Undergraduate scholarships for college students going abroad

Who funds a bachelor's degree abroad

Government scholarships. A handful of governments fund full bachelor's degrees for international students, usually with tuition, a monthly allowance and accommodation or travel:

• MEXT in Japan (Study in Japan), with a selection that can include written exams at the Japanese embassy;
• GKS in South Korea (Study in Korea);
• Türkiye Burslari in Türkiye (turkiyeburslari.gov.tr);
• Stipendium Hungaricum in Hungary, for students from its partner countries;
• the Chinese Government Scholarship, managed by the China Scholarship Council.

Several of them include a year of language study before the degree starts, so the scholarship can last five years for a four-year bachelor's.

University scholarships. Universities in the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia give merit scholarships to international undergraduates, mostly as a partial reduction of their fees. Full scholarships are few and very competitive: the Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship at the University of Toronto is one of the best known. In the USA, a small number of universities meet the full financial need of every student they admit, whatever their nationality, while most give international students little need-based aid. See merit and need-based scholarships for the difference, and scholarships at named universities for individual awards.

Sports scholarships. In the USA, university sports teams award athletic scholarships under the rules of the NCAA, and international athletes can receive them. They depend on your sporting level as much as your grades: see sports scholarships.

Foundation scholarships. Some foundations fund undergraduate degrees for students from particular regions or backgrounds. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, for young Africans, is one of the largest. There are also undergraduate scholarships for women, often in science and engineering: see scholarships for women.

Countries where a bachelor's costs less

A scholarship isn't the only way to make a degree abroad affordable. In some countries, tuition at public universities is free or low for international students:

• Germany. Most public universities charge no tuition fees, only a small semester contribution. There are exceptions: Baden-Württemberg charges students from outside the EU, and some universities in Bavaria and a few elsewhere do too. Most bachelor's programmes are taught in German. See studying in Germany.
• France. Fees at public universities are set by the state and are far lower than in the UK or the USA, although students from outside the EU pay a higher rate than Europeans. Universities can waive part or all of it for some students who ask, depending on their circumstances. See studying in France.
• Italy. Public universities usually set fees by family income, though some charge students whose family lives abroad a fixed fee that depends on their home country. Regional grants for students on low incomes are open to international students too. See studying in Italy.

Low tuition doesn't mean low cost: you still pay rent and living costs, and most student visas require proof that you can cover them.

Applying as a school leaver

1. Start a year and a half before you'd begin. Government scholarships and university applications often close six months to a year before the course starts.
2. Check how each programme selects. Some go through the embassy of the destination country in yours, with exams and interviews; others go through the university's own application.
3. Prepare the documents. School transcripts, recommendation letters, an essay or personal statement and, for courses taught in English, a language test or proof that you're exempt.
4. Count the full cost. Tuition, rent, living costs, health insurance, travel and visa fees. A partial scholarship that leaves a gap your family can't cover doesn't get you there.

Our guide on how to get a scholarship goes through each step, and the USA and Canada pages cover the two countries with the most university scholarships for international undergraduates.

Already at college? Funded opportunities during your degree

If you're already studying for a bachelor's at home, you don't need a full scholarship to spend time abroad:

• Exchange semesters. Through your university's exchange agreements, or Erasmus+ in Europe, you usually pay your home university's fees and none at the host, and some exchanges come with a grant.
• Research internships and summer programmes. Paid research stays abroad for undergraduates, such as Mitacs Globalink in Canada, for students from its partner countries, or the Amgen Scholars science programme, whose European labs take students from any European university (its US programme is only for US citizens and permanent residents). They are the kind of opportunity the search above shows.
• Funding for your next degree. Funding is easier to find for a master's than a bachelor's, so a bachelor's at home followed by a funded master's abroad is a common route.

Indian students searching for scholarships for college students abroad will find Indian and foreign funding on our page of scholarships for Indian students.

Frequently asked questions

Can international students get a full scholarship for a bachelor's degree?

Yes, but such scholarships are rare. They come mainly from government programmes such as MEXT, GKS, Türkiye Burslari and Stipendium Hungaricum, and from a few universities. Apply to several and look at low-tuition countries too.

Is college free in Germany for international students?

At most public universities, there are no tuition fees for a bachelor's, only a semester contribution, although Baden-Württemberg and some universities in Bavaria charge students from outside the EU. You still need to cover your living costs, and most bachelor's programmes are taught in German.

Can I get a scholarship after I've started college?

Yes. Some universities award scholarships to students already enrolled, and exchanges, research internships and summer programmes are open to undergraduates during their degree.

Are there undergraduate scholarships for women?

Yes. Several foundations and companies fund women in fields where they're under-represented, especially science and engineering. See our page on scholarships for women.