Paying for higher education in Sudan
Sudan has no real bank student loan: young people pay for their studies with family help, the National Fund for Student Support, the Zakat Chamber and scholarships, while the war has displaced both universities and students.
No bank student loan in the usual sense
Sudanese banks do not offer deferred loans repayable after graduation. A student with no income can only obtain murabaha with a salaried parent acting as the main debtor or guarantor, and only for a specific purchase such as a computer.
The National Fund for Student Support
This public body runs university residences, provides help with housing and meals, and offers one-off support to students from modest backgrounds. It does not hand out bank loans, but it lowers the cost of living while you study.
The Zakat Chamber and students from poor families
The Zakat Chamber, Diwan al-Zakat, can cover enrolment or transport costs for students from poor families. Applications go through local offices, with a social inquiry and documents proving the family's income.
Public universities and enrolment fees
The University of Khartoum, Sudan University of Science and Technology, Al-Neelain and Omdurman Islamic University charge moderate fees to students admitted through the general exam. Higher-fee places also exist for some applicants, as well as for foreign students.
Private universities and fees in foreign currency
Private universities and colleges often set their fees in indexed Sudanese pounds or directly in dollars, especially for medicine and pharmacy. This cost is very high for families and justifies instalment plans negotiated with the institution.
Universities relocated after April 2023
Several Khartoum universities have resumed teaching online, in Port Sudan, in other states or abroad, notably in Egypt. Students need to budget for transport, housing and internet access, which often cost more than the enrolment fees themselves.
Studying in Egypt or elsewhere
Many families pay for studies in Cairo, Uganda or Malaysia. Fees are sent through banks or hawala; a prepaid foreign currency card, described on the page about bank cards in Sudan, can make payments easier.
Foreign scholarships and international programmes
Egyptian, Turkish and Saudi scholarships, as well as those of international bodies, are open to Sudanese students, especially at master's and doctoral level. Applications require certified transcripts and diplomas, which can be hard to obtain when university archives are inaccessible.
The role of employers and company funds
Some state-owned companies and banks grant their employees a qard hasan to pay for a child's studies. The parent repays from salary, and this remains one of the few genuinely accessible forms of education financing.
Secondary school costs and the Sudan School Certificate
Families often go into debt as early as secondary school to prepare for the Sudan School Certificate exam. These costs are detailed on the page about school loans in Sudan, which also covers private schools and the start of the school year.
Education financing in neighbouring countries
Tanzania and Uganda have public student loan bodies, unlike Sudan. For a close comparison, see the student loan in South Sudan page, where scholarships and support from churches and NGOs remain the main route.
Tutoring and side jobs for Sudanese students
Many students give private lessons or work in the family business or online. An active bank account opened during their studies later makes it easier to get a first financing once they have graduated and found salaried work.
Putting together funding for studies in Sudan
- Check the university's exact fees, where it is currently teaching and which payment methods it accepts.
- Apply to the National Fund for Student Support for housing or social assistance.
- Contact the local Zakat Chamber office with documents proving the family's income.
- Ask a parent's employer for a qard hasan or an advance towards study costs.
- Negotiate a payment plan with the private university and keep every payment receipt.
- Prepare certified transcripts and diplomas to apply for foreign scholarships.
Budget for a Sudanese university year
| Item | Description | What makes it vary |
|---|---|---|
| Enrolment fees | Annual university charges | Public or private, subject, admission route |
| Housing | Residence or rented room | City and help from the student fund |
| Transport | Travel to the place of teaching | Relocation of the university |
| Connection and equipment | Computer, mobile data | Online or in-person classes |
| Costs abroad | Enrolment, visa, living costs | Country and currency |
Application file for study support in Sudan
- Student's ID card or national number
- Sudan School Certificate results
- University admission letter
- Proof of parents' income
- Certificate from the neighbourhood committee
- Certified transcripts for a scholarship
Mistakes and scams around studying in Sudan
- Believing Facebook ads for student loans without a guarantor, which ask for registration fees and then disappear.
- Paying a private university in cash without an official receipt, which causes problems in case of a transfer or a dispute.
- Enrolling in an institution not recognised by the Ministry of Higher Education, whose diploma will be hard to use.
- Failing to have transcripts certified while the administration is still working, at the risk of losing all proof of your studies.
Lenders to contact
- Bank of Khartoum: Sudanese commercial bank offering Sharia-compliant financing, notably murabaha, for individual customers and businesses seeking transparent financing.
- Faisal Islamic Bank (Sudan): Pioneering Sudanese Islamic bank providing Sharia-compliant banking services and financing to individual customers and businesses across Sudan.
Higher education in Sudan: questions from families
Can you get a student loan from a Sudanese bank?
Not as a deferred loan. A bank can finance a computer or specific fees through murabaha if a salaried parent is the borrower. Support from the National Fund for Student Support and from zakat remain the main resources available.
Does zakat pay for university fees?
It can cover part of the costs for students from poor families after a social inquiry. Amounts and waiting times vary between offices and depending on available resources, which the war has severely affected in several states.
Are Khartoum's universities operating?
Many have partly resumed, online, in other towns or abroad. The situation keeps changing; check directly with each university about the location, the calendar and the payment arrangements.
How do you pay for studies in Egypt from Sudan?
By international bank transfer when possible, with a prepaid foreign currency card or through a relative living in Egypt. Hawala is common but provides no official proof of payment.