Fully Funded Scholarships 2026-2027: Complete List and Guide
Published July 7, 2026 · 15 min read
Fully funded scholarships cover the complete cost of studying abroad — tuition fees, living expenses, travel costs, health insurance, and sometimes additional allowances for research, conferences, and family. They are the most valuable awards in international education, and they are available to students at every level: undergraduate, master's, and PhD. This guide covers the world's most generous fully funded scholarships and how to win them.
What Does "Fully Funded" Actually Mean?
A fully funded scholarship typically covers: full tuition fees at the host university, a monthly or annual living stipend for accommodation, food, and personal expenses, round-trip airfare between your home country and the study destination, health insurance for the duration of the programme, and sometimes additional costs such as visa fees, book allowances, conference travel, and research grants. Some scholarships also provide settling-in allowances, clothing grants, and dependents' allowances.
The World's Top Fully Funded Scholarships
Government-Funded Scholarships
- Chevening Scholarship (UK): The UK government's flagship scholarship. Covers everything for a one-year master's at any UK university. Requires two years of work experience and a commitment to return home. See our top scholarships guide.
- Commonwealth Scholarship (UK): For students from Commonwealth countries. Full funding for master's or PhD study.
- DAAD Scholarship (Germany): Multiple programmes covering tuition, stipend, insurance, and travel. See DAAD details.
- MEXT Scholarship (Japan): Japanese government scholarship. See MEXT details and Study in Japan.
- Erasmus Mundus (EU): Joint master's degrees with full funding across multiple European universities.
- Fulbright Program (USA): US government's flagship international scholarship. See Study in USA.
- Australia Awards: Full funding for master's study at Australian universities.
- Turkish Burslari: Turkish government scholarship with tuition, accommodation, flights, and language training.
- Stipendium Hungaricum (Hungary): Full scholarship at Hungarian universities.
- Chinese Government Scholarship: Full funding at Chinese universities.
- Korean Government Scholarship (KGSP): See Study in South Korea.
University-Funded Scholarships
- Gates Cambridge Scholarship: Full cost of any postgraduate degree at Cambridge.
- Rhodes Scholarship: Full funding for study at Oxford.
- Clarendon Fund (Oxford): Full funding for graduate study.
- Knight-Hennessy Scholars (Stanford): Full funding for any graduate programme at Stanford.
- MIT Financial Aid: Meets 100% of demonstrated need for international students.
- Harvard Financial Aid: Full need-based aid for international students.
Foundation and Organisation Scholarships
- Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program: For students from Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Aga Khan Foundation Scholarships: For students from select developing countries.
- Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship: For students from developing countries.
- OFID Scholarship: OPEC Fund for International Development scholarships.
How to Win a Fully Funded Scholarship
See our comprehensive guides on writing an SOP, scholarship essays, getting recommendation letters, and acing the interview. The key principles are: start early, demonstrate impact, show leadership, align with the scholarship's mission, and submit a polished application well before the deadline.
Fully Funded Scholarship Checklist
- Have I identified scholarships I am eligible for based on nationality, level, and field?
- Have I read the full eligibility criteria for each scholarship?
- Have I noted all deadlines in a master spreadsheet?
- Have I started preparing my application at least 3 months before the deadline?
- Have I demonstrated leadership, impact, and a clear vision?
- Have I aligned my application with each scholarship's mission?