Scholarships for students from developing countries

If you are a student from a developing region of the world, such as certain parts of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, you may be eligible for several international scholarships. These scholarships are designed to bring a more diverse and inclusive student demographic to universities across the globe. If you are interested in applying for one of these scholarships, you can find more information here.

Because many scholarships for students from developing countries have extra requirements, like a certain country of origin or destination, a certain field of study, or ties to a certain university, it may take some creative scholarship hunting and some flexibility on your part to find a scholarship that works for you. However, there is absolutely no reason why you can’t apply for ten or more foreign scholarships in almost no time at all. All you need to do is make sure you follow the application instructions carefully.

Here is a list of some of the most prestigious grants and scholarships that are currently available to students from developing nations. The list is broken down by the region in which the student wants to study.

Please note that this page is updated yearly, and because the sponsors or institutions that open these scholarships may often change the period in which they accept applications, we may not keep up with these updates due to the volume of scholarships we publish here. Therefore, this page is basically intended to show you the endless opportunities you have to get a scholarship to study anywhere in the world. Simply click on the link to the scholarship you want to check the deadline for on the official website. Or click here to access our list of current scholarships. 

Scholarships to study in Europe

• Erasmus Mundus Scholarships – an Initiative led by the European Commission to provide funding for students all over the world to study in Europe at selected institutions.

Belgium

• VLIR-UOS Training and Masters Scholarships – Scholarships for students from developing countries within Africa, Asia, or Latin America.

Czech Republic

• Charles University Faculty of Social Sciences Development Scholarships – Six scholarships for students from developing countries to study a program in the faculty.

France

• Eiffel Scholarships – Funding for masters and Ph.D. students from outside of France.
• INSEAD Business School International Scholarships – Over 90 different business school scholarships, many aimed at students from developing regions.

Germany

• DAAD scholarships – Scholarships for master’s students from developing countries in Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands, Central, and South America, and Central and Eastern Europe to study in Germany.

Ireland

• Embassy of Ireland, Tanzania Fellowship Training Programme – Scholarships for Tanzanian students to study one of the listed eligible master’s degrees in Ireland.

Netherlands

• University of Groningen Talent Grant for Non-EEA Countries – Funding for specific master’s programs at the University of Groningen, for students from Brazil, China, Indonesia, Korea, Mexico, or Russia.
• Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Piet Rietveld Scholarship – A scholarship for a student from a developing country to study a master’s in spatial, transport, and environmental economics. Covers the yearly tuition fee and provides an allowance for living costs.

Poland

• Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange – Scholarships for students from developing countries to study for a tuition-free master’s degree in Poland.

Slovakia

• Slovak Government Scholarships – Funding provided by the Slovakian government, for students from developing countries.

Switzerland

• IMD MBA Scholarships – For students from developing countries to study an MBA at IMD Business School in Lausanne.

Sweden

• Swedish Institute Study Scholarships – Scholarships for full-time master’s students from developing countries, covering tuition fees and living costs.

UK

• Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships – For students from developing countries in the commonwealth to study in the UK at the master’s level.
• British Council scholarships – For Indian students to study in the UK.
• Saïd Foundation Scholarships – For Iraqi, Jordanian, Lebanese, Palestinian, and Syrian postgraduate students to study in the UK.

UK universities offering international scholarships include:

• University of Oxford
• University of Westminster
• Cardiff University
• London Southbank University
• London Metropolitan University
• Roehampton University
• University of Birmingham
• University of Nottingham
• University of the West of England

Scholarships to study in North America

Canada

• Global Affairs Canada – 650 short-term exchange scholarships are available for Latin American and Caribbean citizens wishing to study in Canada.

Canadian scholarships for Asian students:

• Canada-ASEAN Scholarships – Scholarships for students from ASEAN member states (Southeast Asia) to take part in a short-term exchange program for study and research.
• The University of Alberta China and India Centenary Scholarships – For Chinese and Indian students.
• University of Toronto (Hong Kong) Foundation – For students from Hong Kong.

US

• Dag Hammarskjöld Journalism Fellowships – Journalism fellowships for African, Asian, Latin American, and Caribbean nationals.
• East-West Center Scholarships and Fellowships – Funding aimed at nationals from the Asia-Pacific region to study in the US at specific institutions.

US universities offering international scholarships include:

• Harvard University
• Emory University
• Illinois State University
• University of Minnesota

Scholarships to study in Australia and New Zealand

Australia

• Australia Awards Scholarships – Scholarships for students from developing countries, particularly the Indo-Pacific region. Unrestricted choice of programs.
• Destination Australia – Government scholarships and fellowships.

Australian universities offering scholarships for students from developing countries include:

• Macquarie University
• The University of Sydney International Scholarships (USydIS)

New Zealand

• New Zealand Development Scholarships

Universities in New Zealand offering scholarships for students from developing countries include:

• University of Auckland
• Victoria University of Wellington 

Scholarships to study anywhere in the world

For Latin American students:

• Colfuturo Scholarships – For postgraduate Colombian students to study abroad.

For Asian students:

• Asia Foundation Development Fellows – Merit-based scholarships for students from developing countries in Asia.
• Erasmus-Mundus – India4EU II – For Indian nationals to study in Europe. For more international scholarships for Indian students, see our separate list here.
• UNESCO Fellowships – Several fellowship programs are offered to Japanese, Chinese, or Korean students.

Scholarships to study in a developing region

• MasterCard Foundation Scholarships – For African, Latin American, and Caribbean students to study in Costa Rica.
• Wells Mountain Foundation ­­­– For students from developing countries to study at home or in another developing country.

Scholarships for African students

• Aga Khan Foundation Scholarship Programme – Need-based scholarships for African students.
• IOE – Commonwealth Distance Scholarships – Commonwealth scholarships for African students from Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Kenya. Distance learning with a restricted choice of programs.
• Mo Ibrahim Scholarship Programme – For aspiring African leaders to study in the UK or Africa at a partnered university.
• Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders – Scholarships for African students from sub-Saharan African countries to study in the US and gain leadership and business skills.
• Zawadi Africa Education Fund Scholarships for Young African Women – For female students from Uganda, Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya to study in the US.

More scholarships for African students can be found here.

Organizations offering scholarships for students from developing countries

• MasterCard – Emphasis on scholarships for African students to study in the US and Africa.
• MIT – Zaragoza Scholarship Program – Several scholarships for students from developing countries.
• Santander – Scholarships available via partner universities.
• The World Bank – Offers postgraduate scholarships for disadvantaged students from developing countries.

As always, individual universities and other outside groups may also be able to offer more funding opportunities. For more opportunities, search online and visit the websites of universities you are interested in for information about international scholarships and funding.