Finland Scholarships for Foreign Students: University, Government and EU Awards

Finland teaches roughly 450 international programmes in English, and its education system is widely rated among the strongest in the world. Money is available at several levels: Finnish universities and UAS's fund non-EU students, the Finnish Government runs doctoral grants, and Erasmus Mundus covers joint programmes. Bachelor's and master's awards are aimed mainly at non-EU international students, while doctoral scholarships in Finland are open to most international students.

Tuition fees for non-EU/EEA students has been introduced from autumn 2017 onwards for English-taught Bachelor's or Master's programmes. Doctoral level studies will remain free of tuition fees.

Each institution sets its own terms, so check the university you want before you apply. Finnish universities and UAS's offer scholarship options for gifted non-EU/EEA students who are admitted to their fee-charging degree programmes. Awards usually rest on academic performance and often take the form of full or partial fee waivers or performance-based refunds. A living cost allowance is included in some cases.

The list of Finnish Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences sits at www.studyinfinland.fi. That site points you to what each higher education institution offers international students. Scholarship options and tuition fees are also published on each individual university's own web site.

Finnish Government Scholarship Pool
The Finnish Government funds 3-9 months of Doctoral level studies and research in all academic fields at Finnish universities or public research institutes. Master's level studies and post-Doctoral studies or research cannot be applied for under this scheme. Young researchers from Australia, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Mongolia, Namibia, Republic of Korea, Turkey, Ukraine, and USA are eligible. The scholarship includes a monthly allowance of EUR 1500.

EDUFI Doctoral Fellowships in Finland
The EDUFI Fellowships programme takes young Doctoral level students and researchers from all countries and all academic fields who want to pursue their Doctorate (or Double Doctorate) at a Finnish university. Master's level studies and post-doctoral studies or research are not supported. The scholarship period may vary from 3 to 12 months. The monthly allowance is worth EUR 1,500 and is meant to cover living expenses in Finland for a single person.

Erasmus Mundus Scholarship Programs in Finland
Finnish Universities take part in a number of study programs funded by Erasmus Mundus Scholarships. The European Commission's Erasmus Mundus catalogue shows the options offered in the Erasmus Mundus programme.