed by their domiciled salary.
5. Arrange a reliable way of transferring money to the country of study and keep the receipts for the consulate.

Cost benchmarks for a Gabonese student

Documents for a scholarship or family loan application

• Student's national identity card or birth certificate
• Baccalaureate diploma and transcripts
• Certificate of admission or enrolment at the institution
• Payslips and salary domiciliation of the borrowing parent
• Quote for tuition and accommodation costs
• Valid passport for study abroad

Common mistakes when funding studies

• Leaving for abroad counting on an ANBG scholarship that has not yet been confirmed, when the criteria have been tightened for new applicants.
• Choosing an expensive destination such as Canada or the United States without a sufficient family budget or a fallback plan.
• Having a parent borrow beyond their repayment capacity, at the risk of weakening the whole household for several years.
• Paying a so-called agency that promises a guaranteed scholarship or a student loan abroad in return for application fees sent by mobile money.

Lenders to contact

• Ecobank Gabon: Gabonese subsidiary of the pan-African Ecobank group, offering personal banking services and financing solutions for businesses and small enterprises.
• Union Gabonaise de Banque (UGB): Gabonese commercial bank and subsidiary of the Attijariwafa bank group, serving individuals and businesses with banking services and loans.

Scholarships and loans for Gabonese students: answers