One of the best ways to study for free as a foreign student in another country is to apply for fully funded Government scholarships for international students offered by the government of that country. It will interest you to know that every year, several government bodies around the world welcome international students to study in their country on full scholarships; for undergraduate, Masters and PhD students and professional programs.
In this Top 10 scholarship series, here is our list of top 10 fully funded government scholarships for international students. Since all of the scholarships mentioned in this video are fully-funded, the consideration will be in terms of the number of scholarships offered per year and relevance. We have two honorary mentions, which makes it 12 actually.
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Table of Contents
10. Japanese Government Scholarships
Every year, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) offers scholarships to international students who wish to study at Japanese universities. This scholarship is fully funded with a gross allowance between 143,000yen to 148,000yen. The Japanese Govt also offers scholarships for teacher training and scholarships into technical colleges. Although the number of spots is not specified, the MEXT scholarship is definitely numerous and worth considering.
9. Swedish Institute Scholarships for Global Professionals (SISGP)
The Swedish Institute Scholarships for Global Professionals (SISGP) programme is part of the Swedish government’s international awards scheme aimed at developing global leaders who will contribute to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The scholarship pays tuition fees, living expenses, travel, Insurance and Alumni membership fees of up to 300 young professionals interested in Master degrees in Sweden.
Our 1st honorary mention goes to
VLIR- UOS Scholarship of the Belgium Government
VLIR-UOS offers full Masters & training Scholarships in Belgium for students from Developing countries – half of this scholarship are offered to African students and preference is given to Women. For each program, 12 scholarships are given. That’s a lot of scholarships.
8. New Zealand Development Scholarships
New Zealand Development Scholarships (NZDS) select candidates from other countries – mostly developing countries – and offers them the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills in specific subject areas that will assist in the development of their home country. The scholarships include financial support for tuition, living costs while in New Zealand, and airfares. The partners of students are also eligible for a work visa that allows them to live and work in New Zealand for the duration of their partner’s study.
7. Korean Government Scholarships
Up to 125,000 international students studied in South Korea in 2018 and the government has set its goal even higher planning to attract 200,000 international students by 2023. As part of this ongoing focus on internationalization, several undergraduate and graduate scholarships are given every year to international students by the Korean Government. Instead of paying over $6000 in tuition fees and another $800 in monthly living expenses, you and other students from over 155 countries can enjoy this fully-funded scholarship by the Korean Government.
6. Chevening Scholarships
up to 1,500, Chevening scholarships are offered every year to international students. The scholarship offers financial support for a Master’s degree at any of the UK’s leading universities and the opportunity to become part of an influential global network of 44,000 alumni. Like the number 8 scholarship on this list, Chevening scholarships expects you to have at least two years’ work experience. This may be up to five years depending on your country.
Second honorary mention is goes to
Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship by the Government of Hungary
The Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Programme, offers international students the opportunity to undergo study of all types in Hungary for free. Thousands of students from all around the world apply for higher educational studies in Hungary each year. The number of Stipendium Hungaricum applicants is continuously increasing as well as the number of available scholarship positions. The programme is based on cooperation and agreement between the other countries and Hungary. Currently more than 50 countries from 4 different continents are in this programme.
5. Australian Awards Scholarship
Australia Awards, an initiative of the Australian Government, is a program with up to 3000 Masters Scholarships every year for eligible working class students – with 1000 going to African students. This is one of the best scholarship programs you can apply for because it prioritises your work experience over academic grades and qualifications. For years, a third class academic performance could get you this full government sponsored scholarship. You just need to tick off all other eligibility boxes.
4. Fulbright Student Program
The Fulbright Foreign Student Program helps graduate students, young professionals and artists from abroad to study and conduct research in the United States. The scholarships are for a Master’s or PhD degree, and can also be awarded for non-degree postgraduate studies. Study and research under this program is for one or more years at U.S. universities or other appropriate institutions. The number of awards differs per country, but approximately 4,000 foreign students receive Fulbright scholarships each year.
3. DAAD Scholarship
Year in, year out, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) supports thousands of students and professions from developing countries with a variety of scholarships ranging from undergraduate degrees to faculty visits at German Universities. Some of these scholarships come with internships in party-related foundations or business-affiliated institutions. DAAD also joins forces with schools and organisations in local regions in Africa to offer scholarships to students so that they can gain joint degrees in specialised courses in both Germany and the students’ region. No course is exempted from DAAD so find your dream course and apply today.
2. Commonwealth Scholarship Scheme
Another scholarship scheme by the UK Government. The Commonwealth Scholarship for Commonwealth countries is in different series: Commonwealth scholarship for Fulltime Master and PhD students from Developing Countries and another for Developed countries, Commonwealth Shared scholarships in collaboration with UK schools; Commonwealth Professional Fellowships for young professionals in developing commonwealth countries to come into the UK; Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships for PhD candidates from Commonwealth countries, to spend up to 12 months at a UK university as part of their doctoral studies in their home country; there is also Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships for candidates in developing Commonwealth countries to undertake Master by distance learning on selected courses offered by UK universities; Commonwealth Rutherford Fellowships for Postdoctoral study and last but not least, Commonwealth Medical Fellowships. Whew! That’s a whole lot of scholarships.
1. Chinese Government Scholarships
The Chinese government, plus its provincial governments in addition to its universities and its industry bigwigs as well as its various foundations, are the biggest scholarship providers in the world; both to international students and Chinese citizens. The scholarships offered by the Government of China are too numerous to mention. However, if you want to study an English degree program in China, be sure to apply between March and April for the following Chinese government scholarships:
- Chinese university scholarship.
- Bilateral Scholarship Program
- MOFCOM Scholarship
- Great Wall Scholarship Program
- EU Scholarship Program for European Union member countries
- AUN Scholarship Program for Asian countries
- Marine Scholarship of China
- World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Scholarship
- PIF Program for Pacific Island countries.
There you have the top 10 government scholarships offered to international students around the world. In addition, also look out for scholarships offered by your country’s government to its citizens to study abroad.
