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Fully Funded Master’s Scholarships: 70+ Best Options for International Students
If you are searching for fully funded Master’s scholarships, you already know the problem: tuition, rent, flights, and insurance can easily cost $30,000–$60,000 a year, and most “scholarship lists” you find online are outdated, incomplete, or padded with links that go nowhere.
This guide fixes that. Below you will find a working definition of what “fully funded” actually means, a country-by-country breakdown of the best fully funded Master’s scholarships currently accepting applications, links to the in-depth guides we have already published on LicensureHub, and direct links to the official pages of major global scholarships we haven’t covered yet — so you never have to leave this page to start an application.
Quick Answer
- Fully funded Master’s scholarships cover 100% of tuition, plus a living stipend, health insurance, and (usually) flights.
- The most competitive and reliable ones are government-funded: Chevening (UK), Fulbright (USA), DAAD (Germany), MEXT (Japan), Erasmus Mundus (EU), and Australia Awards.
- University-funded assistantships (like the ones at Babson College and the University of Waterloo, covered below) are often less competitive than national scholarships and open every year.
- Most fully funded Master’s scholarships require you to apply 6–12 months before the intake starts.
- Jump to the country-by-country list, the step-by-step application process, or the FAQ section.
What Are Fully Funded Master’s Scholarships?
Fully funded Master’s scholarships are awards that pay for your entire graduate degree — not just a discount on tuition, but the full package: tuition, housing or a housing allowance, a monthly stipend for food and personal costs, health insurance, and in most cases round-trip airfare.
This is different from a “partial scholarship” or “tuition waiver,” which might only cover fees and leave you to fund your own living costs. When a program advertises itself as offering fully funded Master’s scholarships, always check the official funding breakdown before assuming it covers everything — some university pages use the term loosely.
What Fully Funded Master’s Scholarships Actually Cover
Most genuine fully funded Master’s scholarships include some combination of the following:
- Full tuition fees for the entire program (typically 1–2 years)
- Monthly stipend for living expenses (commonly $800–$2,000, depending on the country and cost of living)
- Accommodation or a dedicated housing allowance
- Health insurance for the duration of study
- Round-trip airfare to and from your home country
- Visa/relocation support, sometimes including a settling-in allowance
- Research or thesis allowance, common in Europe and Australia
Not every award includes all seven. Always read the funding table on the official scholarship page before you apply — it is the single most important paragraph on any scholarship website.
Who Is Eligible for Fully Funded Master’s Scholarships?
Eligibility varies by scholarship, but almost every program screens for:
- A completed bachelor’s degree (or proof you’ll finish before enrollment)
- A minimum GPA — usually 3.0/4.0 or a strong second-class upper (2:1) equivalent
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL) unless the program is taught in another language or you hold a degree taught in English
- Two to three academic or professional recommendation letters
- A statement of purpose or research proposal
- For some (Fulbright, Chevening, Australia Awards): a set number of years of work experience
Nationality restrictions matter too. Chevening, for example, is only open to citizens of specific eligible countries, while Fulbright and DAAD run separate competitions per country. Always confirm your country is on the eligible list before investing time in an application.
How to Find Fully Funded Master’s Scholarships
The fastest way to find fully funded Master’s scholarships that actually match your profile is to search by three filters at once: country, funding type (government vs. university), and field of study. LicensureHub organizes opportunities this way so you don’t have to dig through generic scholarship databases:
- Browse by Country
- Browse by Master’s Degree level
- See the full, regularly updated roundup: 60 Fully Funded Scholarships for International Students
Best Fully Funded Master’s Scholarships by Country
Below is a working list of the strongest fully funded Master’s scholarships by destination country. Where LicensureHub already has an in-depth guide, we link directly to it. Where we haven’t published a dedicated guide yet, we link straight to the scholarship’s official page so you can start your application immediately.
United States
| Scholarship | What It Covers | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate Assistantships at Babson College | Full tuition + stipend for graduate work | Read our full guide → |
| Oregon State University Scholarships | Tuition, research, and merit funding | Read our full guide → |
| Fulbright Foreign Student Program | Tuition, stipend, airfare, insurance | Official Fulbright page → |
More on the United States country page →
United Kingdom
| Scholarship | What It Covers | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Chevening Scholarship | Full tuition, monthly stipend, flights, visa costs | Official Chevening page → |
| Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships | Tuition, stipend, flights (Commonwealth citizens) | Official Commonwealth page → |
| Gates Cambridge Scholarship | Full cost of studying at Cambridge | Official Gates Cambridge page → |
Canada
| Scholarship | What It Covers | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate Assistantships at University of Waterloo | Tuition + paid assistantship stipend | Read our full guide → |
| Courtois Fellowship Scholarship | Full salary-based postdoctoral/graduate funding | Read our full guide → |
More on the Canada country page →
Germany
| Scholarship | What It Covers | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Technische Universität Berlin Scholarships | Tuition support, Deutschlandstipendium, STIBET funding | Read our full guide → |
| DAAD Scholarships | Monthly stipend (~€992), tuition, insurance, travel | Official DAAD page → |
Netherlands
| Scholarship | What It Covers | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Leiden University Excellence Scholarship | Up to €19,000 toward tuition | Read our full guide → |
| Holland Scholarship | One-time award (€5,000) + university-specific top-ups | Official Holland Scholarship page → |
More on the Netherlands country page →
Belgium
| Scholarship | What It Covers | Link |
|---|---|---|
| ARES Scholarship in Belgium | Tuition, stipend, accommodation, insurance | Read our full guide → |
More on the Belgium country page →
South Korea
| Scholarship | What It Covers | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) | Full tuition, stipend, airfare, Korean language training | Read our full guide → |
More on the South Korea country page →
Japan
| Scholarship | What It Covers | Link |
|---|---|---|
| MEXT Scholarship | Tuition, stipend, accommodation, round-trip airfare | Official MEXT page → |
More on the Japan country page →
France
| Scholarship | What It Covers | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Eiffel Excellence Scholarship | Monthly allowance, travel, health cover, cultural activities | Official Eiffel Scholarship page → |
More on the France country page →
Sweden
| Scholarship | What It Covers | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Swedish Institute Scholarships for Global Professionals | Full tuition, living costs, insurance, travel grant | Official Swedish Institute page → |
More on the Sweden country page →
Italy · China · Australia · Denmark
| Scholarship | Country | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Italian Government Scholarships | Italy | Official page → |
| Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) | China | Official page → |
| Australia Awards Scholarships | Australia | Official page → |
| Danish Government Scholarships | Denmark | Official page → |
Explore more by country: Italy · China · Australia · Denmark · Singapore · Ghana · UAE
Global / Multi-Country
| Scholarship | What It Covers | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees | Full tuition, monthly stipend, travel/installation costs, insurance — study in 2–4 countries | Official Erasmus Mundus page → |
Fully Funded Master’s Scholarships We’ve Already Covered on LicensureHub
If you want the deep-dive version — eligibility breakdowns, benefit tables, and step-by-step application walkthroughs — start with the guides we’ve already published. Each one is a complete, standalone resource for that specific fully funded Master’s scholarship:
- 60 Fully Funded Scholarships for International Students — our master roundup, covering all levels
- Graduate Assistantships at Babson College: Best 2026 Guide
- Graduate Assistantships at University of Waterloo 2026
- Leiden University Excellence Scholarship: Win up to €19,000
- ARES Scholarship in Belgium (Fully Funded)
- Technische Universität Berlin Scholarships 2027 (Fully Funded)
- Global Korea Scholarship (GKS): Fully Funded
- Oregon State University Scholarships: 7 Best Options 2027
- Courtois Fellowship Scholarship | Fully Funded
Prefer PhD-level funding instead? See University of Leeds PhD Scholarship | Fully Funded or browse the full PhD category →. Undergraduate applicants should start with the Undergraduate category →.
Major Global Scholarships to Also Apply For
These are among the most respected fully funded Master’s scholarships in the world. We haven’t published individual LicensureHub guides for them yet, so the links below go straight to the official, authoritative source:
- Chevening Scholarship (UK) — open to citizens of eligible Chevening countries
- Fulbright Foreign Student Program (USA) — run through a national commission in your home country
- DAAD Scholarships (Germany) — Germany’s national academic exchange service
- Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees (EU) — study across multiple European universities
- Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships (UK) — for Commonwealth-country citizens
- Gates Cambridge Scholarship (UK) — full funding at the University of Cambridge
- MEXT Scholarship (Japan) — Japanese Ministry of Education funding
- Australia Awards Scholarships (Australia) — Australian government development scholarships
- Swedish Institute Scholarships (Sweden) — for future global leaders
- Eiffel Excellence Scholarship (France) — top French Master’s and PhD programs
For an authoritative, government-level overview of how U.S. exchange scholarships like Fulbright are administered, see the official U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs page.
Application Timeline for Fully Funded Master’s Scholarships
Deadlines shift slightly every year, but the pattern is consistent — bookmark this table and just swap the year:
| Stage | When (relative to intake) |
|---|---|
| Research & shortlist scholarships | 12–14 months before |
| Take IELTS/TOEFL, GRE/GMAT if needed | 10–12 months before |
| Request recommendation letters | 8–10 months before |
| Submit applications | 6–9 months before (varies by scholarship) |
| Interviews (Chevening, Fulbright, DAAD) | 3–5 months before |
| Award notifications | 2–4 months before |
| Visa & travel arrangements | 1–2 months before |
Because this table is based on relative timing rather than fixed dates, it stays accurate every year — you only need to update the specific scholarship deadline pages linked above.
How to Apply for Fully Funded Master’s Scholarships, Step by Step {#how-to-apply}
- Shortlist 5–8 scholarships that match your field, nationality, and target country using the country list above.
- Check every eligibility requirement on the official page before you start writing anything.
- Secure your English test scores (IELTS/TOEFL/Duolingo) early — retakes take weeks to schedule.
- Draft a tailored statement of purpose for each scholarship. Never reuse one SOP for every application.
- Request recommendation letters at least two months in advance, and give your referees your CV and SOP draft.
- Apply to the university/program first, if the scholarship requires an admission letter (common with DAAD, MEXT, and university-run assistantships).
- Submit the scholarship application well before the deadline — servers crash and portals lock exactly at cutoff time.
- Prepare for interviews if shortlisted (Chevening and Fulbright both interview finalists).
- Accept your offer and start visa paperwork immediately once you’re awarded a place.
Documents You’ll Typically Need
- Valid passport
- Academic transcripts and degree certificates (certified translations if needed)
- English proficiency test results
- 2–3 recommendation letters
- Statement of purpose / research proposal
- Updated CV/resume
- Passport-sized photo
- Proof of nationality/eligibility for country-restricted awards
Common Mistakes That Get Applications Rejected
- Applying after eligibility deadlines close — most fully funded Master’s scholarships do not accept late submissions, ever.
- Submitting a generic statement of purpose that doesn’t mention the specific scholarship or university.
- Missing the English test score deadline because a retake wasn’t scheduled early enough.
- Ignoring nationality or work-experience restrictions before investing weeks in an application.
- Applying to only one scholarship instead of building a shortlist of 5–8.
People Also Ask
Are there truly fully funded Master’s scholarships available for international students?
Yes. Government-funded programs like Chevening, Fulbright, DAAD, and MEXT, along with university-funded assistantships such as those at Babson College and the University of Waterloo, genuinely cover tuition, living costs, and travel for admitted students.
Which country offers the most fully funded Master’s scholarships?
Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands offer the largest number of active programs each year, largely because of strong government-funded and university-funded assistantship systems.
What GPA do I need for a fully funded Master’s scholarship?
Most competitive programs expect a GPA of 3.0/4.0 or higher (or a UK 2:1 equivalent), though highly selective awards like Gates Cambridge and Fulbright often see successful applicants above 3.5/4.0.
Can I get a fully funded Master’s scholarship without IELTS or TOEFL?
Sometimes. If your previous degree was taught fully in English, or the Master’s program is taught in the local language, some universities and scholarships waive the English test requirement — always confirm directly with the scholarship provider.
Is Chevening or Fulbright better for a Master’s degree?
Chevening is a one-year, UK-only award open to specific eligible countries with strong leadership potential, while Fulbright funds Master’s and PhD study in the US and runs its own country-specific competition. Neither is universally “better” — the right choice depends on your nationality, field, and target country.
Do fully funded Master’s scholarships cover a spouse or family?
Occasionally. A small number of programs, including some Fulbright and Australia Awards categories, provide limited dependent allowances — this is the exception rather than the rule, so check the specific scholarship’s funding breakdown.
Related Reading on LicensureHub
- 60 Fully Funded Scholarships for International Students
- Graduate Assistantships at Babson College: Best 2026 Guide
- Leiden University Excellence Scholarship: Win up to €19,000
- Global Korea Scholarship (GKS): Fully Funded
- Technische Universität Berlin Scholarships 2027 (Fully Funded)
- University of Leeds PhD Scholarship | Fully Funded
Browse everything by category: Master’s Degree · PhD · Undergraduate · All Opportunities
Final Thoughts
Fully funded Master’s scholarships are competitive, but they are not luck-based — they reward students who start early, apply to several programs instead of just one, and tailor each application to the specific scholarship. Use the country tables above to build your shortlist this week, bookmark this page, and check back each intake cycle — we update the deadlines and add newly published LicensureHub guides as they go live.
