Top 50 Scholarships in Europe for Foreign Students

Each year, billions of Euros worth of scholarships are offered by Colleges and Universities in Europe for international students.  The European Union along with the European Government States also offer government-funded EU scholarships to attract international students into Europe. Like European students, foreign students are eligible to apply to hundreds of Universities in Europe that are tuition-free. 

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European Government Scholarships for Foreign Students

Erasmus Mundus Scholarships (European Union)
The European Union (EU) offers full-time scholarships for a wide range of Masters programmes and Doctorate programmes to students coming from developing/emerging countries outside the EU.  The programme offers full scholarships and/or fellowships that cover the living costs, tuition fees, travelling and insurance costs of the students.  About 1,000 students are awarded with an Erasmus Mundus Scholarship each year starting 2009.

British Chevening Scholarships (UK)
The flagship scholarship scheme of the British Government, the Chevening Scholarships are one of the world’s top scholarship schemes and provide scholarships to around 1000 leaders from over 130 countries to study in the UK every year.

Also see: UK Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme

DAAD Scholarships with Relevance to Developing Countries (Germany)
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) provides scholarships for a range of postgraduate courses with special relevance to developing countries at German Universities. The scholarships are specifically targeted to international students and young professionals from developing countries in Africa, Asia, Pacific Islands, Central and South America and Central and Eastern Europe.  DAAD scholarship supports selected programmes with a variety of full or partial scholarships.

Netherlands Fellowship Program (Netherlands)
The Netherlands Fellowship Programmes (NFP) are demand-driven fellowship programmes designed to promote capacity building within organizations in 61 developing countries by providing training and education to their mid-career staff members. The scholarships allow candidates to pursue  Master studies, PhD studies, or short courses at Dutch Universities or academic institutions.  An NFP fellowship is intended to supplement the salary that the fellowship holder should continue to receive (at least partially) during the study period. The allowance is considered to be a contribution towards the cost of living for one person, whether in the Netherlands or in another country. The fellowship also covers the costs of tuition fees, visas, travel costs, insurance and thesis research.

Swedish Institute Study Scholarships (Sweden)
The Swedish Institute provides scholarships in Sweden to highly-qualified international students from developing countries who wants to study at Sweden Universities.  Scholarships are intended for studies in Sweden and focus mainly on master’s level. A few scholarships will be awarded for studies at Bachelor’s level.

VLIR-UOS Scholarship Awards (Belgium)
VLIR-UOS awards training and masters scholarships to students from selected developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America so that they can pursue a Training and Master’s Programme related to development at Universities in Belgium.  Every year, VLIR-UOS awards up to 180 scholarships to first-year master’s students.  The scholarships cover tuition fee, accomodation, allowance, travel costs,  and other program related costs.

See also CUD Scholarships for Developing Countries

Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme (France)
The French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs launched the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme in January 1999 to support French centres of higher education in their international outreach initiatives, in a context of mounting competition among developed countries, to attract elite overseas students on master’s, engineering and PhD courses.

Quota Scholarship Scheme (Norway)
The Norwegian government provides scholarships for students from developing countries in the South and countries of Central- and East-Europe and Central-Asia under the Quota Scheme.  The scheme normally includes courses at the Master and Ph.D. level, in addition to certain professional degrees offered by state universities and colleges in Norway.  The Quota Scheme is for certain developing countries that are on the DAC-list issued by OECD, and is eligible for students from the category of “lower middle-income countries” and under. Also, the scheme accepts students from Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and Palestinian students from the Palestinian Authorities.  Each student receives the same amount of money as a Norwegian student would do in an equivalent educational programme. About 30 per cent of the amount is given as a grant and 70 per cent as a loan. However, the loan portion is waived when the student returns to his/her home country after completing the course of study.

Swiss Excellence Scholarships for Foreign Students (Switzerland)
The Swiss Government, through the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS), awards various postgraduate scholarships to foreign scholars and researchers.  These scholarships provide graduates from all fields with the opportunity to pursue doctoral or postdoctoral research in Switzerland at one of the public funded university or recognized institution.   The scholarship covers a monthly payment of 1920 Swiss Francs for PhD studies/research or 3,500 Swiss Francs for postdoctoral research, exemption of the tuition fees (except for EPFL), mandatory Swiss Health insurance paid by the FCS (for non-European grantees only), a lump sum for air fare for non-European grantees (provided at the end of the scholarship), special 300 Swiss Francs lodging allowance (paid once at the beginning of the scholarship), and 1 year half-fare public transportation card.

Danish Scholarships for International Students (Denmark)
The Denmark Government welcomes highly qualified and motivated international students from all over the world to study in Denmark. A number of scholarships are therefore offered each year by the Danish Ministry of Education to fund students from countries outside the European Union/ European Economic Area. The scholarships can be awarded for a full degree programme or for part of a degree programme at undergraduate level.

Italian Government Bursaries for Foreign Students (Italy)
The Italian Government sponsors a bursary programme for  students of selected countries wishing to study at Italian public universities or other public institutions of higher education.  Three to nine months worth of bursaries may be awarded.

Greek Government Scholarships for Foreign Students (Greece)
The Greek State Scholarships Foundation (Ι.Κ.Υ.) announces that it will offer up to thirty (30) scholarships for nationals from selected countries who wants to purse further education/postgraduate studies/postdoctoral research in Greece.  All scholarships include a  €600,00 as a fixed contribution for initial expenses, free cost emergency medical treatment under the  National Health Service, a monthly allowance of € 600,00 for postgraduate, doctoral studies, specialisation in the Fine Arts and collection of research data or a monthly  allowance of €800,00 for postdoctoral and further education studies (in the Greek Language, Literature, Philosophy and Art), the full cost of tuition fees.

European Colleges and Universities that offer Scholarships for Foreign Students

Rhodes Scholarships at University of Oxford (UK)
Established in the will of Cecil Rhodes in 1902, the Rhodes is the oldest and perhaps the most prestigious international scholarship program in the world.   The Rhodes Scholarships are postgraduate awards that supports exceptional international students from selected countries at the University of Oxford.   A Rhodes Scholarship covers all university fees, personal stipend, health insurance, and airfare to and from the student’s home country.  A class of 83 Scholars are selected each year.

See Also Oxford’s Clarendon Scholarships and Weidenfeld Scholarship Programme

Gates Cambridge Scholarships (UK)
Gates Cambridge Scholarships are full-cost awards for graduate study and research in any subject available at the University of Cambridge.  The scholarships are open to all international students from all over the world.  A Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge namely: university fees, maintenance allowances, airfare, and some dependant’s allowance.  About 100 new Gates Scholars are awarded annually.

Cardiff University Scholarships for International Students (UK)
In recognition of the outstanding talent of many international students, Cardiff University offers a highly prestigious International Scholarship Fund designed to attract and reward the brightest students.  There is a wide range of distinct scholarships available annually, at all academic levels:  Undergraduate (3 scholarships), Postgraduate Taught â€" Masters (6 scholarships), and Postgraduate Research â€" PhD (not specified).  The scholarships will cover full tuition fees for the duration of the studies.

University of Birmingham Scholarships for International Students (UK)
The University of Birmingham is offering 18 individual scholarships for international candidates commencing a one year Masters programme.  The scholarships are worth £10,000 towards the cost of tuition fees for a one year masters course. These awards are for tuition fees only and cannot be used for maintenance/living costs.

London Metropolitan International Scholarships (UK)
London Metropolitan University offers merit-based postgraduate scholarships to outstanding international students who wants to pursue a Master’s Degree at the University. The scholarship programme provides full and partial tuition fee financial support.

See also London Met Scholarships for Developing Country Students

Bristol University International Office Scholarships (UK)
The University of Bristol is offering ten International Office Scholarships for new international students who wish to pursue an undergraduate or postgraduate degrees at the University.  The scholarships are worth £8,500 which can go towards your tuition fee.

University of West England International Ambassador Scholarships (UK)
The International Ambassador Scholarship recognises and provides financial support for outstanding students who wish to pursue a full time undergraduate or postgraduate degree at University of West England. The scholars will act as international ambassadors for the University of West London.  Up to 100 scholarships are worth up to £5,000 ($7,500 USD) which can go toward tuition fees.

See also Univeristy of West England Global Student Scholarships and Millennium Development Scholarships

Sheffield Hallam University Transform Together Scholarships for Non-EU Students (UK)
Transform Together scholarships are open to students from any non-EU country applying to study full time postgraduate or undergraduate programme at Sheffield Hallam University.  The scholarships are specially targeted to international students who want to represent the international student body at Sheffield Hallam University.  The scholarships include a one-year full tuition fee waiver for full-time taught postgraduate courses and 50% tuition fee discount for each year of an undergraduate course (subject to successful progression)

University of Westminster International Scholarships (UK)
University of Westminster awards scholarships to eligible students from any developing country who wish to study in the UK and pursue a full-time Masters degree in any field of study at the University of Westminster.  The scholarship awards full tuition fee waivers, accommodation, living expenses and flights to and from London.

See also Westminster Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarships

Developing Solutions Scholarships at University of Nottingham (UK)
The Developing Solutions Scholarships are designed for international students from Africa, India or one of the developing countries of the Commonwealth who want to study a Masters Degree at the University of Nottingham and make a difference to the development of their home country. Each year,  105 scholarships  are awardedâ€" 30 scholarships will cover the full tuition fee while 75 will cover 50% of the tuition fee.

Edinburgh Global Development Academy Scholarships (UK)
The University of Edinburgh offers Masters Scholarships for international students from least developing countries as for eligible Master’s programmes offered by the University.  There will be 2 Master’s scholarships covering the overseas rate of tuition fee for students from less developed countries.

See also: Edinburgh Global Masters Scholarships

University of Bradford Scholarships for Developing Countries in Crisis (UK)
The University of Bradford Countries in Crisis Scholarships are intended to aid students in financial hardship due to the fact that they are domiciled in a country that is in crisis as a result of the political situation, war, natural disaster etc.   Each scholarship is worth approximately £20,000 which includes full tuition fees and accommodation plus £2000 per annum living costs.

International Development Scholarships of University of East London (UK)
The University of East London International Development Scholarship in association with International Students House (ISH) is a combined tuition fee, residential and maintenance scholarship offered to an international student from selected developing countries who intends to make a positive contribution to the development of their home country as result of completing the MSc NGO and Development Management Programme, who would otherwise be unable to pursue the Programme for financial reasons.

University of East Anglia Development Scholarships (UK)
The University of East Anglia is offering partial and full scholarships for students from developing/low-income countries. The scholarships are for Bachelors or Masters Degree in International development courses offered by the School of International Development.   Multiple International Development Scholarships worth £1,000 fees awards and One (1) International Development Full Fees Scholarship are offered to international taught applicants on the basis of academic excellence and their personal statement.

Leiden University Excellence Scholarships (Netherlands)
The Leiden University Excellence Scholarship Programme (LExS) is open to outstanding  Non-EU/EEA students pursuing a master’s degree programme at Leiden University. Depending on the student’s merit, the scholarship covers 25-100% of the tuition fees. The highest award covers the tuition fee minus the home fee* and an allowance of €10,000 for living costs.

University of Maastricht High Potential Scholarships (Netherlands)
Maastricht University (UM) aims to further strengthen its position as a leading European university offering high-quality education with an international orientation. To this end,  scholarships are made available by the UM Scholarship Fund with the aim of encouraging talented students from outside the EEA to follow a master’s programme at UM.  These scholarships are fully-funded scholarships which includes tuition fee, living expenses, visa costs, and insurance.

Radboud University Scholarship Programme (Netherlands)
The Radboud Scholarship Programme offers a selected number of talented prospective non-EEA students the opportunity to receive a scholarship to pursue a complete English-taught Master’s degree programme at Radboud University Nijmegen (of one or two whole years).  The scholarship is not an amount of money that you will receive on your bank account but consists of a partial tuition waiver. The tuition fee will be waived to the level of an EEA student. Example: a grant holder in 2012/2013 pays a tuition fee of only  € 1,771,  instead of € 9,100, € 10,200 or € 16,450. In addition the Radboud Scholarship also covers costs such as for visa, residence permit,  health insurance and liability insurance.

University of Twente Scholarships (Netherlands)
University Twente Scholarships (UTS) are scholarships for excellent students from non-EEA countries, applying for a graduate programme (MSc) at the University of Twente.   The scholarship amount for students from non-EU/EEA countries is either € 10,000, € 12,500, €20,000, or € 22,500.

Utrecht University Excellence Scholarships (Netherlands)
The Utrecht Excellence Scholarship offers a number of outstanding prospective students the opportunity to pursue a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a selected number of fields at Utrecht University.    Selected students are awarded a scholarship up to 28,350 euro per year, however the grant is not a full scholarship. It is necessary to find additional funding to be able to finance study and stay completely.

Erik Bleumink Scholarships at University of Groningen (Netherlands)
The Erik Bleumink Fund Scholarships are usually awarded for a maximum of 2 years for a Master’s degree programme, and a maximum of 4 years for a PhD. For PhD, part of the research should be conducted in the home country and part in Groningen. The grant covers the tuition fees plus the costs of international travel, subsistence, books, and health insurance. It covers expenses incurred in travelling to and from the Netherlands for PhD candidates for a maximum of 4 times.

University of Lausanne Master’s Grant for Foreign Students (Switzerland)
The University of Lausanne in Switzerland offers scholarships to international students who wishes to pursue a Masters Degree at the University through the UNIL Master’s Grants.  The amount of the grant is CHF 1,600.- per month from 15 September to 15 July, for a duration not exceeding the regulation minimum period of the programme (according to the programme, one-and-a-half years or two years subject to deduction for paid placements or exempt semesters, if any).

University of Bern Excellence Scholarships for International Students (Switzerland)
The University of Bern Masters Grants are for international students who wish to pursue a Master’s programme at the University.  Criteria for selection are academic excellence and the candidate’s potential and motivation.  The grant consists of 1600 CHF per month for the duration of the Master’s programme.

Ghent University Scholarships for Developing Countries (Belgium)
Ghent University provides postgraduate Masters scholarships to international students from developing countries who wish to study in Belgium and obtain a Master’s degree at Ghent University.  The scholarships consist of a monthly allowance, yearly tuition fee and one-time relocation fee.  Each year, a maximum of 10 scholarships can be awarded.

K.U. Leuven Scholarships for International Students (Belgium)
The Science@Leuven Scholarship are for motivated and talented international students, interested in participating in an international master programme of the Faculty of Science of the K.U.Leuven. The amount of the scholarship can be up to 8,000 Euro for 1 year. The scholarship will always cover the tuition fee for 1 year, the insurance and a basic health insurance coverage. The amount awarded for living expenses can vary.

University of Pavia Scholarships for Developing Countries (Italy)
The University of Pavia (UNIPV), in order to promote international cooperation with the Developing Countries, offers scholarships for selected Masters Studies at the University of Pavia or at the Institute for Advanced Study of Pavia (IUSS) in Italy.  6 scholarships of 8.000 Euros will be available.  Each scholarship will cover also the expenses for the Visa and for the travel to Italy and back (economy class).

Bocconi University Scholarships for International Students (Italy)
Bocconi University offers scholarships to international students enrolling in any Bachelor’s Program or Master of Science Program at Bocconi. The awarding of the scholarship also takes into consideration academic performances of the students.  80 scholarships are to be offered  - 40 for Bachelor’s Program and 40 for Master’s Program.  For Bachelor’s Program, the scholarship consists of a full tuition waiver worth approximately € 11,000.00 per year for a maximum of 3 academic years while for Master’s of Science Program, the scholarship consists of full tuition waiver worth approximately € 11,500.00 per year for a maximum of 2 academic years.

University of Oulu International Scholarships for Non-EU Students (Finland)
The University of Oulu International Master’s Scholarships provide scholarships in architecture, business, economics, education, engineering, and sciences to academically talented international students who wants to study a Master’s Programme in Finland.  The scholarship is for one academic year and covers the full international tuition fee.

Lund University Global Scholarships for Non-EU/EEA Students (Sweden)
The Lund University Global Scholarship programme is targeted at top academic students who are citizens of countries from outside the European Union/European Economic Area (and Switzerland). Top academic students have a proven record of achieving consistently high grades in previous studies. The scholarship is selective and completely merit based.   The scholarships may cover 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% of the tuition fee. The scholarship value is deducted from the tuition fee of the programme or free-standing course for which you are awarded a scholarship.

Emily Boutmy Scholarships for International Students (France)
Sciences Po created the Emile Boutmy Scholarship after the founder of Sciences Po in order to attract the very best international students from outside of the European Union.  The Emily Boutmy Master’s Programme can take different forms ranging from €5,000 to €16,000  for 2 years of postgraduate study or €3,000 to €12,300  for 3 years of undergraduate study.