23 Free Scholarships to Study Abroad

There are a lot of free scholarships to study abroad, but only a few people are aware of them.

Here, I’ll uncover all the scholarship opportunities and how you can apply for them.

But before then, you must ensure you have the essential documents required for the scholarship. This is where many people get it wrong—they start their application without having these documents in place.

Another important factor to consider before applying for any of the free scholarships is to read the scholarship instructions very well.

For instance, on Facebook. “A professor in Canada posted that 50% of applicants for a recent scholarship under her did not follow the stated guidelines. This shouldn’t be you in 2024!”

It’s easy to apply for scholarships, but if you don’t comply with the requirements or follow the instructions, you’ve already planned your exit.

That shouldn’t be you.

Having said that, what are the free scholarships to study abroad? See them below.

23 Free Scholarships to Study Abroad

Below you’ll find a list of genuine free scholarships opportunities you can apply for to study abroad, regardless of your career path/course of study. You’ll also find a button link for a more comprehensive step-by-step guide on each of them.

Fulbright Foreign Student Program:

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program offers research grants for young Nigerian faculty members pursuing doctoral studies in the U.S. 

The program aims to strengthen African universities by providing higher degree training.

The application for the Fulbright Foreign Students Program opens from February 1 to June 1, with a strict deadline. 

This is open for a wide range of courses in science and arts.

To apply, see more details here.

• Funded by the U.S. government
• For international students to study in the U.S.
• Covers tuition, living expenses, and travel

Chevening Scholarship:

This scholarship is funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. It offers fully-funded master’s degrees to individuals with leadership potential and strong academic backgrounds. 

This means that if you apply for it and become successful, you won’t have to pay for things like tuition, living expenses, and return flights to the UK and many other benefits.

• Funded by the UK government
• For international students to pursue a master’s degree in the UK
• Covers tuition, living expenses, and airfare

MEXT scholarships:

The MEXT Scholarship for 2024-2025 is a fully funded opportunity for international students, catering to various academic levels such as undergraduate, master’s, PhD, and training studies. 

It covers tuition fees, accommodation, monthly living allowance, and round-trip airfare from the student’s home country to Japan. The scholarship is provided by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT).

The aim of the scholarship is to aid international students who want to study in Japan..

• Funded by the Japanese government
• For international students to study at Japanese universities
• Covers tuition, living expenses, and airfare

Stanford University scholarships:

Although this has some limits, you can apply for it completely free. It’s for students who are not able to fund their education but wish to study at Stanford University. While applying, you’re to indicate that you need financial aid. 

Their official website states that “Eligible applicants receive aid based on family finances. Those not initially requesting aid cannot apply for it later. A change in citizenship status may enable consideration for federal aid and need-based scholarship funds.”

This scholarship opportunity also requires you to obtain a Social Security number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), though not required for the financial aid application.

• Various scholarships available for undergraduate and graduate students
• Based on academic merit, financial need, and other factors

Commonwealth Scholarships:

Each year, around 700 applicants are chosen for the commonwealth scholarship. This is part of the UK’s government to the development of countries formerly under its colony.

The scholarship comes in various forms like:

• Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships
• Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships 
• Commonwealth Shared Scholarships 
• Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships 
• Commonwealth Professional Fellowships
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships 

The scholarships cover tuition, living expenses, and airfare, depending on the type.

So far, the commission has given scholarships to over 31,000 applicants. You can see from the videos on their CSC YouTube channel.

Netherlands Government Scholarship:

• Funded by the Dutch government
• For international students from developing countries to study in the Netherlands
• Covers tuition, living expenses, and visa costs

AAUW International Fellowships:

• Offered by the American Association of University Women
• For women pursuing postgraduate studies in the U.S.
• Open to women from select countries

Government of China Scholarship:

• Funded by the Chinese government
• For international students to study in China
• Covers tuition, living expenses, and health insurance

German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD):

• Offered by the German government
• Various scholarships available for undergraduate and graduate students
• Covers tuition and living expenses

Gates Cambridge Scholarship:

• For international students outside the US to pursue a postgraduate degree at Cambridge University
• Covers tuition, living expenses, and airfare

Gilman Scholarship:

• Funded by the U.S. Department of Education
• For U.S. undergraduate students to study abroad

Monash University scholarship:

• Offered by Monash University in Australia
• Various scholarships available for undergraduate and graduate students
• Based on academic merit and other factors

USAC:

• The University Studies Abroad Consortium
• Offers scholarships and financial aid programs for U.S. students to study abroad

Yale University:

• Offers various scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students
• Based on academic merit, financial need, and other factors

Australia Awards Scholarships:

• Funded by the Australian government
• For international students to study at participating universities in Australia
• Covers tuition, living expenses, and travel

Rotary Foundation Global Scholarship Grants:

• Funded by Rotary clubs around the world
• For international students to study abroad at the graduate level
• Covers tuition, living expenses, and travel

Karsh International Scholars Program:

• Offered by the University of Southern California
• For international students to pursue a master’s degree in business or cinema
• Covers full tuition and fees

World Bank Scholarships Program:

• Offered by the World Bank
• For students from developing countries to pursue graduate studies in development-related fields
• Covers tuition, living expenses, and travel

Berea College Scholarships:

• Berea College in Kentucky offers full-tuition scholarships to all admitted students, including international students

Fund for Education Abroad:

• A non-profit organization that provides scholarships and grants for U.S. students to study abroad

Rhodes Scholarship:

• Funded by the Rhodes Trust
• For students from select Commonwealth countries to study at Oxford University
• Covers tuition, living expenses, and travel

Swedish scholarships for international students:

• Several scholarships are available for international students to study in Sweden
• These scholarships are offered by the Swedish government, universities, and private organizations

Final Thoughts

Within this website, there are lots of free scholarships to study abroad. However, while many people focus on the opportunities, only a few actually pay attention to the details.

For instance, many free scholarships require applicants to submit personal statements. Unfortunately, only a very small number of people learn how to write a winning personal statement.

Also, if a scholarship is for individuals within a certain age range or nationals, but you don’t fit into that requirement, there’s no need to apply because your chance of succeeding is very slim—less than 1%.

In fact, applying for a scholarship opportunity that requires specific criteria without meeting those requirements signals to the scholarship committee that you do not pay attention to details.

Nobody wants to have such a person within their organization.

Do not depend on miracles while applying. Apply when you meet the criteria.