Fully Funded Scholarships in Europe for International Students
A fully funded scholarship pays your tuition and gives you money to live on. Europe has several of the best in the world — and most are open to students from any country. Here are the ones worth your time.
What “fully funded” actually means
A genuinely fully funded scholarship covers tuition fees plus a monthly living allowance, and often travel and insurance too. Partial awards — a tuition discount here, a one-off grant there — are useful, but they are not the same thing. The programmes below are the real deal: the major, recurring, fully funded schemes open to international students in Europe.
1. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (EU) — the gold standard
Erasmus Mundus funds master’s degrees delivered jointly by universities in at least two or three different European countries — you study in multiple countries under one degree. The scholarship pays a €1,400 monthly allowance for up to 24 months (maximum €33,600), designed to cover travel, visa, installation and living costs, with participation costs covered by the programme. It is open to applicants of any nationality, and you apply directly to each programme (you can apply to several). Most application windows run October to January for courses starting the following autumn. Start from the official Erasmus Mundus Catalogue and confirm on each programme’s own site that funded places exist for your intake — not every listed programme has active scholarship funding every year.
2. DAAD Scholarships (Germany)
The DAAD is the world’s largest funding organisation for academic exchange. Its study scholarships for master’s students pay €992 per month (the published rate for master’s study scholarships), plus travel and insurance contributions; doctoral researchers receive more. The flagship EPOS programme funds development-related postgraduate courses for professionals from developing and emerging countries and usually requires at least two years of relevant work experience. Because German public universities charge little or no tuition, a DAAD stipend comfortably covers living costs.
3. Eiffel Excellence Scholarship (France)
France’s Eiffel programme attracts top international students to master’s and PhD programmes. It pays a monthly allowance of €1,200 for master’s students (the rate set in the official regulations in force from January 2026) plus travel and other benefits — but note it does not pay tuition itself, so it works best combined with France’s low public-university fees or a tuition waiver from your institution. You cannot apply directly: your French university must nominate you, so contact institutions early, typically in the autumn.
4. Swedish Institute Scholarship (Sweden)
For master’s study in Sweden, the Swedish Institute Scholarship covers full tuition and pays a monthly living allowance (SEK 12,000 per month at the most recently published rate), plus a travel grant. It targets highly qualified professionals from a defined list of eligible countries and expects leadership experience and a clear idea you want to develop. The process is two-step: apply for the master’s programme first (usually by mid-January), then for the scholarship in February.
5. Stipendium Hungaricum (Hungary)
Hungary’s government scholarship covers tuition, accommodation support and a monthly stipend for bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral study. It runs through partner sending organisations in 90+ countries, so eligibility depends on your country having a bilateral agreement — check the official list. Applications typically close in mid-January.
6. Government and university schemes worth adding to your list
- Italian regional scholarships (DSU) — need-based awards that can cover tuition, housing and meals; combined with Italy’s income-based low fees, they can make a degree close to free.
- EIT Digital / EIT-labelled master’s programmes — EU-backed tech and entrepreneurship masters with tuition waivers and excellence scholarships.
- University excellence scholarships — for example in the Netherlands, Finland and Ireland: often tuition-only or partial, but stackable with part-time work.
Most big European scholarships open between September and January for courses starting the next autumn. Build your document pack — transcripts, passport, CV, two references, a strong motivation letter, and language scores — by September, then apply to every scheme you are eligible for. One strong pack, many applications.
How strong applications are built
- Fit beats fireworks. Committees fund applicants whose past study, work and future plan line up into one clear story.
- Show impact. Volunteering, community projects, research or work results matter as much as grades for schemes like Erasmus Mundus and the Swedish Institute.
- Apply to several programmes. Acceptance rates are low everywhere; serious applicants submit 4–8 well-matched applications.
- Never pay an agent who promises a scholarship. Every scheme above is free to apply for through official channels — and free to verify on the official programme pages.
Bottom line: Erasmus Mundus and DAAD should anchor almost every applicant’s list. Add Eiffel, the Swedish Institute or Stipendium Hungaricum if you are eligible, and treat university awards as your safety net.
