Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Sweden, and the Netherlands all offer fully funded or heavily subsidized scholarships for international students in 2026. Here is what each one covers, who qualifies, and how to apply without missing your window.

6 Scholarships From Completely Different Countries That Are Actually Worth Your Time in 2026

Every scholarship roundup hits the same four programs. You have read about Chevening, DAAD, Fulbright, and Erasmus so many times that you could recite the eligibility criteria in your sleep. That is not what this post is.

This guide covers six scholarships that are either underrepresented in the conversation or poorly explained in most of what is published about them. They span Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Each one is genuinely valuable, fully funded or close to it, currently open or approaching its next cycle, and applying requires less mystery than most people think.

The countries are deliberately different from each other, and from the usual Germany-UK-USA circuit, so that there is no overlap with the programs most guides cover repeatedly.

Japan: MEXT Government Scholarship

The Japanese Government Scholarship, administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, is one of the most comprehensive scholarship programs offered by any single government in the world. It covers undergraduate study, master’s degrees, PhD programs, research stays, teacher training, and Japanese language study programs, and it is available to citizens of countries with diplomatic relations with Japan, which covers the vast majority of the world.

What MEXT actually covers: full tuition, return economy airfare to Japan, and a monthly living allowance. For the undergraduate program, the allowance is 117,000 yen per month. For postgraduate students, the allowance is slightly higher depending on the program and year of study. There is no bond or requirement to return to your home country after finishing, which is relatively unusual for government scholarships of this scale.

The undergraduate scholarship runs for five years, including one year of Japanese language preparation before your academic program begins. The master’s program is typically two years and the PhD three years, though this varies by field.

There are two main routes into MEXT: the Embassy Recommendation route, where you apply through the Japanese embassy in your home country and compete at the country level before being nominated to Japan, and the University Recommendation route, where you apply directly to a Japanese university and the university nominates you to MEXT. The Embassy route is more competitive in most countries but available to a wider range of applicants. The University route requires you to already have an acceptance from a Japanese university, which means making contact with a professor in your field beforehand is part of the application process.

A realistic note on language: for most undergraduate programs and some postgraduate ones, instruction is in Japanese, meaning you will spend your preparatory year learning enough of the language to function academically. Postgraduate programs, particularly in engineering, science, and international policy, are increasingly offered in English, so this requirement depends heavily on which program you target. Checking language requirements at the specific university and department level, not just the MEXT website, is essential.

For applicants from Australia, the Embassy Recommendation application deadline for the 2027 undergraduate intake was set at June 11, 2026 at 5pm. Deadlines vary by country so confirming the date at the Japanese embassy in your specific country is necessary.

~ Official MEXT scholarship portal: studyinjapan.go.jp

~ Past exam papers for MEXT undergraduate applicants: studyinjapan.go.jp/en/planning/scholarship/application/examination

Australia: Australia Awards Scholarships

Australia Awards Scholarships are funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and are specifically designed for students from developing countries, with a focus on the Indo-Pacific region. The program has been running for decades and has funded more than 100,000 scholars across that time.

What Australia Awards covers: full tuition fees, return economy airfare from your home country to Australia, a monthly living stipend, establishment allowance on arrival, contribution to accommodation costs, overseas health cover for the duration of the scholarship, and in some cases supplementary academic support funding. The full package is genuinely comprehensive, making it one of the more generous bilateral scholarship programs available.

Eligibility: applicants must be citizens of an eligible country, which is a defined list published on the DFAT website. You must not hold Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency. Most programs require at least two years of professional work experience after completing your first degree, and there is often a development focus, meaning the program you study should connect to development priorities in your home country. You must also commit to returning to your home country for at least two years after completing your studies before you can apply for any Australian visa.

The two-year return clause is the significant commitment that not everyone is willing to make. It is enforced, and violating it can affect future Australian visa applications. If you are intending to eventually migrate to Australia, the Australia Awards scholarship is not compatible with that short-term plan, though many recipients do apply for Australian residency after fulfilling the return requirement.

Fields that are consistently prioritized include agriculture, health, education, governance, economic development, and environment and infrastructure. The exact priority areas differ by country, so checking the specific country profile on the DFAT website tells you which fields give you the strongest candidacy.

Applications typically open in early February each year and close around the end of April for the following academic year. The 2026 cycle is closed, and the 2027 applications open in February 2027.

~ Official Australia Awards information: dfat.gov.au/people-to-people/australia-awards/australia-awards-scholarships

~ For university-specific scholarships in Australia as an alternative or complement: studyaustralia.gov.au/en/plan-your-studies/scholarships

New Zealand: Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships

New Zealand’s government scholarship for international students from developing countries is called the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship. Manaaki is a Maori concept that roughly translates to care, respect, and hospitality, and the program lives up to that framing in how it is structured.

Like Australia Awards, Manaaki scholarships are targeted at students from developing countries who intend to return to their home countries after completing their studies. Eligible countries are primarily in the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and certain other developing regions, and the full list is published on the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.

What Manaaki covers: full tuition fees at a New Zealand institution, return economy airfare, a living allowance, an establishment grant on arrival, health and travel insurance, and study and research support. The scholarship is available for undergraduate study, postgraduate certificates and diplomas, master’s degrees, and PhD programs. The duration of funding matches the length of your program.

New Zealand has only eight main universities, which is significantly fewer than Australia or the UK, but this smaller number also means there is less administrative noise and the scholarship network within those institutions tends to be more personally managed. The University of Auckland, the University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington, and the University of Canterbury are the most frequently cited for international scholarship recipients.

The academic areas prioritized by Manaaki scholarships reflect New Zealand’s own development strengths and its Pacific neighbor relationships: agriculture, fisheries, environmental management, public health, education, governance, and economic development.

Applications for the next cycle typically open mid-year. Always check the deadline for your specific country through the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade directly, as dates vary by country and region.

~ Official Manaaki scholarship information: mfat.govt.nz/en/aid-and-development/new-zealand-scholarships

~ Study with New Zealand general scholarship guide: studywithnewzealand.govt.nz/en/study-options/scholarships

South Korea: Global Korea Scholarship

The Global Korea Scholarship, formerly called the Korean Government Scholarship Program, is South Korea’s flagship scholarship for international students at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels. It is administered by the National Institute for International Education under the Ministry of Education, and it covers study at designated Korean universities.

What GKS covers at the postgraduate level: a monthly stipend of around 900,000 Korean won per month, full tuition, one year of Korean language training before your academic program begins, a round-trip economy flight, a settlement allowance on arrival, and health insurance. At the doctoral level, the monthly stipend is slightly higher, and the total duration of funding is up to four years.

At the undergraduate level, GKS funds students for up to five years including the language preparation year, with a stipend of around 800,000 won per month and the same coverage of tuition, airfare, accommodation allowance, and insurance.

What makes the GKS particularly competitive in terms of value is South Korea’s academic strength. Korean universities have climbed significantly in global rankings over the past decade, particularly in engineering, technology, natural sciences, and business. The Seoul National University, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Yonsei University, and KAIST are all internationally recognised institutions, and having a degree from any of them is well-regarded in East Asia and increasingly beyond.

The application process runs in two tracks: the Embassy track, where you apply through the South Korean embassy or consulate in your home country, and the University track, where a Korean university directly nominates you. The Embassy track is available to a wider range of nationalities and tends to be more competitive. The University track requires prior contact with a Korean university and is generally more accessible for students who have already identified a specific research supervisor or program.

English proficiency is generally required for postgraduate programs taught in English. Korean language proficiency is not required at the time of application for most programs since the first year covers language training, but demonstrating some Korean study beforehand can strengthen your application.

Applications for the Embassy track typically close in March each year for September entry. Check with the Korean embassy in your country for the specific deadline applicable to you.

~ Official GKS information: studyinkorea.go.kr

~ NIIED scholarship portal: niied.go.kr

Sweden: Swedish Institute Scholarships for Global Professionals

Sweden does not come up as often as it should in scholarship discussions outside of Europe. The Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals, commonly abbreviated as SISGP, is specifically designed for mid-career professionals from certain countries in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East who want to pursue a master’s degree at a Swedish university.

What makes SISGP different from the scholarships above is its explicit focus on leadership development and building connections between Swedish society and the next generation of leaders in partner countries. It is not purely academic. The selection process evaluates your leadership potential, your civic and professional engagement, and your capacity to create change in your community after returning home.

What SISGP covers: full tuition at a Swedish university, a monthly living grant of 11,000 Swedish kronor, travel funding to Sweden, travel insurance, and funded participation in the Institute’s leadership development activities and alumni network. The alumni network is genuinely active and continues to provide professional connections and development resources after the scholarship ends.

Eligible countries change each cycle, so checking the Swedish Institute website to confirm your country is included before investing time in an application is important. The scholarship is for one or two-year master’s programs at Swedish universities, and you must apply to the university separately for admission before applying for the scholarship.

Sweden has some genuinely distinctive academic strengths: innovation management, sustainable development, global health, human rights, urban planning, and design. If your academic interests align with any of these, a Swedish master’s offers both funding and an academic environment that is hard to replicate elsewhere.

The application period typically opens in October for the following academic year, with a close in mid-January. You apply simultaneously for university admission and the scholarship, which makes the timeline tight if you are starting from scratch in October.

~ Official Swedish Institute scholarship information: si.se/en/apply/scholarships/swedish-institute-scholarships-for-global-professionals

Netherlands: Holland Scholarship and Orange Tulip Scholarship

The Netherlands offers two scholarship programs worth distinguishing because they are often confused with each other.

The Holland Scholarship is funded jointly by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and Dutch higher education institutions. It provides a one-time grant of 5,000 euros to international students from outside Europe who are starting a bachelor’s or master’s degree program at a Dutch research university or university of applied sciences for the first time. This does not cover full tuition, but it functions as a meaningful reduction in your first year’s costs.

To be eligible, you must be a non-EEA citizen applying to a participating institution, have been admitted to an eligible degree program, and meet any additional criteria set by the individual university participating in the program. Deadlines and exact eligibility rules differ by institution, so checking with the specific Dutch university you are applying to is essential.

The Orange Tulip Scholarship is funded by Netherlands Alumni Networks and is available to students from specific partner countries, currently including Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, and a small number of others. It is administered by Nuffic, the Dutch organization for internationalization in education, and the scholarship amounts and coverage vary significantly by country because different alumni networks fund different amounts.

Both programs exist in the context of studying in the Netherlands, which has its own strong appeal independent of the scholarship. The country ranks consistently among the best in Europe for quality of life, English proficiency, and job market access for internationals. Over 95 percent of Dutch residents speak English fluently, which makes navigating daily life and professional networking genuinely accessible without Dutch language skills. Major employers in technology, logistics, finance, and research in cities like Amsterdam, Eindhoven, and Rotterdam actively recruit internationally.

Dutch universities are also notable for their research output relative to the country’s size, with institutions like Delft University of Technology, Wageningen University, and the University of Amsterdam all recognized globally in their specialty areas.

For the Holland Scholarship, applications are submitted through your chosen institution. For the Orange Tulip Scholarship, the process is managed through Nuffic.

~ Official Holland Scholarship information and participating universities: studyinholland.nl

~ Nuffic and Orange Tulip Scholarship: nuffic.nl/en/subjects/scholarships

How to Compare These Six Before You Apply

1. Each scholarship above fits a different profile, and picking the right one depends more on your situation than on which program sounds most impressive.

2. MEXT suits applicants with a long-term interest in Japan, a tolerance for language learning, and an interest in science, engineering, or a research career at a Japanese institution.

3. Australia Awards suit development-focused professionals willing to commit to a post-study return home and whose field aligns with the Indo-Pacific development agenda.

4. Manaaki suits Pacific and Southeast Asian applicants with development-oriented academic interests and a plan to return home and contribute to their community.

5. GKS suits applicants interested in studying in East Asia, particularly those drawn to Korea’s strengths in technology, engineering, and natural sciences.

6. SISGP suits mid-career professionals with demonstrated leadership experience, a clearly development-focused career trajectory, and an interest in Swedish academic specializations.

7. Holland Scholarship suits anyone who already plans to study in the Netherlands and wants a financial contribution toward their first year, regardless of field.

These are not mutually exclusive. Several of these programs can be applied for in the same cycle as long as you meet the eligibility criteria for each, and applying to more than one realistic option is consistently the advice from scholarship recipients who have gone through the process.

Final Word

The scholarships on this list collectively fund thousands of students every year, and most of them have significantly less competition than the big four names that dominate every roundup. They are not easier to win simply because they are less famous, but the ratio of qualified applicants to available spots is genuinely more favorable in some of these programs than in Chevening or Fulbright.

Start with the one that fits your country of origin, your field, and your career goals. Read the actual eligibility page rather than a summary of it. And apply early, since the difference between a strong application and a late application is usually that the late one never reaches a committee at all.