Pursuing higher education abroad is a dream for many students, and scholarships play a crucial role in making this dream a reality. Here’s a guide to some of the most prestigious scholarships available for international students, detailing their eligibility criteria and application deadlines.
USA
- Fulbright Foreign Student Program
The Fulbright Foreign Student Program is one of the most prestigious scholarships, providing opportunities for students from over 155 countries to study in the United States. This program covers tuition, living expenses, and travel costs.
Eligibility:
- Reside in the country of nomination at the time of application.
- At the time of program start date, possess the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree with a good academic record.
- Are fluent in English, as demonstrated by a recommended recent score of no less than 550 (Paper Based TOEFL), 79-80 (Internet Based TOEFL – IBT), or 6.5(Overall Score International English Language Testing System – IELTS); test scores can be submitted to IIE by indicating the institutional code 2326 on the day of the test .
- Do not hold U.S. citizenship; dual citizens are not eligible for the program participation.
Application Deadline:
- Deadlines vary by country, generally between February and October each year.
UK
- Chevening Scholarships
Funded by the UK government, Chevening Scholarships offer full financial support for one-year master’s programs at any UK university. This scholarship is aimed at developing global leaders.
Eligibility:
- Be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country or territory.
- Commit to returning to your home country for at least two years after your scholarship ends.
- Have at least two years of work experience (2,800 hours).
- Hold an undergraduate degree that qualifies you for a UK master’s programme.
- Apply to three different and eligible UK university courses. You must have received an unconditional offer from at least one of these course choices by the references and education documents deadline listed on the application timeline.
Application Deadline:
- Applications typically open in August and close in November each year.
2. Commonwealth Scholarships
These scholarships are for students from developing Commonwealth countries to study in the UK, covering airfare, tuition fees, and living expenses.
Eligibility:
- Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person.
- Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country.
- By the desired intake year, hold a first degree of at least upper second-class (2:1) honours standard, or a lower second-class degree and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree)*. The CSC would not normally fund a second Master’s degree. If applying for a second Master’s degree, applicants must provide justification as to why they wish to undertake this study.
- Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship.
- Have provided all supporting documentation in the required format.
Application Deadline:
- Annual deadlines for applications are usually in December.
European countries
- Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Program (France)
Offered by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Eiffel Scholarship is aimed at attracting top international students to pursue master’s and PhD programs in France.
Eligibility:
- Applicants for master’s programs must be under 25 years old, and those for PhD programs must be under 30.
- This scholarship is not available for students already living in France.
- The candidate can be of any nationality except French.
- The Pakistani students who have a dual French citizenship cannot apply.
- The applicants who are admitted to French institute are eligible
- Students receiving any other scholarship by the French government are not eligible for the Eiffel excellence scholarship.
- The Pakistani students who have already qualified for the French language requirements of the course will be eligible.
Application Deadline:
- The application deadline is usually in January.
2. Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship Program (Hungary)
Covers tuition fees, a monthly stipend, accommodation, and medical insurance for international students to pursue higher education in Hungary.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be a citizen of Pakistan/AJ&K.
- Applicants enrolled in the last year of their existing study programs/degrees and results awaiting candidates are also allowed to apply.
- For Bachelor’s (Undergraduate Programs) and One-Tier Master’s degree programs i.e. DVM, DPharm, Medicine/Dentistry etc., applicants must have completed HSSC/Intermediate degree or equivalent before August.
- For Master’s (Postgraduate Programs), applicants must have completed 16 years Bachelors/or equivalent degree before August.
- For PhD Programs, applicants must have completed 17/18 years Masters/MS/MPhil degree/or equivalent before August.
- Undergraduate Engineering programs are NOT offered.
- There is no upper age limit for the applicants. However, the minimum eligible age limit for the undergraduate programs is 18 years.
Application Deadline
- January.
3. Swedish Institute Scholarships (Sweden)
Covers tuition fees, living expenses, travel grants, and insurance for international students from developing countries.
Eligibility:
- Be a citizen of one of the 41 countries that is eligible for the SI Scholarship for Global Professionals;
- Apply for a master’s programme that is eligible for the SI scholarship;
- You must be liable to pay tuition fees to Swedish universities, have followed the steps of University Admissions and be admitted to one of the eligible master’s programmes on the day of admissions announcements.
- You must have demonstrated work experience (conditions apply to certain regions). In addition, you must have demonstrated leadership experience from your current or previous employer, or from civil society engagement.
Application Deadline:
- The application portal opens in February. Check the website for the application deadline.
4. Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships (Switzerland)
This Swiss Excellence Program is for Ph.D., Research Fellowship, and PostDoc Master Degree students can also apply. It covers a monthly stipend, tuition fees, health insurance, airfare, and housing allowance.
Eligibility:
- Master’s degree or equivalent university degree achieved before 31 July 2024 (degree certificate) recognized by the Swiss university.
- Applicants must be born after 31 December 1989.
- Have not been in Switzerland for more than one year at the beginning of the scholarship in September 2024.
- Applicants must provide a letter from an academic host professor (including her/his short CV) at the chosen Swiss university confirming why she/he is willing to supervise and support the research. Without such support, the application will be rejected.
- Applicants must be in command of the necessary language skills required for the research/studies.
- Applicants who have already benefited from a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship are not eligible to apply for a second scholarship.
- Scholarship holders are expected to move to Switzerland during their grant period.
Application Deadline:
- September
5. Government of Ireland International Education Scholarships (Ireland)
Offers a full fee waiver and a stipend of EUR 10,000 for one year of full-time study at master’s or PhD level.
Eligibility:
- Applicants must have a domiciliary of origin outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland/ United Kingdom.
- Candidates will need to apply for admission to a relevant master’s or PhD programme offered by an eligible higher education institution as per that institution’s admission procedures.
- Applicants must have a conditional or final offer of admission to that higher education institution at the time of application and will be required to submit a copy of the same.
- The offer letter must confirm that the student has been offered a place on a full-time programme as an international fee-paying student.
Application Deadline:
- March.
6. Italian Government Scholarships for Foreign Students (Italy)
Covers tuition fees, a monthly allowance, and health insurance for international students to study at Italian higher education institutions.
Eligibility:
- Applications must be sent exclusively through the Study in Italy portal.
- Applicants must be in possession of a valid passport or identity document. They must upload a legible photocopy of the document at the time of registration, under penalty of exclusion.
- Applicants must also be in possession of the following requirements by the deadline date of the call (June 14th 2024, 2.00 pm CET):
- Applicants for PhD Programmes should have attained the age of majority and shall not exceed the age of 30 years by the deadline of this call (born after June 14th 1993)
- Applicants for Research Projects under academic supervision should have attained the age of majority and shall not exceed the age of 40 years by the deadline of this call (born after June 14th 1983).
- Applicants for Master’s Degree/Higher Education in Arts, Music, and Dance (AFAM) Programmes/ Italian Language and Culture advanced Courses should have attained the age of majority and shall not exceed the age of 28 years by the deadline of this call (born after June 14th 1995)
Application Deadline:
- June.
7. EDUFI Fellowship (Finland)
EDUFI Fellowship and the Finnish Government Scholarship Pool, merged on 1 January 2021. For doctoral level research, covering living expenses with no tuition fee charged.
Eligibility:
You can apply for the fellowship grant if
- you work as a researcher or a teacher in a Finnish university department
- you will be hosting the research fellow
- you will commit to common objectives with the research fellow
- you will be offered facilities and equipment for the use of the research
- you will supervise the research.
You can apply for the grant for an applicant that holds a degree in non-Finnish post-graduate (post Master’s degree) who you will invite to Finland or who has been in Finland for a maximum of one year before applying for the fellowship.
Application Deadline:
- Apply for the fellowship grant at any time. Applicants should apply for the grant five months before the start of the fellowship.
Germany
- DAAD Scholarships
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers numerous scholarships for international students to study in Germany. DAAD scholarships are aimed primarily at graduates, doctoral students and postdocs and are awarded for study and research.
Eligibility:
- Varies by program; generally, applicants should hold a bachelor’s degree and have relevant work experience.
- Proficiency in German or English, depending on the program.
Application Deadline:
- Deadlines vary by program, typically between August and December.
Australia
- Australia Awards Scholarships
These scholarships are funded by the Australian government and are available to students from developing countries to undertake full-time undergraduate or postgraduate study at participating Australian universities.
Eligibility:
- Applicants must have achieved an IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 or higher (with no individual band score of less than 6.0.
- All scholarships must be taken up in the year they are awarded. Country-specific conditions.
- In addition to the eligibility requirements, candidates from Pakistan must also meet the following conditions:
- Be a Pakistani citizen currently residing in Pakistan and applying for the scholarship from Pakistan
- Not be a citizen of Australia, hold permanent residency in Australia or be applying for a visa to live in Australia permanently
- have completed 16 years of education and five years of relevant work experience in Pakistan
- not be more than 45 years of age at the time of submitting the application
- Return to Pakistan at the completion of their study for at least two years.
- Scholarships will not be available for courses of study in Australia where the applicant has already achieved that qualification and if the qualification is deemed to be equivalent to the Australian qualification.
Application Deadline:
- Applications open in February and close in April.
Securing a scholarship can significantly reduce the financial burden of studying abroad. Each scholarship has its own set of requirements and deadlines, so it’s crucial to research thoroughly and apply well in advance. With determination and preparation, these scholarships can open doors to some of the world’s best educational institutions, providing not only financial support but also invaluable experiences and opportunities.
For more detailed information on each scholarship, be sure to visit their official websites and stay updated on the latest application guidelines and deadlines.
