Scholarships make some of the best sources of higher education funding for a lot of students. Several governments, as well as organizations all over the world offer scholarships which offer expense coverage of various types to meritorious students coming from different parts of the world. In addition to being a tourist hotspot, Europe is also home to several countries which house some of the best universities in the world. Many of these universities offer scholarships in Europe worth thousands of Euros for international students in order to enable them to study there.

This article aims to give you an exact list of some of the top scholarships in Europe which are exclusively meant for international students coming from different countries in the world. This article will give you a list of some of the top scholarships to study in Europe for International students and also how to apply for scholarships in Europe.

Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Degree Scholarships in Europe

What is it about?

The Erasmus Mundus scholarships are perhaps one of the most sought after fully funded scholarships to study in Europe by students all over the world. It is a prestigious, integrated, international study programme, jointly delivered by a consortium of prestigious universities all over Europe. The Erasmus Mundus scholarships in Europe are mainly aimed at providing excellent quality education to students who come from financially weaker countries around the world. The Erasmus programme grants a huge amount of scholarships to students who are in need of one

Eligibility

Students coming from all over the world are eligible to apply for scholarships under the Erasmus Mundus joint programme. These scholarships in Europe provide full funding for students enrolled for courses related to the following fields.

  1. Chemistry
  2. Economic sciences
  3. Environmental and geo sciences
  4. Information Science & Engineering Life Sciences
  5. Mathematics
  6. Physics
  7. Social sciences & Humanities

Every scholarship programme which offers full funding to students sets certain criteria for them. Since fully funded scholarships in Europe are granted under the Erasmus programme to students based on their

  1. Academic excellence
  2. Academic potential
  3. Level of language proficiency
  4. Motivation
  5. Letters of recommendation
  6. Work experience and professional qualifications

In addition to the points mentioned above, there are certain other requirements which students applying for an Erasmus scholarship to study in Europe must fulfil.

  1. Students at Master's level worldwide can apply.
  2. You must have obtained a first higher education degree or demonstrate a recognised equivalent level of learning, according to national legislation and practices, in the degree awarding countries.
  3. If you have already received an EMJMD or an Erasmus Mundus Master Course/Joint Doctorate scholarship, you are not eligible for an additional EMJMD scholarship.
  4. You cannot benefit from another EU-funded scholarship scheme while you are receiving an EMJMD scholarship.

Total Duration of Scholarships

An EMJMD is a study programme of 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. This means that it lasts from a minimum of 12 months, to a maximum of 24 months

How to Apply For scholarships in Europe- Erasmus Mundus scholarships for international students?

  1. Students should consult the online Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Degree Catalogue and contact the consortium offering the Master Course for more information on courses and application procedures.
  2. A new batch of selected EMJMDs is added to the list each summer. Most consortia will require applications to be submitted between October and January, for courses starting the following academic year.
  3. The Erasmus programme is perhaps one of the very rare programmes which award fully funded scholarships in Europe. Let us move on to understand other programmes of scholarships in Europe for international students. 

DAAD Scholarships in Germany For Development Related Post Graduate Courses

What is it about?

The German Academic Exchange Service offers scholarships to students coming from different underdeveloped countries and newly industrialized countries of the world. The scholarships aim to facilitate the opportunity for meritorious students to continue their postgraduate studies in German universities with the help of a fully-funded scholarship.

Who Can Apply?

Graduate students who have already completed their Bachelors or Diploma degrees by the time of commencement of their Masters programmes in Germany are eligible to apply for these scholarships in Europe for international students.

What Can Be Funded?

  • Participation in a postgraduate programme after a first undergraduate course of study for the purpose of technical or scientific specialisation
  • Specifically, the following is supported:
    1. a postgraduate or Master's degree programme completed at a state or state-recognised university in Germany
    2. or the first or second year of study at a state or state-recognised German university as part of a postgraduate or Master's degree programme completed in the home country
    3. or in another foreign country; recognition of the academic achievements rendered in Germany must be guaranteed.

The standard period of study of the postgraduate or Master's degree programme should not be exceeded as a result of the study year in Germany.

How to Apply for a DAAD Scholarship?

The procedure to apply for a DAAD scholarship is conducted online. However, the documents required by the committee which offers these scholarships in Europe from students depends on their country of origin. The applications to apply for DAAD scholarships to study in Europe are usually invited between the months of  October and August every year. 

British Chevening Scholarships

What is it About?

The British Chevening scholarships are considered to be one of the top scholarships to study in Europe, especially in the UK. These scholarships are awarded to individuals who have displayed exemplary leadership skills in their academics, as well as in co-curricular activities by the UK government. These scholarships offer full coverage of a student’s expenses related to his/her Masters course in any of the UK universities.

What Expenses Does the Scholarship Cover?

The British Chevening scholarships provide full funding of a student’s expenses related to their Masters courses in the UK. This includes their airfare, accommodation, course fees, other miscellaneous expenses required by the candidates during their stay in the UK.

Eligible Courses for British Chevening Scholarships

In order to be eligible, the courses you choose must be full-time, and:

  1. Start in the autumn term (usually September/October)
  2. Taught master’s (i.e. not research-focused MRes programmes)
  3. Lead to a master’s degree qualification
  4. Based in the UK

Courses cannot be:

  1. Part-time
  2. Distance learning
  3. Less than nine months in duration
  4. More than 12 months in duration
  5. Ph.D. or DPhil
  6. Taught with more than one month of study outside the UK

How to Apply For British Chevening Scholarships?

Applicants will have to apply through the online application system which is provided on their official website. There is a whole list of rules and regulations which students must note before beginning their application process. Applicants must apply to these scholarships in the month of August 2023 in order to be shortlisted for British Chevening scholarships 2024. 

Swedish Institute Study Scholarships 2023

What is it about?

The Swedish Institute Study Scholarships enables students coming from all over the world for a large number of Masters programmes conducted in Swedish universities. The competition for these scholarships in Europe for international students is very high. Amongst the total number of students who apply, only 2% to 6% successfully manage to get awarded. An estimated 300 scholarships are made available every year to eligible candidates.

What Does it Cover?

  1. Tuition fees: pay directly to the Swedish university by SI
  2. Living expenses of SEK 10,000/month
  3. Travel grant of SEK 15,000 *
  4. Insurance against illness and accident
  5. Membership of the SI Network for Future Global Leaders (NFGL) – a platform to help you grow professionally and build your network while in Sweden
  6. Membership of the SI Alumni Network after your scholarship period – a platform for continued networking and further professional development

The travel grant is a one-time payment for the entire study period. The grant is not applicable to students already living in Sweden.

Who Can Apply?

  1. Candidates having 3000+ hours of work experience are considered to be eligible to apply for these scholarships.
  2. They must belong to the countries which are deemed eligible for a Swedish Institute Study Visa scholarship.
  3. Candidates must be liable to pay tuition fees to Swedish universities, have followed the steps of university admission, and be admitted to one of the eligible master’s programmes.
  4. The Masters course chosen by students must be eligible for an SI scholarship to study in Europe.

How to Apply?

  1. Find an eligible Masters course which is eligible for an SI scholarship and ensure that they receive a confirmation of enrolment from the respective university.
  2. Apply for an SISGP scholarship online.
  3. Upon their nomination, respective students will be intimated through the appropriate source.
  4. Complete information about the application procedure for these scholarships in Europe for international students is provided at https://si.se/en/apply/scholarships/swedish-institute-scholarships-for-global-professionals/#steps-2

Eiffel Excellence Scholarship To Study in France

What is it about?

Campus France, the agency responsible to oversee the promotion of higher education in France is the provider of these scholarships for international students in France, Europe. 

Who can apply?

  1. The Eiffel scholarship is granted to cover a predefined number of months in order to help the recipient follow the academic program for which his/her application has been granted. Students must comply with the academic requirements of each academic year in order to continue benefitting from the scholarship.
  2. Apart from language training, the scholarship shall not exceed 12 months for a Master’s 2 level, 24 months for a Master’s 1 level and 36 months for an engineering degree.
  3. If the student wishes to attend an intensive language course beforehand, the Eiffel scholarship duration can be extended by a maximum of two months, if this is clearly indicated in the application. The Eiffel scholarship does not cover the cost of such language courses.
  4. The scholarship may cover internship periods of no more than 25% of the total duration of the master program (please see “duration of the scholarship” at page 4 of the application file)
  5. The internship period must be an integral part of the course and be referred as mandatory in the higher education institution curriculum. If the internship is not mandatory or exceeds the 25% of the master duration, the scholarship will be interrupted.
  6. The academic program is only covered by the Eiffel scholarship for periods taking place in France.
  7. If the academic program includes an international academic exchange, in a different institution, the scholarship shall be suspended for period spent abroad, with deferral of the scholarship.
  8. If the academic program includes an international academic exchange in the same institution, the scholarship shall be suspended during the period spent abroad, without deferral of the scholarship.
  9. Gap years are allowed, but not financed.
  10. If the student signs an apprenticeship contract or a professional training contract, the scholarship shall be automatically terminated.

What does it cover?

  1. Tuition fees are not covered by the Eiffel Program. Educational institutions are expected to provide students with the best financial support. 
  2. Students admitted to public educational institutions are, as French government scholarship holders, exempted from enrolment fees.

  3. Master’s level:  The Eiffel scholarship consists of a monthly allowance of €1,181 (a maintenance allowance of €1,031 and a monthly stipend of €150). In addition, the program covers various benefits including a round-trip international ticket, Health insurance and cultural activities.

How to Apply?

Students who are in need of the Eiffel excellence scholarship can apply on the official website of Campus France. 

Scholarships are surely an excellent way of ensuring a non-stop flow of funds for higher education in any part of the world. The ones listed in this article are some of the top scholarships to study in Europe. However, before beginning the entire process of applying for fully-funded scholarships to study in Europe, it is important to understand several aspects of these scholarships. We hope that this article will help you understand some, if not all of these aspects.

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