Funding guide
Understanding university scholarships worldwide
Scholarships from universities are different from external grants. Each institution sets its own awards, criteria, and deadlines, so the details belong in each profile.
Funding paths
Three common types of support
Funding categories vary by country and institution. These are the most common paths to check.
Merit-based
Merit scholarships
Awarded for academic achievement, test results, or distinctions recorded in a student's prior study.
Need-based
Need-based allowances
Considered alongside household financial information, often requested through a separate form.
Research
Research assistantships
Paid positions supporting faculty projects, typically available to graduate candidates in particular departments.
Preparation
Building a scholarship application
01
Gather academic transcripts
Collect official transcripts from every school attended, including translations where the institution requires them.
02
Confirm language certifications
Check which language test scores each university accepts and the validity period it applies to results.
03
Request references
Ask referees early and share your goals, so letters reflect your record and the scholarship's focus.
04
Track deadlines by calendar
Northern and Southern hemisphere academic cycles set different milestones, so log both application and funding dates.
Verify deadlines on each university profile
Scholarship rules and dates change every cycle. Open an institution's profile to confirm the current requirements before you apply.