Countries with free education for international students

Countries Offering Free Education for International Students

State universities in France, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Turkey and Latin American countries do not charge tuition fees, both for native and international students. However, there are some things students who want to get a free education in foreign countries should bear in mind:

1. International students pay for their accommodation and meals. At universities in large European cities in Germany, Austria and France, where food, public transport and rent are quite expensive, studying can be costly. In addition, you will have to buy your own study materials and textbooks.
2. If you want to study abroad for free, you need to be fluent in the language of the country where your chosen university is located. English-language programmes at public universities in most European countries are rare and always have a tuition fee.
3. There may be differences between the education systems in your home country and the country where you want to study. So be prepared for the possibility that you may need to enroll in a university preparatory programme or take admission exams.

Countries where foreigner students can study for free:

1. Europe:
   • Austria — Most public universities offer free education, but private universities charge fees.
   • Czech Republic — There are no tuition fees for studying in the Czech language.
   • Finland — Finnish higher education is free for citizens of all countries.
   • Germany — Higher education is free, but there may be an entrance fee or a small semester fee.
   • Italy — Italy offers two types of scholarships: based on merit and based on your family’s financial situation that can grant you a free place at public universities.
   • Iceland offers free tuition to all foreigners, regardless of nationality. However, a small enrollment fee is often required.
2. Latin America:
   • Brazil — Free tuition for international students, but mostly in the Portuguese language.
   • Panama — You can study for free, but knowledge of Spanish would be an advantage.
3. Asia:
   • South Korea — International students can get free education thanks to Global Korea Scholarship.
   • Taiwan — there is a small tuition fee, but it is possible to get a scholarship to cover the cost.
   • Malaysia aims to attract talented students, so the best international students can study for free.

Tuition-Free Universities for International Students

1. Scuola Normale Superiore (Italy)
   This is a leading university among Italian higher education institutions with free education for international students. The most popular degrees are Physics and Chemistry.
2. Free University of Berlin (Germany)
   Like all public universities in Germany, it is a free university for international students. Students only have to pay administrative fees once a year, which range from €160 to €550 per year. The most popular degrees are Medicine, Psychology and the Humanities.
3. University of Vienna (Austria)
   This free university for foreign students is one of the largest research centres in Europe, which has 18 faculties that train specialists in Linguistics, Political Science, Applied Sciences and others.
4. University of Paris-Sud (France)
   This university is considered one of the most affordable and prestigious for international students in Europe. One of the strongest courses is Pharmacy and the Faculty of Medicine, which collaborates with leading medical institutions.
5. University of Nantes (France)
   The University of Nantes is one of the oldest public universities. Most of the teaching staff are specially invited to Nantes from various highly-ranked universities in Europe. The most popular fields of study are Medicine, Pharmacology, Psychology and others.
6. The University of Göttingen (Germany)
   This university offers programmes in the Humanities, Natural Sciences, Law and Social Sciences. The only cost is a small administration fee of around €300.
7. Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich (Germany)
   Apart from a small semester fee of less than €120, which covers the student affairs office and public transport, students can study here for free. This university is great for those who want to study Ancient History, as this is the LMU's strongest area.

Free Scholarship to Study Abroad

If you want to study abroad for free, you can check out free scholarship for international students:

1. Hungary
   This country offers 200 scholarships under the Stipendium Hungaricum programme to study in Hungarian or English. You can apply for undergraduate, masters, postgraduate and other levels of study.
2. United Kingdom
   The Chevening Scholarship is a programme that allows you to study free of charge at any of the UK's top universities, including Oxford and Cambridge. The scholarship is available to citizens of over 200 countries, including Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Georgia and other CIS countries.

   
   The programme covers the full cost of the applicant's studies, including

   - tuition fees
   - travel expenses
   - visa costs
   - accommodation or student residency.
   

3. South Korea
   The Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) is a scholarship programme that helps foreigners to pursue higher education in a Korean university free of charge. The GKS covers all costs and applies to all types of programmes: undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate.
4. Canada
   The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships is a scholarship programme that covers all tuition fees and research costs for doctoral studies at a Canadian university. The programme is open to both Canadian and non-Canadian citizens. Funding is available for professionals in the following fields: health research, natural sciences and/or engineering, social sciences and humanities. The duration of the fellowship is 3 years.
5. China
   The Beijing Government Scholarship at Beijing Technology and Business University offers 120-160 scholarships each year to students from different countries and regions. Scholarships are available for all subjects, but the main condition of eligibility is that the student must not be a Chinese national.
6. Germany
   The DAAD scholarship is funded by the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), Germany's largest organisation for scholarship and other exchange programmes supported by the German government. The DAAD now offers the Helmut Schmidt Scholarship, the best known and highest paid scholarship for international students in Germany. The programme applies to Master's and Doctoral studies, so a Bachelor's degree is a prerequisite for the scholarship.
7. USA
   The Fulbright Scholarship is funded by the US Department of State. Students from over 150 countries, including Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, can apply. Typically, the list of subjects and free colleges for international students approved for the Fulbright Scholarship is quite extensive and includes technical, natural, social and human sciences, as well as choreography and theatre arts.
8. Europe
   The Erasmus Mundus Scholarship is awarded for study in the EU. The programme is open to students from more than 150 countries who wish to study at EU universities in English or in the language of the host country. Erasmus Mundus scholarships are available for students studying environmental sciences, natural sciences, computer science, engineering, economics and other social sciences.
9. France
   The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship is for international students who want to study at French universities studying in both French and English. The scholarship accepts applications from students from all over the world.

European Countries with Free Education for International Students

1. Germany
   Education in Germany is free in all states except Baden-Württemberg. There are still low tuition fees (€100-500) which cover administrative costs and the student travel card.
2. France
   In France, it is up to each university to decide whether or not to charge international students. However, there are free programmes in both French and English. Students can also receive government support: a partial living allowance and free health insurance.
3. Italy
   You can choose to study in Italian or English. Students get free meals and cheap accommodation.
4. Czech Republic
   Free education for foreign students in the Czech Republic is only available in the Czech language. It is possible to enrol immediately in a bachelor’s, master's or doctoral programme.
5. Slovakia
   Free education is only available in the Slovak language. The principle of admission to universities in Slovakia is similar to that in the Czech Republic.
6. Iceland
   Education at public universities is free in both Icelandic and English. However, English-language programmes are only available at Master's level.

Online Resources for Free Scholarships and Education

If you are just starting the process of deciding where to study, there are a number of websites that can help you explore your options.

StudyPortals is a large database for finding free international scholarship to study abroad, both for individual universities and educational programmes, as well as other free grants that applicants and students of all subjects can apply for.

Another similar site with a list of possible free scholarship for Indian and other students to study abroad is Scholarship-positions.com.

TopUniversities provides information about its own scholarships, free online scholarship to study abroad, and discounts for specific universities, and lists scholarships for specific countries, such as Germany.

Information on government scholarships can also be found on the websites of cultural and diplomatic centers, e.g:

• France — French government grants;
• Italy — Italian Government Scholarships;
• Netherlands — Nuffic Neso;
• United Kingdom — British Council Scholarships;
• Germany — DAAD scholarships;
• USA — Education USA;
• Japan — Japan Foundation.

Perhaps the best-known European international study grant programme is Erasmus+. On its website you can find a wide range of study programmes that you can enrol in and receive funding for. The only disadvantage of Erasmus is that you cannot choose your dream university for any study programme — you have to choose from the list of Erasmus partners. However, the list is so large that everyone can find something that suits them.

Practical Tips for Applying to Tuition-Free Programs and Scholarships

The process of finding an interesting programme and an optimal grant under all conditions takes a lot of time. Be prepared for a long period of searching for information, evaluation, interaction with funding bodies and preparation of documents. For example, those who want to get free scholarship to study abroad in the academic year 2025-2026 should look for suitable programmes now.

Scholarships offered by universities and governments of different countries are usually awarded with a document confirming enrolment at a specific university (this is how the French government's scholarship programmes work, for example). It is therefore necessary to find a suitable university, apply for admission and submit a package of documents.

At the same time, you should start collecting a package of documents. Its contents may vary slightly, but in general the following documents are required

• CV in English and/or in the language of the country you are going to;
• Motivation letter;
• Letters of recommendation;
• A certificate of language proficiency or other document certifying language proficiency;
• A transcript of grades for the most recent period of study (not required everywhere);
• Translation of school certificate or university degree (notarised, with apostille);
• Bank account details;
• Your photograph.

The list of documents above may vary, but there are common points in the application form that can influence the decision of the grant fund curators.

Pay particular attention to your motivation letter and CV. Not all examples on the internet are equally good, and it is worth consulting the funding organisation's experts, language teachers or students who have already received a successful grant. In these little documents, both form and content are important. Spelling and grammatical errors are all the more unacceptable.

When preparing a package of documents, use a trustworthy translation agency where your diploma will be correctly translated and notarised. Any mistakes or inaccuracies are unacceptable, especially as different countries have different education systems, expressed in terms of terminology, number of years of study and qualifications obtained, all of which should be taken into account when translating.

If you are planning to study abroad, you should also consider your level of knowledge of a foreign language, especially the one spoken by the population of the country you are visiting. Often it is enough to bring the results of language tests in order to enter the university, but in reality it is incredibly difficult to live in Italy, France or Germany for half a year or two with only English, even if it is perfect.