phd scholarships europe

European Education Area

How to apply for doctoral studies in europe.

Find out how to apply for doctoral studies, including a PhD, in Europe.

Getting started

In Europe, every university sets its own application criteria for doctoral studies. 

To successfully enter the world of research, it´s very important to be proactive and start your preparation early. 

The enrollment procedures take time. Prepare early, check entry requirements and collect your documents. 

Choose your topic

Choose your research topic well before starting your studies. 

Find out which university or programme meets your research interests and your academic background.

Find a supervisor

Finding a supervisor before applying could be either compulsory or advisable and it is usually the applicant’s responsibility. 

Check the research teams in the university and look at the publications written by your potential supervisor, as well as their research projects and supervised dissertations to ensure that his or her research areas match your plans.

Check language requirements

Examine the language skills needed for enrollment. It might be necessary to take a test or present internationally validated test results. 

Recognition of qualifications

Find out what documents need to be translated before applying and which ones may need ENIC-NARIC evaluation. 

Some documents might need to be certified by a notary, with an apostille attached.

Prepare your documents

The required documents vary. Usually, you need to prepare the following:

• official copy of the previous diploma(s)
• curriculum vitae (CV)
• research proposal for your PhD
• motivation letter
• references and/or recommendation letters

Find a position and funding

EURAXESS is a European Commission portal providing information on research positions and funding to help researchers come to Europe to study, work in another European country and more.

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10 fully-funded postgraduate scholarships in Europe for 2021

Europe is a popular choice among students for many reasons. Apart from its great reputation in terms of its way of life, a vast array of options, and opportunities for global exposure amidst cultural diversity, it is also known for its high standards of education. “ European programmes tend to be more diverse than US courses and therefore draw more students from emerging economies,” says Brandon Kirby from the Rotterdam School of Management in the Netherlands.

In the 2017 rankings released by Study.Eu , Germany’s score of 83.2 out of 100 put it at the top of the list as the most attractive option for foreign students among 30 European countries ranked in three categories: education (50 points), cost (30 points), and life and career (20 points). Behind Germany, with scores from 60 to 70 points were the Netherlands, France, Sweden and the UK. Here are some of the fully-funded scholarships that are available for international applicants:

The Emile Boutmy Scholarship in France

This scholarship is for those looking to undertake a bachelor’s, master’s or PhD degree from the Science Po University in Paris, which hosts 14,000 students – half of which are international. The deadline to apply is Dec. 6, 2020.

“It is health that is the real wealth, and not pieces of gold and silver.” – Mahatma Gandhi Study medicine or other health-related programmes in Europe ➡️ https://t.co/ZUXhltXASw #StudyInEurope 🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/qFz5PavRol Erasmus+ (@EUErasmusPlus) October 12, 2020

The Erasmus+ Scholarship Programme

The Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree (EMJMD) is a prestigious, integrated and international study programme, jointly delivered by an international consortium of higher education institutions. This programme awards EU-funded scholarships to the best candidates applying under annual selection rounds.

The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship in Switzerland

This fully-funded scholarship is open for students from over 180 different countries looking to pursue a master’s or PhD degree. Last year, 381 students were awarded the opportunity, and this year they are aiming for 500. The deadline to apply is Nov. 2020.

Among Ireland’s top draws are intriguing medieval architecture as well as vast green fields and mountains. Source: Hans Hansen/Pixabay

The Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship

This programme is an established national initiative funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. A total of 60 scholarships will be awarded this year, funded by the Government of Ireland’s International Education Scholarships programme. The deadline to apply is Oct. 29, 2020.

The Belgium Government Scholarships

220 fully-funded scholarships are now available for international students looking to study a full-time master’s degree in Belgium or to take up a training course. For master’s programmes, 150 scholarships will be granted, while 70 will be granted for short training courses. The deadline to apply is Feb. 5, 2021.

The DAAD Scholarship in Germany

This scholarship is fully-funded by the Government of Germany, for all international students looking to pursue a postgraduate degree. The DAAD currently supports the education of 100,000 German and international students.

The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme in France

This scholarship programme was established by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs to enable higher education institutions to attract top foreign students to enrol in their postgraduate programmes. The deadline to apply is Jan. 8, 2021.

What’s better than a table in the sun with a cup of black coffee in Paris’s famous terraces? Source: Miguel Medina/AFP

The Padua International Excellence Scholarship Programme in Italy

The University of Padua annually offers up to 43 scholarships to highly talented students wishing to pursue a bachelor’s or master’s degree completely held in English in Padua, Italy.

The Heinrich Böll Foundation Scholarship in Germany

The Heinrich Böll Foundation grants scholarships to approximately 1,200 undergraduates, graduates, and doctoral students of all subjects and nationalities per year, who are pursuing their degree at universities, universities of applied sciences, or universities of the arts. The deadline to apply is Mar. 1, 2021 and only those with proficiency in the German language are eligible.

The Friedrich Ebert Foundation Scholarship in Germany

This scholarship is funded by the DAAD scholarship for international students looking to pursue diplomas, bachelor’s or master’s degrees. Students in any subject area are eligible to apply if they demonstrate excellent school or academic merit and wish to study in Germany.

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How to get a scholarship in Europe, EU funding programmes for education, country profiles,  find out about research and other costs, scholarships for international students, grants for interpretation students.  

Bursaries for conference interpreting students Who can apply, eligibility requirements and amount of funding

How to find a scholarship Around 100,000 scholarships and financial support schemes are available across Europe for international students. Each country offers its own schemes.

Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees The Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree is an international study programme, jointly delivered by an international consortium of higher education institutions.

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2935 Scholarships for Phd in Europe

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Funding sources for PhD studies in Europe

PhD positions in European countries are funded through a diverse range of sources. Understanding the different funding sources for PhD studies in Europe is pivotal: With this knowledge, prospective PhD students can turn their abstract ambition to pursue a degree in Europe into a concrete strategy.

Doing a PhD in Europe

Phd funding in europe through university budgets, phd funding in europe through external project grants, phd funding in europe through individual grants from governments & research councils, phd funding in europe through individual scholarships from foundations, phd funding through governmental scholarships from countries of origin, part-time phd funding in europe through non-academic employers.

A brief disclaimer to begin with: There is a huge variety between European countries. Therefore, when embarking on a PhD journey, it is always necessary to check out country-specific arrangements! That said, there are some general differences, for instance, doing a PhD in North America.

For starters, to qualify for PhD studies in most European countries, a master’s degree is required. Furthermore, in many European countries, PhD students are treated as employees. This means that they are formally employed, receive a salary and make pension contributions.

The money that is used to pay for PhD positions can come from a variety of sources. However, prospective students are often not aware of the wide range of possibilities to fund their PhD studies.

Knowing about different funding sources for PhD studies is crucial because often prospective candidates play an active role in securing PhD funding!

The most straightforward funding arrangement is PhD funding via university budgets. This essentially means that a university has money available to invest in PhD students.

The types of PhD positions that stem from university budgets tend to ask for an individual research proposal within the framework of a specific theme. This proposal becomes an important part of the application process, in which a professor selects one or more PhD students to work with.

Prospective PhD students cannot influence this funding source. Often, they simply have to apply to an open position advertised on a university website or a job portal.

Examples of academic job portals:

• Academic Positions
• HigherEDJobs

Many universities rely on external funding to create PhD positions. This external funding often comes in the form of research grants for specific research projects. Common sources of funding are the European Commission and national scientific research councils.

The PhD positions that are created within externally funded research projects are often clearly defined. The PhD student works as part of a larger project team and completes a set of concrete tasks.

During the application process, applicants often have to showcase how they fit into the specific project. Furthermore, they have to make suggestions of how they would approach and execute certain tasks to meet the project’s goals.

Prospective PhD students can rarely influence this funding source. Exceptions exist when they already worked with a Principal Investigator, for instance during a master’s degree. Then they could support the project proposal and grant writing process, in the hope that the project receives funding and creates a position for them.

Example sources for external project grants:

• Horizon Europe
• European Research Council Grants
• French National Research Agency ANR
• German Research Foundation DFG

National scientific research councils play a dominant role in the European academic landscape. Next to providing funding for large-scale (international) research projects, many of them also offer specific individual grants for PhD studies.

The PhD positions that are created from individual grants by scientific research councils often require unique, individual PhD research projects. These projects offer room for creativity but require a high degree of independence.

Individual grants and scholarships are very competitive. Applications often involve multiple stages, including pre-proposals, proposals, and interviews. In some cases, prospective PhD students can only apply for these grants if they already have a potential supervisor and the backing of an eligible university.

Prospective PhD students have a high degree of influence when it comes to this source of funding. They have to proactively approach potential supervisors and universities well in advance of the application deadline, and develop a competitive research idea.

Example sources for individual research grants:

• Economic and Social Research Council ESRC
• National Science Centre Poland
• Dutch Scientific Research Council
• Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships
• Stipendium Hungaricum by the Hungarian Government

There are many foundations that either support or fully fund PhD studies in Europe. These foundations are often connected to political parties, religious institutions, specific industries, companies or non-profit organisations.

The PhD studies that receive funding from foundations are diverse but tend to have a concrete link to the funding body. This link can be thematic or ideological. For instance, the foundation of a country’s Green Party is likely more inclined to fund a research project addressing climate change instead of one on fossil fuel excavation.

Furthermore, the profile of the prospective candidate is extremely important in these scholarship applications. Some foundations also target prospective PhD students from specific countries or backgrounds.

Prospective PhD students have a high degree of influence when it comes to this source of funding. They tend to be in charge of the whole application process.

Examples of PhD funding through foundations:

• Rotary Foundation Global Scholarship Grants for Development
• The Green Political Foundation
• The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds (BIF)
• German Academic Exchange Service DAAD
• Swedish Childhood Cancer Fund

Several non-EU countries provide PhD scholarships for their nationals to pursue a PhD full-time and are fully funded in Europe. Thus, as an international student, these government schemes are interesting to explore.

The application process for these governmental scholarship schemes is hard to generalise. However, a common denominator is that prospective PhD students seem to have a high degree of influence when it comes to this source of funding.

Applicants usually have to undergo two application processes: One to receive the scholarship, and another one to secure a position at a European university.

Sometimes, the scholarship is attached to certain requirements after the completion of a PhD. For instance, to return to the country of origin and work in the national academic system for several years.

Examples of countries providing scholarships to conduct PhD studies in the EU are China, Turkey and Indonesia.

If there is a connection between a PhD topic and a non-academic job, some employers enter a formal arrangement that covers PhD fees. Furthermore, they allow the PhD student to do PhD-related work during some of their ‘regular’ working hours.

Prospective PhD students are very much in charge when it comes to this source of funding. Entering an arrangement between a non-academic employer and an academic institution requires a lot of coordination. All parties have to agree in advance.

While this is not the most common PhD funding arrangement, the construction of a part-time PhD can have many advantages. For example the increased cooperation and knowledge transfer between academia and non-academic research and practice.

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21 Fully Funded Scholarships for International Students in Europe

Here is a detailed list of fully funded scholarships for international students in Europe. These scholarships comprise of those obtainable in Europe and those obtainable outside Europe but European and probably all international students are eligible to apply for them.

In one of our compiled guides on how to secure scholarships abroad easily , we emphasized the fact that most international and local scholarships demand that applicants are already admitted into a course before they are awarded scholarships, and in that sense, we wrote on universities in Europe without application fees to help international students secure admission for free with which they can pursue scholarships.

You can also take a look at our guide that reveals the cheapest European countries for students who may need to shift interest to cut costs.

Scholarships For International Students In Europe – Fully Funded

Below is a list of scholarships for international students in Europe and also scholarships for both European and international students to study either in Europe or abroad. Note that these scholarships listed cover both scholarships for international students to study in Europe and scholarships for European and other international students to study in other countries too. They are all fully funded.

• DAAD Scholarship for Masters and Ph.D. in Germany
• Finland Government Scholarship
• University of Canterbury Scholarship in New Zealand
• Swedish Institute Study Scholarships (Sweden)
• International Scholarship for Women in the USA
• Fullbright Foreign Student Program in the USA
• British Chevening Scholarships
• The University of Sussex Postgraduate Scholarship in England
• Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship for Foreign Students in Switzerland
• University of Oxford Clarendon scholarships in the UK
• Adelaide Scholarships International in Australia
• University of Maastricht High Potential Scholarship in the Netherlands
• Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship Program at the University of Toronto Canada
• Danish Government Scholarships for Non-EU/EEA Students  (Denmark)
• Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme (France)
• VLIR-UOS Scholarship Awards (Belgium)
• Amsterdam Excellence Scholarships (Netherlands)
• Developing Solutions Scholarships at the University of Nottingham (UK)
• Erik Bleumink Scholarships at the University of Groningen (Netherlands)
•  ETH Excellence Scholarships (Switzerland)
• Gates Cambridge Scholarships (UK)

1. DAAD Scholarship for Masters and Ph.D. in Germany

Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) or German Academic Exchange Service, is a German academic support organization that funds international students to study in Europe.

The DAAD Scholarship is one of the best scholarships for international students in Europe currently and it has been there for quite a long time now.

This organization offers fully-funded scholarships to study for a Ph.D. or Master’s Degree from one of the prestigious universities in Germany. Before you apply, you must have a BSc. Degree on a proper four-year course and also possess two years or more of work experience after the degree.

The scholarship details are as follows;

• Duration: 1-3 years
• Scholarship application status: still open
• Coverage of medical insurance and travel allowance
• Document for employment confirmation will be required
• 2 recommendation letters will also be required

The available courses for the DAAD Scholarship are;

• Mathematics
• Regional and Urban Planning
• Agricultural and Forest Science
• Social Sciences
• Media studies
• Engineering and Related Sciences
• Political Economics Sciences
• Medicine and Public Health
• Natural and Environmental Sciences
• Education and Law Apply Now

2. Finland Government Scholarship

This is a fully-funded scholarship provided by the Finnish government for international students in both Undergraduate and Master’s degrees to study in universities in Finland and it is open to students from anywhere in the world including Europe.

This is one of the most popular scholarships for international students in Europe covering up to full academic expenses.

All universities and universities of applied sciences have Finland scholarship opportunities for international students who want to study in Europe. Other Details of the Finland Government Scholarship for European and International Students are;

• Duration: 2-4 years
• Scholarship application status: Ended
• Degree: Bachelor, Master degree
• Financial coverage: Partially and Fully funded

Eligible Courses for the Finland Government Scholarship are;

• Agricultural sciences(forestry, fisheries)
• Health and Welfare Sciences
• Social sciences
• Business Administration
• Veterinary Science
• Information and Communication Technologies
• Humanities Apply Now

3. University of Canterbury Scholarship

The University of Canterbury offers scholarship opportunities to international students who want to study in Europe. The scholarship is open to every nationality except New Zealand and Australian citizens who are not eligible.

The university offers international students fully-funded bachelor’s degree scholarships every year to all academic fields available in the university. Other Details of the University of Canterbury Scholarship are;

• Scholarship application status: Ongoing
• Deadline: October yearly
• Degree: Undergraduate Scholarship
• Financial coverage: Fully funded

Courses Eligible for the University of Canterbury Scholarship are;

• Business management
• Engineering
• Health Sciences
• Human development Apply Now

4. Swedish Institute Study Scholarships (Sweden)

The SI Scholarship for Global Professionals is an academic scholarship provided for full-time, one- or two-year, master’s studies in Sweden. The scholarship covers a wide range of study fields and over 700 of the 1000 English-taught master’s programs in Sweden.

Through the scholarship, the Swedish Institute (SI) aims to develop a network of future global leaders that will contribute to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and drive the development of their home countries forward. The scholarship is open for applications once every year, for master’s studies beginning in the autumn semester. In order to apply you must: 

• Be a citizen of one of the 41 countries that is eligible for the SI Scholarship for Global Professionals; 
• Apply for a master’s program that is eligible for the SI scholarship;  
• Be liable to pay tuition fees at University Admissions;  
• Have demonstrated work experience; 
• Have demonstrated leadership experience from a current or previous employer, or from civil society engagement.  About 700 English-taught master’s programs are eligible for the SI scholarship for Global Professionals, covering programs in the fields of humanities, agricultural science, medicine and public health, natural science, social science, and technology.   

5. International Scholarship for Women in the USA

Application for this scholarship is currently open, so go ahead and apply for it. It is a fully-funded scholarship open to every female student in Europe and around the world except Iran and she can apply in all academic fields of any university in the USA.

The admission will come in two batches and the deadline for selecting the first batch is April 20 th yearly while the deadline for the second batch is June 30th annually. Other details of the Scholarship are as follows;

• Degree type: Bsc., Ph.D., and Master
• Duration: 1-4 years depending on degree type and selected course
• Scholarship application status: ongoing

You can apply in all academic fields of any university in the USA but you would need to submit an offer letter from the university before the deadline.

6. Fullbright foreign student program in the USA

This is a scholarship program for international students and it is open to students from all over the world to apply. If you are an international student who wants to pursue a master’s or Ph.D. degree, you could apply for this scholarship grant.

This one exactly isn’t for students who want to study in Europe but for European and international students who want to study in the USA.

This grant covers everything from tuition, living expenses, health insurance, etc. It is a fully-funded financial aid that will cover the study duration. You can choose any course/major offered by your preferred university in the USA.

7. British Chevening Scholarships

This is a scholarship grant specially awarded to students with leadership potential, by the UK government, to pursue a master’s degree program of their choice. It is a fully-funded grant and scholars may choose any field/major of their choice offered by their preferred university.

8. The University of Sussex postgraduate scholarship in England

Application for this fully funded scholarship is ongoing for students who want to pursue a master’s degree or postgraduate. Everyone from all over the world can participate even its citizens just be fast on the application as the deadline draws nigh.

You can go for any major offered by the University of Sussex and the financial coverage will cover your tuition, living expenses, and health insurance.

9. Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship in Switzerland

Each year the Swiss Confederation awards Government Excellence Scholarships to promote international exchange and research cooperation between Switzerland and over 180 other countries. Recipients are selected by the awarding body, the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS). The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships are aimed at young researchers from abroad who have completed a master’s degree or PhD and at foreign artists holding a bachelor’s degree.

The research scholarship (research fellowship, PhD, Postdoc) is available to post-graduate researchers in any discipline (who hold a master’s degree is the minimum qualification required) who are planning to come to Switzerland to pursue research or further studies at the doctoral or post-doctoral level.

Art scholarships are open to art students wishing to pursue an initial arts master’s degree in Switzerland. Art scholarships are awarded for study at any Swiss conservatory or university of the arts. This scholarship is available to students from a limited number of countries only.

10. University of Oxford Clarendon Scholarships in the UK

This is a fully-funded scholarship scheme awarded to about 140 scholars yearly by the Clarendon Scholarship Fund. This scholarship seems to be special as it is awarded to applicants on the basis of excellence and potential across all degree-bearing subjects at the graduate level.

The fund covers tuition fees, living expenses, and health insurance and it is currently ongoing for application.

11. Adelaide Scholarships International in Australia

This a fully-funded grant open to every nationality and it is a scholarship scheme invented by Adelaide Scholarships International to attract high-quality students to boost the research efforts at the University of Adelaide. The grant covers yearly living allowance, health insurance, and tuition fees.

12. University of Maastricht High Potential Scholarship in the Netherlands

This is a scholarship by the UM to attract high-potential scholars from all over the world to pursue a master’s degree at the UM. The fund covers living allowance, health insurance, and tuition fees.

13. Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship Program at the University of Toronto Canada

This is a scholarship program at the University of Toronto awarded to international students who show special academic achievement and creativity and who are seen as leaders within their school. The fund will cover tuition fees, incidental fees, books, and living expenses for up to four years.

14. Danish Government Scholarships for Non-EU/EEA Students  (Denmark)

The University of Copenhagen (UCPH) offers a limited number of tuition waivers and grants through the Danish Government Scholarship program. The scholarships are competitive and offered to highly talented students with outstanding academic records from non-EU/EEU countries. All non-EU/EEA applicants offered admission will automatically be considered for the scholarship. The Danish Government Scholarship is granted as full or partial tuition fee waivers and/or as an amount covering basic living costs.

15. Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme (France)

The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Program was established by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs to enable French higher education institutions to attract top foreign students to enroll in their master’s and Ph.D. programs.

It gives opportunities to the future foreign decision-makers of the private and public sectors, in priority areas of study, and encourages applicants from foreign countries up to 25 years old at the master’s level, and applicants up to 30 years old at PhD level.

16. VLIR-UOS Scholarship Awards (Belgium)

They award scholarships to students and professionals from Africa, Asia, or Latin America to study in Flanders, as well as travel grants to Flemish/European students to do fieldwork/internships in Africa, Asia, or Latin America. They award scholarships to applicants from 29 eligible countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to attend one of the 15 master’s programs taught in English at one or more Flemish universities. VLIR-UOS provides an annual intake of 10 new first-year scholarships for each ICP

17. Amsterdam Excellence Scholarships (Netherlands)

The Amsterdam Excellence Scholarship is an award available to outstanding students from outside Europe. The value of the award is 25,000 Euro per annum for a maximum of 2 years. The purpose is to provide excellent students with the opportunity to complete a Master’s degree at the University of Amsterdam. There is no set number of scholarships to be awarded under this program. Students must be in the top 10% of their class and must be eligible for a Master’s course at the University of Amsterdam. Students must be based outside the EU.

18. Developing Solutions Scholarships at the University of Nottingham (UK)

Developing Solutions is the University of Nottingham (UK) flagship master’s scholarship, founded in 2001, for students from African, South Asian, and other selected Commonwealth countries. This scholarship program is designed for international students who want to make a difference in the development of key economic, environmental, structural, social, or political structures in their home country.

The University of Nottingham offers scholarships covering 50% or 100% of full-time master’s tuition fees. These one-year scholarships are available to support innovative and passionate students who can successfully demonstrate their ingenuity in developing solutions that will impact their home countries and incite change.

19. Erik Bleumink Scholarships at the University of Groningen (Netherlands)

Provided by the University of Groningen, this grant is awarded for a 1 year or 2 years Master’s degree program. The grant covers tuition fees, costs of international travel, subsistence, books, and health insurance. A considerable number of students apply for this scholarship each year, whereas the University can issue only a limited number of grants.

20. ETH Excellence Scholarships (Switzerland)

ETH Zurich supports outstanding students who wish to pursue Master’s degree studies by offering scholarship and opportunity program. The Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP) supports students with a scholarship, mentorship, and a network of the ETH Foundation. The scholarship covers the full study and living costs during the Master’s degree course. The scholarship consists of a scholarship covering living and study expenses (CHF 12’000 per semester) as well as a tuition fee waiver. ESOP is awarded for the regular duration of the Master’s program (three or four semesters). This also applies to the tuition fee waiver. Only ETH Bachelor students may start the ESOP with a leave of absence.

21. Gates Cambridge Scholarships (UK)

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship program was established in October 2000 by a historic donation of US$210m from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge. The first class of scholars came into residence in October 2001. Since then, the Trust has awarded over 2,000 scholarships to scholars from more than 100 countries.

Each year Gates Cambridge offers c.80 full-cost scholarships to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. Approximately two-thirds of these awards will be offered to PhD students, with approximately 25 awards available in the US round and 55 available in the International round. A Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge. It also provides additional, discretionary funding.

More About Scholarships for International Students in Europe

Scholarships have helped a lot of students achieve their academic goals in life as well as pushed them up the professional ladder, especially, fully-funded scholarships.

Fully funded scholarships are sometimes different from full-tuition scholarships because while full-tuition scholarships ensure payment of only tuition fees in some cases, fully-funded scholarships cover tuition fees, housing, feeding, medicals, flight from applicant country to host country, and in many cases, it also pays the beneficiaries stipends for personal upkeep.

Here at Study Abroad Nations , we’ve helped over 300,000 students discover and apply for scholarships and today, we will be adding to the numbers through this novel guide on how to secure fully-funded European scholarships for international students.

What is a scholarship?

A scholarship is a grant or payment awarded to a student in other to help them further their education and it can be awarded on the basis of academic achievement or other achievements.

You may begin to wonder, how does one get a scholarship opportunity? or what are the ways one can get a scholarship? Good thing I have done a lot of research on this matter and I have valid answers to your questions.

How International Students Can Apply for Scholarships to Study in Europe Successfully

As an international student who wants to study in Europe with a fully-funded scholarship or maybe at least with a full-tuition scholarship, you have to put the following factors into consideration

1. Begin early research

It is advisable to start researching early for scholarships as gathering information on time will help you know how to go about it. Here, we help you with this by publishing scholarship opportunities daily and you can also sign up for our free scholarship updates so we can send you a compilation of available scholarships daily.

You can also join our study abroad and scholarship telegram group to chat with other international students and get updates on available scholarships. If you follow us on twitter , you will be the first to learn about our scholarship updates because we tweet them immediately after they are published.

Time is really necessary when applying for scholarships, the earlier you submit your applications the better for you, all in all, just try to meet the deadline of any scholarship you are applying to.

Aside from meeting deadlines, we advise you to apply earlier, especially for fully funded scholarships because the competition is always very high here coupled with the fact that a lot of international students are routing for Europe and a majority of them are searching for scholarship opportunities just like you.

2. Sign up for a scholarship search

You can use our free scholarship search engine here to search for available scholarships in any country and for any program. You can also click here directly for scholarships in Europe .

Searching for scholarships is also a way of discovering new scholarships to apply for.

Registering for a scholarship search will help you find scholarships that match your interest, skills, and activities and you could set up customized notifications to alert you when fully funded scholarships in Europe that match your profile becomes available.

3. Let people close to you know about your search for a scholarship

Discuss it with your school counselor, teachers, parents, and others. Scholarships are opportunities and they may pop up from anywhere, so it is advisable to talk about it to the people around you just in case an opportunity comes up.

In our international social groups on WhatsApp, Facebook, and Telegram, you can meet international and domestic students in Europe who could help you to actualize your dreams of studying abroad with a scholarship.

4. Ensure you make the right application decision always

Applying to a university/college that fits your profile is the best way to win a scholarship.

Most international scholarships require that applicants, first of all, should apply and be offered admission to a certain school before they are considered for scholarships.

In fact, some international scholarships in Europe are awarded directly just by considering a student’s former academic performance without even asking the student to sit for any scholarship exam.

FAQs on Scholarships For International Students In Europe

Can a current college or university student apply for a n european scholarship.

Yes, you can, it is completely open to everyone, whether you are still in college or your final years in high school unless otherwise stated.

Every scholarship publication has application criteria, once you meet these criteria and every other qualification, you can go ahead and apply.

In fact, it is better to start the college scholarship application while you are still in high school, remember, the earlier the better.

How many scholarships can a single person apply for?

There are millions of scholarships out there so go ahead and apply for as much as you can, I have students who apply for up to 5-7 scholarships in a week.

Scholarships are very competitive and the tough will always have it. So never get tired of applying until you finally land one.

Important Scholarship Application Tips

• Be proactive, that is, keep applying whether you’re in college or not
• Pay attention to details
• Be thorough
• If the application involves scholarship essay writing , do your best.

It doesn’t matter if you are an international student who wants to study in Europe or anywhere in the world the tips and ways of scholarship application I have provided above are the same, follow them diligently and you will definitely succeed.

Conclusion: Scholarships for international students in Europe

For those seeking scholarships for international students in Europe, keeping to these tips will do you every good as winning European scholarships is most times very competitive and you need extra effort to stay ahead of the competition.

So, after all my research I was able to come up with a list of 15 fully funded scholarships for international students in Europe currently and I decided to list and give details of every one of them above.

The main purpose of this article is to bring to your notice some scholarships for international students in Europe, majorly, those that are fully funded to ease you from the financial stress of studying abroad. We went ahead also to list more fully funded international scholarships for European students to study abroad.

Fellowships and individual research grants

ERC grants for frontier research These grants are awarded to researchers of any nationality working in any field of research.

Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions - Research Fellowship Programme This programme funds researchers and supports doctorates and training. Researchers at all stages in their career are eligible for funding.

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List of PhD Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for International Students

Fulbright foreign student program in usa.

Deadline: varies, Feb-Oct 2024 Study in:  USA Course starts AY 2025-2026

Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Programme

Deadline: 31 Mar 2024 (annual) Study in:  any Country Course starts 2023

Australia Awards Scholarships

Deadline: 30 April 2024 (annual) Study in:  Australia Course starts 2025

Türkiye Scholarships for International Students

Deadline: 20 Feb 2024 (annual) Study in:  Turkey Course starts 2024

JFUNU Scholarships for PhD in Sustainability Science

Deadline: 3 March 2024 (annual) Study in: Japan Course starts September 2024

Singapore International Graduate Award

Deadline: 1 June 2024 (annual) Study in:  Singapore Next course starts Jan 2025

Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships for International Students

Deadline: 29 Feb 2024 (annual) Study in:  New Zealand Next course starts 2024

University of Waikato International Excellence Scholarship

Deadline: Any time (Annual) Study in: New Zealand Course starts AY 2024

Taiwan International Higher Education Scholarship Program

Deadline: 15 March 2024 (annual) Study in: Taiwan Course starts September 2024

Heinrich Boll Scholarships in Germany for International Students

Deadline: 1 Mar/1 Sep (annual) Study in:  Germany Next course starts 2024

University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowships

Deadline: varies (annual) Study in: Canada Course starts 2024

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PhD Scholarships for International Students

Incoming mobility scheme for students to spend their undergraduate, graduate or doctoral studies in Romania. The Romanian government yearly offers scholarships for prospective students who wish to undertake undergraduate, graduate or doctoral studies in Romania. The scholarships are granted for three levels of study: a) for the first cycle (licenta): This scheme is dedicated to graduates of high schools or of equivalent pre-university systems, as well as to candidates who require the equivalent of partial studies and the continuation of their studies in Romania. The complete cycle of university studies lasts for 3 to 6 years, according to the specific requirements of the chosen faculty, and ends with a final examination (licenta); b) for the 2nd cycle (master): This scheme is dedicated to graduates of university/post graduate studies; it lasts for 1,5 to 2 years and ends with a dissertation; c) for the 3rd cycle (doctorate) this scheme is dedicated to the graduates of university/postgraduate studies (i.e. master); it lasts for 3-4 years, in keeping with the specific requirements of the chosen faculty, and ends with a doctor’s thesis.

Eligibility

Citizens of non EU countries (irrespective of their country of residence). Priority is given to citizens from non EU states with which Romania does not have cultural and education cooperation agreements. Mention should be made that foreign citizens of Romanian origin and those belonging to the neighboring historic Romanian communities benefit from other scholarship program offered by the Romanian state.

Priority fields: priority will be given to the candidates applying for: political and administrative sciences, education studies, Romanian culture and civilization, journalism, technical studies, oil and gas, agricultural studies, veterinary medicine, architecture, music, arts.

What is funded

-Free-of-charge tuition, -Free-of-charge accommodation (depending on availability, accommodation will be offered free-of-charge in students hostels, in keeping with the higher education regulations and within the limits of the sums available for this purpose), -Financial support - a monthly amount representing : + the equivalent in Romanian currency of 65 EURO per month, for the under-graduate students (1st cycle), + the equivalent in Romanian currency of 75 EURO per month, for post-graduate students (master degrees and specialization) 2nd cycle, + the equivalent in Romanian currency of 85 EURO per month, for post graduate students (doctor’s degree) 3rd cycle.

3-4 years (first cycle), 1.5-2 years (Master), 3-4 years (PhD)

Organisation

The responsibility for the funding offers published on this website, including the funding description, lies entirely with the publishing institutions. The application is handled uniquely by the employer, who is also fully responsible for the recruitment and selection processes.

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