Looking for a fully funded scholarship in 2026? Here are five real, currently open programs across Germany, the UK, USA, Japan, and Europe, with deadlines and links.
5 Fully Funded Scholarships You Can Still Apply For in 2026
Scrolling through scholarship lists that are 80 percent outdated links and recycled blog spam gets old fast. So here are five real, currently active fully funded scholarships, spread across five different countries, with what they actually offer and where to apply.
1. DAAD EPOS Scholarship, Germany
DAAD’s EPOS line funds postgraduate study in Germany for students from developing and newly industrialized countries who already have a first degree and at least two years of professional experience. You get a monthly stipend of around 992 euros for master’s level or 1,300 euros for PhD level, plus a travel allowance, full health and accident insurance, and in many cases a German language course before classes start.
Programs run from specialized institutions like the University of Göttingen, TU Dresden, and the University of Stuttgart, covering fields from development economics to infrastructure planning. Master’s funding usually runs up to 24 months, PhD funding up to four years.
Apply here: DAAD scholarship database
2. Chevening Scholarship, United Kingdom
Chevening funds a full one-year master’s degree at any UK university you choose, covering tuition, a monthly stipend, return flights, an arrival allowance, your visa cost, and a homeward departure allowance once you finish. It is run by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and is aimed squarely at future leaders rather than pure academics.
You will need at least two years of work experience after your first degree, and you must be a citizen of a Chevening-eligible country. Competition is steep, with only a small percentage of applicants making it through each year, so a strong, specific personal statement matters more here than almost anywhere else.
Apply here: Chevening official site
3. Fulbright Foreign Student Program, United States
Fulbright funds master’s degrees, PhD study, and non-degree research at U.S. universities for students from over 160 countries, with around 4,000 international students funded every year. It generally covers tuition, airfare, a living stipend, and health insurance, though specifics shift depending on which country’s Fulbright Commission is running your application.
Because the program is managed locally, your first move isn’t a generic application form, it is finding and contacting the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy in your own country, since eligibility rules and deadlines differ everywhere.
Apply here: Fulbright Foreign Student Program
4. MEXT Scholarship, Japan
Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology funds undergraduate, master’s, and PhD study at Japanese universities with full tuition coverage, a monthly living stipend, and round-trip airfare included. There are no restricted fields, so anything from engineering to humanities qualifies.
Program length runs four to five years for undergraduate study, two to three years for master’s, and three to four years for PhD. Most applicants go through either an embassy recommendation route or a university recommendation route, and deadlines depend on which one you choose along with your specific country’s embassy schedule.
Apply here: MEXT scholarship guidelines
5. Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s, Europe
This one is a bit different, and honestly one of the most underrated scholarships out there. Erasmus Mundus funds joint master’s degrees taught across two or three different European countries through a consortium of universities, meaning you actually live and study in multiple places during one degree. It pays a monthly stipend of around 1,400 euros for up to 24 months, plus full tuition, travel, visa costs, and insurance.
You need a bachelor’s degree or be in your final year, and most programs require proof of English proficiency through IELTS or TOEFL unless your prior degree was taught entirely in English. Applications typically open between October and January for the following academic year, and you can apply to up to three different Erasmus Mundus programs in the same cycle.
Apply here: Erasmus Mundus catalogue, European Commission
How to Actually Improve Your Odds Across All Five
A few things matter no matter which of these you go for. Start your documents months before the deadline, not weeks. Get your language test scores sorted early since most programs need official results, not a self-assessment. Write a motivation letter or personal statement that’s specific to the program, not a copy-paste version reused five times. And don’t apply to just one. Most successful applicants apply to two or three different scholarships in the same cycle, because rejection from one says nothing about your chances at another.
For Deeper Dive, Breakdown Click:
Final Word
None of these scholarships are secret or hard to find, the information has always been public. What separates people who get funded from people who do not usually comes down to starting early, reading the actual eligibility page instead of a recycled summary, and submitting a genuinely tailored application instead of a generic one. Pick the one or two that fit your background best and start today.
