Exciting scholarships in Europe for international students

Of the many scholarships in Europe, a few are on offer without fail every year. They attract students from outside the European Union (EU) to study for a degree, conduct research, or pursue a short-term exchange programme.

There are arts programmes and science programmes in various specialisations, which promotes academic diversity — especially for students in emerging economies.

So if you’re interested to study in Austria, Belgium, Latvia, or the Netherlands, consider these scholarships in Europe.

Austria’s Ernst Mach Programme alone has hosted students from 53 countries. Source: Gu Bra via Pexels

Scholarships to study in Austria

Austria has some great scholarship opportunities if you’re planning to study or do research there.

The Ernst Mach Grant – ASEA-UNINET supports everything from full PhDs to postdoc research and even music studies, especially for students from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Another option is the Richard Plaschka Grant, which is ideal if you’re focused on historical research, especially Austrian history. It gives researchers the chance to work in libraries, archives, and research institutes across Austria.

And if you want to see what else is out there, grants.at is a useful database with a wide range of scholarships and funding opportunities.

Scholarships to study in Belgium

If you’re thinking about studying in Belgium, the Flemish Ministry of Education and Training offers the Master Mind Scholarship for master’s programmes in Flanders and Brussels. It includes a €10,225 grant plus a tuition fee waiver each year.

There’s also the Belgian Government’s BTC programme, which supports students from partner countries with scholarships and traineeships, mainly at postgraduate and PhD level.

These can cover one or two academic years, with longer-term support spread over several years.

And then there’s ARES (Académie de recherche et d’enseignement supérieur), the federation of higher education institutions in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.

For permanent residents working in one of the 31 ARES partner countries, it offers scholarships for bachelor’s and master’s programmes, and shorter continuing education courses in Belgium.

If you study in the Czech language at public universities, tuition is completely free, regardless of your nationality. Source: Ahmet Çiftçi via Pexels

Scholarships to study in the Czech Republic

The Czech Government offers scholarships each year as part of its international development programme.

There’s the European Union’s EU4Belarus SALT (Support for Advanced Learning and Training) initiative too. It supports Belarusian students studying in countries like Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and Czechia.

If you had to leave Belarus between 2020 and 2022 due to political pressure and have since enrolled at a university in one of these countries, you could receive €450 per month for up to three years.

Meanwhile, the South Moravian Centre for International Mobility is a non-profit organisation that supports international students in Brno, offering scholarships for non-EU students studying in either Czech or English.

Open your window to opportunity with one of these annual scholarships in Europe.

Scholarships to study in Latvia

Students from 39 eligible countries can apply for the Latvian State Scholarship to study at universities in Latvia. The funding increases depending on your level of study.

Bachelor’s students (and those in certain professional programmes in Years 2 and 3) receive €500 per month.

Master’s students, as well as those in later years of professional programmes, get €600 per month. PhD students receive €700 per month.

Scholarships to study in Lithuania

The Education Exchanges Support Foundation (EESF) is Lithuania’s national agency for managing education programmes and supporting international cooperation. It offers a range of scholarships for students and researchers interested in studying in Lithuania or exploring the Lithuanian language and culture.

These include scholarships for full-time Master’s degrees (covering the final two years of integrated programmes), as well as short-term study options for up to one semester.

There are also dedicated short-term scholarships for people interested in the Lithuanian language and culture, including those of Lithuanian heritage or involved in Baltic studies.

Scholarships to study in the Netherlands

The NL Scholarship (previously known as the Holland Scholarship) is designed for international students from outside the EEA who want to study in the Netherlands.

It’s funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, along with a number of Dutch research universities and universities of applied sciences.

The scholarship offers a one-off grant of €5,000. For the 2026–2027 academic year, some of the participating institutions include:

• Maastricht University
• Protestant Theological University
• Radboud University
• Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
• Amsterdam University of the Arts
• NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences

Scholarships to study in Romania

Romania might not be the first place you think of — but it’s definitely worth a look. It’s home to the European bison, the largest land mammal in Europe, and stunning sights like the Transfăgărășan, often called one of the world’s most beautiful roads.

It’s not just about scenery though; there are some top universities there too, including Babeș-Bolyai University (Cluj-Napoca) and the University of Bucharest.

Students from more than 120 countries already study there too, so it’s a pretty international place.

If you’re thinking of applying, the Romanian Government offers scholarships for non-EU students each year.

Only students with good academic results are eligible, usually with an average grade of at least 7 or a “Good” result.

Scholarships to study in Sweden

Sweden is a great option for international students, especially with the strong financial support available.

One of the most well-known options is the Swedish Institute (SI) Scholarships for Global Professionals, funded by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It’s particularly popular for those applying to master’s programmes.

The scholarship is offered across a wide range of universities, with around 700 English-taught master’s programmes to choose from.

It covers full tuition fees and also provides a monthly allowance of 11,000 Swedish kronor (US$1,138) to help with living costs throughout your studies.

On top of that, many universities offer their own scholarships.

For example, KTH Royal Institute of Technology provides tuition fee waivers and academic scholarships for master’s students, while Linköping University offers merit-based awards.

Lund University also has generous scholarships for both bachelor’s and master’s students, and Malmö University provides funding for master’s students as well as excellence awards for undergraduates.

If you want to explore even more options, StudyinSweden.se is a helpful place to start.

Disclaimer: This article was updated on April 15, 2026.