Fully Funded Scholarships Abroad for International Students

Fully funded scholarships abroad are real, and every year thousands of international students use them to earn a master’s degree or PhD without paying tuition. The hard part is timing. Most of the big programmes open once a year, and several 2027 deadlines have already passed. This guide covers nine programmes, what each one pays for, and where each stands as of November 15, 2026.

Last updated: November 15, 2026. Deadlines change every year, so confirm each date on the official website before you apply.

What does “fully funded” actually cover?

A fully funded scholarship pays for your tuition and your living costs. The strongest packages include four things:

• Tuition fees
• A monthly living stipend
• Health insurance
• A flight to the host country, and in some programmes a return flight

That is the benchmark. Plenty of awards advertised as “full” miss one of the four. Stipendium Hungaricum, for example, does not generally include international flights, and Erasmus Mundus pays a fixed €1,400 a month that goes further in Lisbon than in Copenhagen. Read the benefits list before you spend weeks on an application.

Which fully funded scholarships can you still apply for right now?

Some are open, some open within weeks, and some closed in October. Here is where each programme stands on November 15, 2026.

Two practical points. “Expected” means the dates follow last year’s calendar and the official body hasn’t confirmed them yet. And if a programme has just closed, don’t skip it: the next round is your preparation deadline, and a finished draft can be reused for the others.

The 9 best fully funded scholarships abroad

1. Chevening Scholarships (United Kingdom)

Chevening is the UK government’s fully funded one-year master’s scholarship, run by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. It covers tuition, a living allowance and travel. The 2027/28 round opened on August 4, 2026 and closed on October 6, 2026 at 11:00 UTC. Interviews run from March to April 2027, results arrive from mid-June, and finalists must hold at least one unconditional university offer by July 8, 2027.

Watch out: you apply to three UK courses on the Chevening form, and the programme expects work experience and a plan to return to your home country afterwards. The previous round opened in early August, so plan on the next one opening around the same time in 2027. See the official Chevening timeline.

2. Fulbright Foreign Student Program (United States)

Fulbright funds master’s study and PhD research in the US. If you live in Egypt, the Fulbright Egyptian Student Program offers fully funded master’s grants of up to two years in any field, with a travel allowance, stipend, health coverage and tuition. You must be living in Egypt through the selection process, and you can apply for only one grant type per cycle. Fulbright Egypt also asks applicants to disclose any use of AI tools in the application.

Timing: the 2028–29 round opens in February 2027. Applicants from other countries apply through their national Fulbright commission or the US embassy. Start at the Fulbright Egypt student page.

3. DAAD EPOS (Germany)

DAAD EPOS funds development-related master’s and PhD courses in Germany for graduates from developing and emerging countries. The stipend is €992 a month for master’s students and €1,300 for doctoral candidates, plus insurance, a travel allowance and, in many cases, a rent subsidy. You apply directly to the course, and each course sets its own deadline.

Watch out: most courses expect around two years of professional experience, and you can usually apply to up to three courses. Many 2027/28 deadlines ran from June to October 2026, so check the DAAD database again in mid-2027. Start at the DAAD website.

4. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (Europe)

Erasmus Mundus is an EU-funded master’s degree taught by a consortium of universities in different European countries. The scholarship pays €1,400 a month for the full length of the programme, which is 12 to 24 months. You apply directly to the programme, up to three programmes per intake, and anyone who has already held an Erasmus Mundus scholarship is not eligible again.

Timing: deadlines differ by programme, but most for the 2027 intake fall between October 2026 and January 2027. In July 2026 the European Commission announced 37 new Joint Masters, so check the catalogue for fresh options. Browse the official Erasmus Mundus page.

5. Türkiye Bursları (Türkiye)

Türkiye Bursları is the Turkish government’s flagship scholarship for bachelor’s, master’s and PhD students from almost any country. It covers tuition, accommodation, a monthly stipend, airfare, health insurance and a Turkish language course. The application is free, and you may submit only one application per cycle. Multiple submissions disqualify all of them.

Timing: the standing calendar runs applications from January 10 to February 20, evaluation in March and April, interviews from April to June, and results in early August. YTB hadn’t confirmed the 2027 dates in the sources I checked, so watch the official portal. Scholars placed in Turkish-taught programmes start with a one-year language course.

6. Global Korea Scholarship (South Korea)

The Global Korea Scholarship (GKS), run by the Korean government through NIIED, covers tuition, a monthly stipend, airfare, health insurance and one year of Korean language training. Graduate applicants must be under 40. There is an embassy track and a university track, and you can’t use both.

Timing: the undergraduate embassy deadline was September 30, 2026. The graduate call for 2027 wasn’t published when I last checked, and previous graduate calls appeared around February. Confirm on Study in Korea.

7. Stipendium Hungaricum (Hungary)

Stipendium Hungaricum is the Hungarian government’s programme for students from almost 80 sending-partner countries. It waives tuition and gives a monthly stipend, health insurance and either a dormitory place or a housing contribution. International flights are generally not included, so budget for the ticket. The scholarship application itself is free.

Timing: the 2027/28 call is expected in November 2026, and last year’s deadline was January 15 at 2 p.m. CET. Check that your country is on the sending-partner list, because some require a national nomination step before the Hungarian deadline. Start at stipendiumhungaricum.hu.

8. MEXT Scholarship (Japan)

The Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship pays airfare, university tuition and a monthly stipend for research students working toward a master’s or doctorate. There are two routes: Embassy Recommendation, where you apply through the Japanese embassy in your country, and University Recommendation, where a Japanese university nominates you and sets its own deadline.

Timing: embassy deadlines vary by country, and the 2027 embassy round has closed. The next call usually appears on embassy websites in spring, so check the Study in Japan portal and your local embassy in March 2027.

9. Chinese Government Scholarship (China)

The Chinese Government Scholarship, administered by the China Scholarship Council (CSC), covers tuition, accommodation, a monthly stipend and medical insurance. Type A applications go through your home government’s designated authority. Type B applications go through a Chinese university, which gives you its CSC agency number to enter in the online system.

Timing: many universities open around December and close between February and April, but each sets its own window. Pick your university first, then read its CSC page, because quotas and deadlines differ widely.

Want help with the writing side? Our scholarship application guides cover motivation letters, recommendation letters and interview prep.

Who can apply for a fully funded scholarship abroad?

Almost any international student can apply to at least one of these, but each programme filters by nationality, degree level and age. Master’s awards need a bachelor’s degree with strong grades. Chevening and DAAD EPOS expect around two years of work experience. GKS limits graduate applicants to under 40. Türkiye Bursları, MEXT and CSC publish country lists or age limits in their annual guidelines. Check your nationality and age against the official rules first. It takes ten minutes and saves weeks.

How do you apply for a fully funded scholarship? Step by step

1. Shortlist three to five programmes that match your degree level, field and nationality.
2. Read the official guidelines on the programme’s own website, not a summary blog. Note the deadline in your time zone.
3. Order transcripts and ask referees early. Give referees at least six weeks and send them your draft essay.
4. Book a language test if the programme requires one. Results can take weeks.
5. Write a specific motivation letter. Name the course, the professor or the lab, and say what you will do with the degree at home.
6. Submit at least a week before the deadline. Government portals slow down in the final days.
7. Prepare for the interview if there is one. Chevening, Fulbright and Türkiye Bursları all shortlist candidates for interviews.

Why do strong applicants still get rejected?

Usually for fixable reasons. The motivation letter reads like a template and could be sent to any country. The applicant misses a nationality or age rule that was on page one of the guidelines. A referee submits a generic letter. Or the application goes in at the last minute and something fails to upload.

Selection panels read hundreds of files. A letter that explains why this course in this country fits a specific plan for your career stands out quickly. Be concrete about what you studied, what you built or managed, and what you will change when you return.

When should you apply? A rough calendar

Fully funded scholarships abroad: frequently asked questions

Is there really a 100% fully funded scholarship for international students?

Yes, but what “100%” means depends on the programme. Chevening, Fulbright, Türkiye Bursları and the Global Korea Scholarship cover tuition, a stipend, health insurance and travel. Others, such as Stipendium Hungaricum, cover tuition and living costs but not international flights. Check the benefits list before you apply.

Which country offers the most fully funded scholarships to international students?

No country wins outright. Germany, Türkiye, South Korea, Japan, China, Hungary and the UK all run large government programmes. The right one depends on your degree level, nationality and field, so pick by eligibility first and prestige second.

Can I get a fully funded scholarship without IELTS?

Sometimes. Recent guides say Türkiye Bursları lets you apply without an IELTS or TOEFL score, but confirm this on the official portal, since placement in English-taught programmes can still depend on language proof. Programmes taught in English, such as Chevening and Erasmus Mundus courses, generally ask for a test or an accepted equivalent.

Do I need work experience?

For Chevening and DAAD EPOS, yes: both expect around two years of professional experience. Türkiye Bursları, GKS, CSC, MEXT and Erasmus Mundus usually don’t make work experience a condition, although individual programmes can add their own requirements.

Can I apply to more than one scholarship at the same time?

Yes, and you should. The exceptions are programme rules: Türkiye Bursları allows one application per cycle, Erasmus Mundus allows up to three programmes per intake, and Fulbright Egypt allows one grant type per cycle. You usually can’t hold two government scholarships for the same study period.

When should I start preparing?

Start at least 12 months before the deadline if you can. Transcripts, recommendation letters and language tests take longer than the essay does.

Do real scholarships charge an application fee?

Government programmes such as Türkiye Bursları and Stipendium Hungaricum do not charge for the scholarship application. If someone asks you to pay to “secure” a place, treat it as a scam and apply only through the official website.

Can I get a fully funded scholarship for a bachelor’s degree?

Yes. Türkiye Bursları, Stipendium Hungaricum, the Chinese Government Scholarship, the GKS undergraduate track and MEXT’s undergraduate category all cover bachelor’s degrees. Chevening, DAAD EPOS and Erasmus Mundus are for postgraduate study.

The bottom line

Fully funded scholarships abroad reward early, specific applications. This month, shortlist two programmes from the table above, check your eligibility on the official sites, and start the documents that take longest: transcripts, language results and recommendation letters. Erasmus Mundus and Stipendium Hungaricum are the two to act on first. Türkiye Bursları, Fulbright Egypt and GKS follow in early 2027, and Chevening returns around August.

Official sources

• Chevening
• Fulbright Commission Egypt
• DAAD
• Erasmus+ (Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters)
• Türkiye Scholarships
• Study in Korea (GKS)
• Stipendium Hungaricum
• Study in Japan (MEXT)