Fully-Funded Scholarships for International Students
Fully-Funded Scholarships for International Students: Apply Safely & Secure Funding Worldwide
Higher education, especially at the graduate and doctoral level, can be expensive, but there are hundreds of fully-funded scholarships available worldwide that can make your academic dreams possible. Navigating these opportunities can be overwhelming, and it is crucial to rely on official, verified sources to avoid scams or misinformation.
This Medium post compiles a list of major international scholarships for postgraduate study, including Master’s, PhD, and research fellowships, across North & South America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, and the Middle East. Each entry includes an official link for direct applications, allowing students to apply safely or share opportunities with peers. Most scholarships are fully funded or offer generous support, and all listed programs are legitimate and recognized, though eligibility, deadlines, and applicability vary by country and program. This one-stop reference aims to help students worldwide secure global funding for their studies.
United Nations
Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD)
Call for applications: OHCHR Minorities Fellowship Program 2026
The Graduate Study Programme (GSP)
Fellowships, Scholarships, Grants and Talent Programmes
2026 UNITED NATIONS-NIPPON FOUNDATION STRATEGIC NEEDS FELLOWSHIP
Apply Now for the 2026 JSPS–UNU Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme
UNESCO
UNESCO/The People’s Republic of China — The Great Wall Co-Sponsored Fellowships Programme 2026–2027
Open Call for Applications: ICDE Fellowship Program (2026–2027)
Civil Service Pathways Application — Cohort 9
WanaData Fellowships: Digitalise Youth Voices in Africa
North America & Global Scholarships
Canada
Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards (2026)
The Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards are a new, one-time Government of Canada initiative aimed at attracting international and returning Canadian doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers to Canada in priority research areas. The program strengthens Canada’s research ecosystem and global competitiveness.
Funding Value
Doctoral Awards: CAD $40,000 per year for 3 years
Postdoctoral Awards: CAD $70,000 per year for 2 years
Eligibility
International students
Returning Canadian researchers
Doctoral & postdoctoral level
Nomination required through Canadian institutions
2026 Competition Deadlines
Phase 1 Nomination: March 4, 2026 (8:00 p.m. ET)
Phase 2: To be announced
Official Source (Government of Canada):
Contact: cirta-bfric@nserc-crsng.gc.ca
Scholarships for international applicants
Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program
University of Toronto Doctoral Scholarships (Canada) — PhD funding opportunities.
https://future.utoronto.ca/finances/scholarships/
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Canada) — PhD research funding by the Government of Canada.
https://vanier.gc.ca/en/home-accueil.html
NSERC Canadian Graduate Scholarships — Canada research funding.
https://www.nserc‑crsng.gc.ca/
Canada Doctoral Scholarships — For doctoral research in sciences & engineering.
https://nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/funding-opportunity/canada-graduate-research-scholarship-doctoral-program
McGill: https://www.mcgill.ca/studentaid/scholarships-aid/international-students
United States (USA)
Fulbright Foreign Student Program (USA) — Graduate & PhD grants for international students.
https://foreign.fulbrightonline.org/
USEFP: https://www.usefp.org/scholarships/fulbright-degree.cfm
Education USA: https://educationusa.state.gov/your-5-steps-us-study
Library of Congress: Kluge Fellowships
Knight‑Hennessy Scholars (USA) — Fully‑funded graduate & PhD scholarships at Stanford.
https://knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/
AAUW International Fellowships (USA) — Grants for women at graduate level.
https://www.aauw.org/resources/programs/international-fellowships/
Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program (USA) — Leadership‑focused non‑degree graduate fellowship for mid‑career professionals. Fully funded; administered by the U.S. Department of State and the Institute of International Education https://www.humphreyfellowship.org/
Harvard University (USA) — Most doctoral programs at Harvard automatically offer full financial support covering tuition, fees, health insurance, and a living stipend for the duration of the PhD. https://gsas.harvard.edu/financial-support/funding-and-aid
Harvard Mind, Brain & Behavior (MBB) Fellowship — USA
Website: mbb.harvard.edu
Yale University (USA) — Yale provides generous funding packages for PhD students, including tuition and stipends; international students are eligible under various scholarships and fellowship opportunities.
https://www.yale.edu/admissions/financial-aid
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (USA) — MIT supports most doctoral students with full funding packages including tuition and living stipends through fellowships, assistantships, and research support.
https://www.mit.edu/admissions-aid/
The University of Arizona (UoA)- scholarships
https://financialaid.arizona.edu/types-of-aid/scholarships
Churchill Scholarship (UK/US) — Disciplined STEM scholarship for U.S. citizens to study at Churchill College, University of Cambridge. (Typically covers tuition and living expenses.) https://www.churchillscholarship.org/
Thouron Award (USA/UK) — Post‑graduate scholarship between the University of Pennsylvania and UK universities to strengthen trans‑Atlantic academic exchange. https://www.thouronaward.org/
NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship — USA
Website: researchtraining.nih.gov
Fellowships for Leadership, Policy, and Research
Hudson Institute Political Studies Summer Fellowship (USA) — For those interested in politics, governance, and policy research. https://www.hudson.org/education/political-studies-summer-fellowship-theory-practice-politics
Obama Foundation Scholars (USA) — Fully funded leadership development program. https://www.obama.org/programs/scholars/
Ford Foundation Fellowships — International Fellowships Program
United Kingdom & Commonwealth Scholarships
United Kingdom
British Council scholarships for women in STEM
GREAT Scholarships (UK)
GREAT Scholarships are funded by the UK Government and British Council in partnership with participating UK universities. They provide tuition support (typically £10,000+) for international students pursuing postgraduate (Master’s) study in the UK.
Coverage: Partial tuition funding (amount varies by university)
Level: Master’s
Eligibility: Selected countries (including Pakistan and many others)
Link:
https://study-uk.britishcouncil.org/scholarships-funding/great-scholarships
A.S. Hornby Educational Trust Scholarships (UK)
The A.S. Hornby Educational Trust offers fully funded Master’s scholarships for experienced English language teachers and ELT professionals from low- and middle-income countries to study MEd TESOL at the University of Exeter (and previously at other UK universities). These scholarships cover tuition, living costs, travel, and related expenses, and are designed to build capacity in English language teaching in applicants’ home countries.
Links
Hornby Trust: https://www.hornby-trust.org.uk/ma-tesol-scholarships/
University of Exeter:
https://education.exeter.ac.uk/study/hornby/
University of Oxford: scholarships
Chevening Scholarships (UK) — Government of UK global scholarships (mainly master’s).
https://www.chevening.org/
Rhodes Scholarships (UK) — Prestigious funding for Oxford (postgrad).
https://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/
Gates Cambridge Scholarships (UK) — Full funding for graduate study at Cambridge.
https://www.student-funding.cam.ac.uk/fund/gates-cambridge-scholarship-2024
Clarendon Scholarships (UK) — University of Oxford funding for graduate research.
https://www.ox.ac.uk/clarendon
Weidenfeld‑Hoffmann Scholarships (Oxford University) — A philanthropic program at Oxford offering full scholarships and leadership support for graduates mainly from developing and emerging economies.
Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme
Jardine Foundation Scholarships (Cambridge) — Provides full scholarships covering tuition, stipend, travel, and insurance for study at Cambridge.
Link
Henry Fellowships (Harvard, Yale, Oxford & Cambridge) — Supports postgraduate study and exchanges between these institutions with full funding for selected scholars.
Cambridge: Henry, Procter and Choate Fellowships
Henry Fellowship for Non-US applicants
Norway Scholarship (Oxford University) — A historic scholarship at Oxford funding study and research, awarded through government or specific institutional nominations.
Link
University of Cambridge (UK) — Cambridge offers a range of fully funded graduate scholarships and studentships across departments; a central funding search is available for postgraduate applicants.
https://www.cam.ac.uk (search “postgraduate funding”)
Jardine Foundation Scholarships (Cambridge) — Provides full scholarships covering tuition, stipend, travel, and insurance for study at Cambridge.
Link
Imperial College London (UK) — The President’s PhD Scholarships and other research studentships fully fund tuition and living costs for outstanding PhD candidates.
funding
University of Edinburgh (UK) — Provides a variety of fully funded PhD scholarships and research studentships (often via UKRI and institutional awards).
scholarships
University of Warwick Chancellor’s Scholarships (UK) — Doctoral funding.
funding
Wellcome Trust Doctoral Studentship — UK
Website: funding
University College Dublin (UCD) (Ireland) — Offers competitive PhD scholarships (e.g., UCD Ad Astra) covering fees and stipends.
scholarships
UCL- Funded Doctoral Training Programmes
Cardiff University- PhD studentships and projects
Cardiff- Linguistics & Classics
Lancaster University- Lancaster Global Scholarship
The Royal Society- Fellowships and grants for outstanding researchers
Europe
European Union & Europe‑Wide Scholarships
Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees (EU) — Multi‑country masters & PhD funding.
Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (Multiple EU countries)
Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (UK & Commonwealth) — Funded PhD study for Commonwealth citizens.
https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/about-us/scholarships-and-fellowships/ (Commonwealth Scholarship Commission)
COMMONWEALTH MASTER’S SCHOLARSHIPS
Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions (EU) — Research & doctoral funding across Europe.
https://marie‑sklodowska‑curie‑actions.ec.europa.eu/
France
Scholarships and financial aid for non-european students
Germany
DAAD Scholarships (Germany) — Government scholarships for international post‑graduate study.
https://www.daad.de/en/studying-in-germany/scholarships/
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Germany) — Research fellowships.
https://www.humboldt‑foundation.de/
Website: humboldt-foundation.de
TUM Graduate School Scholarships (Germany) — Funding for doctoral students.
https://www.tum.de/en/studies/fees-and-financial-aid/scholarships/tum-scholarships
Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF): Link
Scholarships for International Students in Germany (2025/26) — Funding Opportunities & Grants
Switzerland
CERN Summer Student Programme 2026 (Member and Non-Member State)
Swedish Institute Scholarships for Global Professionals (SISGP)
ETH Zurich Excellence Scholarship (Switzerland)
EPFL Master Excellence (Switzerland) — Link
Belgium
VLIR‑UOS Scholarships (Belgium) — Link
ARES PhD Scholarships (Belgium) — Link
Ghent University-Link
Scholarship possibilities for candidates from the Global South-Master programmes- Link
European Government Scholarships
Czech Republic
Czech Government Scholarships (Czech Republic) — Link
Novo Nordisk Foundation Scholarships — Link
Marie Curie Individual Fellowships (Europe)- Link
Marie Curie Individual Fellowships (Europe)- MPS
Max Planck Society Doctoral Programs — Fully funded research PhD positions: Link
Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (Netherlands)
Website: mpi.nl
Netherlands
Netherlands: Holland Scholarship
Italy
Italian Government Scholarships for Foreign Students
Università degli Studi di Milano
Sweden
Lund University Global Scholarship
Lund University: Scholarships and awards
Uppsala University Scholarships
Get Riaz Laghari’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
Denmark
Luxembourg
Austria
OeAD / Austrian Government Scholarships — Austria’s main funding agency offers financial support and monthly stipends for international students (especially short research stays or exchange programmes). Link
Vienna University & TU Wien Fellowships — University-level fully funded fellowships such as Vienna University of Economics and Business (ViCAS) and TU Wien scholarships for Master’s research or specific academic tracks. Link
Poland
Ignacy Łukasiewicz Scholarship Program (Polish Government / NAWA)- Link
Poland My First Choice / Stefan Banach Scholarship (NAWA)-Link
Portugal
Portugal Scholarships-University
Finland: Top International Scholarships- Link
University of Helsinki: Scholarship
University of Helsinki: Jobs
University of Helsinki: Careers
University of Eastern Finland
Iceland —Icelandic Government / Ministry Scholarships (Language & Culture Focus)
Russia- scholarships
Australia & New Zealand Scholarships
Australia
Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP)
Australian National University (ANU)- Scholarships
University of Melbourne Research Scholarships
Graduate Research Scholarships
University of Sydney International Scholarships
University of Queensland (UQ) (Australia)
New Zealand
New Zealand: New Zealand Development Scholarships
New Zealand International Doctoral Scholarships — Government funded.
https://www.studyinnewzealand.govt.nz/
University of Auckland- Postgraduate scholarships
Asia & Pacific Scholarships
Japan
MEXT Scholarship (Japan) — Government scholarships
MEXT Japan Embassy Pakistan link
Asian Development Bank‑Japan Scholarship — Masters/PhD in Asia
Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program
China
Chinese Government Scholarship (CGS)
Chinese Government Scholarships via CSC (China)
South Korea
Global Korea Scholarship (GKS)
Singapore
Singapore NTU: Pradap Kow Scholarship
Nanyang President’s Graduate Scholarship (Singapore)
Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA)
Hong Kong
Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme
Taiwan
Turkiye
Brunei Darussalam
Brunei Darussalam Government Scholarship (BDGS)
University of Brunei Darussalam Scholarship
Indonesia
Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP)
International Priority Scholarships (IPS)
Thailand
Royal Thai Government Scholarships
Malaysia
Malaysia International Scholarship (MIS)
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Government Scholarships for International Students
KAUST Fellowships (Saudi Arabia)
UAE-United Arab Emirates
Khalifa University Scholarships
Qatar
Lusail University Scholarships
Oman
Sultan Qaboos University Scholarships
Other Global & Foundation Scholarships
OPEC Fund for International Development Scholarships
Mastercard Foundation Scholarships
Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Program
HEC Pakistan International Scholarships
HEC International Scholarships & Programs Link
US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor PhD Scholarship Program
Fully Funded Scholarships & Fellowships in Africa (2026–2027)
Mandela Rhodes Scholarship (South Africa)
Iso Lomso Fellowships (South Africa): https://www.opportunitiesforafricans.com/iso-lomso-fellowships-2026/
WAAW Foundation Scholarship (Africa) — https://waawfoundation.org/scholarship/
DAAD In-Country/In-Region & Leadership for Africa Program
African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) Fellowships
Empowering women in STEM-aramco
South America (Latin America)
Colombia — Colombian Government Scholarships (ICETEX)
Becas Chile (Chilean Government Scholarship)
OAS (Organization of American States)
Argentina — University Merit Scholarships
Find PhD Scholarships/jobs:
- FindPhDs
- Medical Research Council jobs around the UK
- jobs.ac.uk — Jobs in the Academic Community
- EURAXESS
- Eduserv vacancies
- General job site — https://uk.jora.com/
- PhDs and postdocs jobs — http://www.findaphd.com/
- THE Times higher education jobs
- PhDjobs.com
- Job vacancies advertised by the Association of Commonwealth Universities
- The Stanford NLP Group
- GOV.UK-Teaching jobs
- The Linguist List- Careers/jobs
- Varbi.com
Antarctica
No universities. No degrees. But some of the most fully funded research opportunities on Earth.
Question: If there are research stations in Antarctica, are there scholarships too?
Answer: Antarctica does NOT offer degree-granting scholarships like other continents, but it DOES offer fully funded research opportunities.
These are paid research fellowships, not university degrees.
So, to be precise:
Antarctica = funded research postings, not academic degrees
Who offers them?
Countries that operate permanent Antarctic research stations, including: The United States, The United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Norway, and a few others with smaller programs
Major Programs
US Antarctic Program (USAP) — United States
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) — United Kingdom
Australian Antarctic Program (AAP) — Australia
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) — Germany
These are government-backed, internationally recognised research systems, not private schemes.
What Do They Fund?
Fully funded research fellowships/field placements
Open to:
Researchers, Postdoctoral researchers, Scientists, Engineers, Technical specialists
Coverage typically includes:
International travel, Accommodation at Antarctic stations, Food and logistics, Research equipment, Salary or living stipend
Reality Check: You do not apply “to Antarctica.” Applications are made through a university, national science foundation, or polar research institute. Antarctica is the research location, not the awarding body
Postdoctoral Programs with Antarctic Fieldwork
Many universities worldwide offer:
Postdocs-Research conducted partly or entirely at Antarctic stations
Common Research Fields- Climate science, Glaciology, Marine biology, Atmospheric science, Earth & environmental sciences
Who Funds These?
National science foundations, Polar research institutes, Government research councils
Antarctica hosts the research. Antarctica has no universities, but it offers fully funded research fellowships through national scientific programs, usually for postdoctoral researchers.
Tips
Start Early and Plan Strategically: Scholarship applications, especially for fully funded PhDs, can take 6–12 months of preparation. Begin by mapping deadlines, gathering academic transcripts, recommendation letters, and drafting research proposals well in advance.
Understand Eligibility Precisely: Carefully review country-specific, degree-specific, or program-specific requirements. Some scholarships are restricted to citizens of certain countries, fields of study, or research areas.
Tailor Every Application: Customize your statement of purpose, research proposals, and essays to align with the scholarship’s goals and the department’s research strengths. Generic applications rarely succeed at top-tier universities.
Engage Potential Supervisors Early: For project-specific PhD positions, contacting faculty members before applying can greatly increase your chances. Demonstrate clear alignment with their research and show enthusiasm for collaboration.
Prepare Strong Recommendations: Choose referees who can speak specifically about your research aptitude, academic accomplishments, and potential for independent scholarship. A compelling recommendation is often decisive.
Track Deadlines Meticulously: Use spreadsheets or digital tools to manage multiple applications, submission requirements, and document versions. Missing a deadline can eliminate even the strongest candidate.
Leverage University Resources: Offices for graduate studies, international students, or research funding often provide valuable advice, mock reviews, and application guidance. Take full advantage of these services.
Proofread and Refine Every Document: Errors or unclear writing can reduce credibility. Multiple reviews by mentors, peers, or professional editors are highly recommended.
Always Use Official Links: Apply only through the official university or scholarship portals listed in this guide. Avoid third-party sites to prevent scams or misinformation.
Maximize Networking Opportunities: Many top scholarships provide mentorship, workshops, and alumni connections. Engage actively with these networks to expand opportunities during and after your degree.
Advice
Securing a fully funded PhD or graduate scholarship is highly competitive, but preparation, strategy, and attention to detail dramatically improve your chances. Read this list of scholarships and universities, follow these tips, and apply with precision and professionalism, positioning yourself for success while building a global academic profile.
Share this post, help others navigate the complex scholarship landscape and amplify its impact to make sure that more talented students can achieve their educational goals.
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!”― Benjamin Franklin
