The top four. If you only apply for scholarships once this year, make it one of these.
Between them they cover the UK, the United States, Germany and the whole of Europe.
This is how to get a scholarship to study abroad without paying a thing — every one
is a free scholarship to study abroad, open to college students and graduates alike.
🟢 Usually open now Most programmes take applications October to January
What it pays for
Full participation costs
€1,400 monthly allowance
Travel and installation costs
Insurance
Who it’s for
Anyone in the world with a bachelors degree. There is no country restriction and no work experience requirement, which makes it one of the most open awards on this list.
The catch
You move between two or three universities in different countries during the course. Wonderful, but plan for the disruption.
📍 Deadlines vary Set by each course — generally between August and March
What it pays for
€992 monthly for masters students
€1,400 monthly for doctoral candidates
Health, accident and liability insurance
Travel allowance
Study and research subsidy
Who it’s for
Graduates from developing and newly industrialised countries, in any discipline, with at least two years of professional experience.
The catch
You apply to the university running the course, not to DAAD, and you may pick up to three courses. People miss this and apply to the wrong place.
Everything, for a one-year masters One-year Masters
⏰ Closes in 1 day Closes 6 October 2026 at 11:00 UTC
What it pays for
Full tuition
Monthly living allowance
Return economy airfare
Arrival and departure allowances
Visa costs
Thesis grant
Who it’s for
Citizens of a Chevening-eligible country with an undergraduate degree and at least two years of work experience — 2,800 hours, about two years at 35 hours a week.
The catch
You must apply to three different UK courses and hold an unconditional offer from at least one by 8 July 2027. Start the university applications now, not after you apply.
You apply directly to the body giving the money — never through an agent, and
never through us. The usual order catches people out: pick your course first, then
apply for scholarships that fund it. Most fully funded scholarships want proof you have a
university place, or at least an application already in progress.
Start your course applications several months before the scholarship deadline.
Chevening, for instance, wants an unconditional offer in hand by July.
Which scholarships for international students are open right now?
Look at the badge on each card. We work it out from today’s date, so any
scholarship available now is marked open, and a closed one tells you which month it
reopens. Nothing here is a stale list from three years ago.
Is an abroad education scholarship the same as a study abroad scholarship?
Yes — people use both, along with “international scholarship” and
“overseas scholarship”, for the same thing: money from a government, university
or foundation to study outside your own country.
The distinction that actually matters is fully funded versus
partial. A partial award might waive 20% of tuition and leave you to find
rent, flights and the rest. Everything on this page is fully funded.
Which study abroad scholarships are the easiest to win?
None are easy, but some are far less crowded. Erasmus Mundus has no nationality
restriction and dozens of separate programmes, each with its own selection. MEXT and the
Global Korea Scholarship run country quotas, so your competition is other applicants from
your country rather than the whole world.
Gates Cambridge and Rhodes are the opposite — famous, and brutally competitive.
How to apply for a scholarship, step by step
One: shortlist courses you meet the entry requirements for. Two: check which of
the twelve awards funds that country and level. Three: get your references and transcripts
translated early — this is what delays most people. Four: write the application
around what you will do after the degree, not what you have done. Five: submit
well before the deadline, because the portals fall over on the last day.
There are scholarships for students at every level here, but almost all of them assume
you already have a course in mind.
Do these scholarship programs abroad cover living costs as well as fees?
All twelve do — that is what “fully funded” means and why the list is
only twelve long. Each card sets out exactly what is paid: tuition, a monthly stipend,
flights, insurance, and in some cases a settling-in grant or a family allowance.
Can I get a full scholarship to study abroad with no work experience?
Yes, though it shortens the list. Chevening and DAAD both want two years of work
behind you. Full scholarships for international students that ask for none include the
Global Korea Scholarship, MEXT in Japan, Erasmus Mundus in Europe and Gates Cambridge.
Our eligibility check filters on exactly this, so you see only what you qualify for.