Two kinds of scholarships
Government and foundation scholarships
Large, named programmes such as Fulbright, Chevening, Commonwealth, DAAD, Erasmus Mundus, MEXT and the Global Korea Scholarship. They usually cover tuition, living costs and travel, and have one deadline a year.
University funding
Most fully funded MS and PhD places, especially in the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia, come from the university itself: tuition waivers with a research or teaching assistantship. You win these by convincing a professor or admissions committee that you can do research.
Well known scholarships open to Asian students
Eligibility, amounts and deadlines change every year, so always confirm on the official website before you apply.
- Fulbright Foreign Student ProgramMaster's and PhD study in the USA.
- Chevening ScholarshipsOne year master's degrees in the UK.
- Commonwealth ScholarshipsMaster's and PhD study in the UK for Commonwealth countries.
- DAAD ScholarshipsMaster's and PhD study in Germany.
- Erasmus Mundus Joint MastersMaster's programmes across two or more European countries.
- MEXT ScholarshipStudy and research in Japan.
- Global Korea ScholarshipGraduate study in South Korea.
- Australia AwardsPostgraduate study in Australia for eligible countries.
What scholarship committees look for
Research experience
A paper, a thesis or a lab project shows you can do the work a funded degree expects.
Strong recommendation letters
Letters from people who have supervised your research carry far more weight than general character letters.
A focused statement of purpose
A clear story of what you want to research, why, and why this programme.
A match with a supervisor
For research degrees, a professor who wants to work with you is often the deciding factor.
How ScholarLabs AI helps
Build your research record
Join a virtual lab, publish a paper with a DOI and earn a recommendation letter from your supervisor.
Find matching professors
We find professors whose research fits yours and write personalised emails: 100 with Standard support, unlimited with Premium.
Write your documents
Statement of purpose, letters of recommendation and, with Premium, a research statement written around your paper.
Apply and prepare
University applications (5 with Standard, unlimited with Premium) and interview grooming.
Get your visa
With Premium, visa interview preparation and visa application support.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a published paper to get a scholarship?
It is not always required, but for research degrees and competitive scholarships a paper, or solid research experience, is one of the strongest things you can show. It also gives you a real topic for your statement of purpose.
Which scholarships are fully funded?
Programmes such as Fulbright, Chevening, Commonwealth, DAAD, Erasmus Mundus, MEXT and the Global Korea Scholarship usually cover tuition and living costs. Most funded PhD places come from universities through assistantships. Always check the official site for current terms.
When should I start preparing?
About a year before the deadline. That leaves time to do research and publish, take language tests, contact professors and write your documents.
How much does scholarship support cost?
Scholarship support comes with the research course and lab: Standard is ৳30,000 and Premium is ৳50,000, plus the ৳1,500 monthly lab fee. See the Services page for everything included.
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