20 Fully Funded Master’s Scholarships for International Students 2027

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Paying for a master’s abroad is hard. Tuition, rent, flights, and insurance add up fast, and many good students stop right there.

Fully funded scholarships fix that. They pay for most of your degree, and many add a monthly allowance. Some of the best ones have closed for 2027 entry, but a lot are still open or about to open.

I checked every date below in early November 2026. Where a 2027 call isn’t official yet, I say so. Confirm the final details on each official site before you apply.

What “Fully Funded” Usually Covers

It changes from one scholarship to the next. Most cover some mix of these:

  • Tuition fees
  • A monthly living allowance
  • A return flight
  • Health insurance

Read the benefits page for each award. A few leave costs like visa fees to you.

Open Now or Opening Soon

1. Yenching Academy (China)

This is a two-year master’s in China Studies at Peking University. It takes about 120 new scholars a year. The 2027 deadline is 30 November 2026 at 9:00 AM Beijing time.

  • It covers tuition, a monthly stipend, and a round-trip flight.
  • Students from partner universities must pass their home university’s pre-selection first.
  • Beijing time is early. Check what that means in your city.

2. Gates Cambridge (United Kingdom)

This pays the full cost of a master’s or PhD at Cambridge. About 80 people win it a year, and around two-thirds are PhD students.

  • The international round closes on 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027, depending on your course.
  • You apply through the Cambridge graduate portal. There’s no extra form.
  • Judges weigh academics, course choice, commitment to improving others’ lives, and leadership.

Most people rush the “improving others’ lives” part. Don’t.

3. Clarendon Scholarships (Oxford, United Kingdom)

Oxford gives out over 200 new full awards a year. There’s no separate Clarendon form. You’re considered when you apply for your course by its December or January deadline.

  • The award pays full course fees plus a living grant.
  • Miss your course deadline and you miss Clarendon.
  • Holders of a deferred offer aren’t eligible.

4. Eiffel Excellence Scholarship (France)

France’s government award is for master’s and PhD study. You can’t apply on your own. Only French universities can nominate candidates.

  • The universities’ deadline to Campus France is 6 January 2027.
  • Their internal deadlines come earlier, and some already started in late October.
  • Master’s recipients get €1,200 a month.
  • The programme itself doesn’t cover tuition fees.

Email your target university now and ask for its Eiffel calendar.

5. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (Europe)

These are two-year master’s degrees run by several European universities together. You study in more than one country.

  • Each programme sets its own deadline, and most fall between October and January.
  • One example closes on 7 January 2027.
  • You can apply to up to three programmes per intake.

Use all three. The odds on any single one are low.

6. Stipendium Hungaricum (Hungary)

Hungary’s government funds bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD students. The last cycle closed on 15 January 2026, and the 2027/28 call wasn’t out when I checked. Last year the portal opened on 17 November. Expect a similar schedule.

  • Your own country has to nominate you too.
  • Applying only on the Hungarian portal gets applications rejected.
  • Find your country’s sending partner now.

7. Swedish Institute Scholarships (Sweden)

This pays for master’s degrees for professionals from selected countries. It works in two steps, and people forget the second one.

  • First, apply to your programme through University Admissions, from 16 October 2026 to 15 January 2027.
  • Then apply for the scholarship, from 8 to 24 February 2027.
  • That window is two weeks. Set a phone alarm for 8 February.

8. DAAD EPOS (Germany)

EPOS is a list of development-related master’s courses at German universities, all funded by DAAD. It’s meant for people from developing and newly industrialised countries.

  • Reports put the master’s stipend at about €992 a month.
  • Every course sets its own deadline, and study starts in October 2027.
  • DAAD usually decides between January and March 2027.

Most courses want about two years of work experience. Check that before you write a letter.

9. Chinese Government Scholarship, CSC (China)

The 2027/28 round is now open. You apply online and also to your chosen university, and each university sets its own date.

  • Shanghai Ocean University lists 1 February 2027, and Zhejiang Normal lists 20 February 2027.
  • It covers tuition, accommodation, a living stipend, and medical insurance.
  • The master’s stipend is RMB 3,000 a month.

Pick your universities first, then check each one’s date.

10. Türkiye Burslari (Turkey)

Turkey’s government scholarship covers tuition, housing, a monthly stipend, health insurance, flights, and a Turkish language course. It also picks your university for you.

  • The usual window is 10 January to 20 February.
  • As of early November, the official 2027 opening wasn’t confirmed.
  • Wait for turkiyeburslari.gov.tr, and have your documents ready.

11. Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship

This funds master’s degrees in development fields at partner universities. It’s for people already working in development.

  • Last cycle had two windows, 15 January to 27 February and 30 March to 29 May 2026.
  • I couldn’t confirm the 2027 windows, so check the World Bank page.
  • You need unconditional admission to a participating programme first.
  • Applicants need about three years of recent professional experience.

12. Global Korea Scholarship, Graduate (South Korea)

South Korea’s government award covers master’s and PhD study. A guide last checked in July said the 2027 graduate call hadn’t been announced, and past calls usually came around February.

  • The undergraduate window ran 15 to 30 September. That one is over.
  • Watch the Study in Korea site and your nearest Korean embassy.
  • Don’t use an old form. Wait for the new one.

Closed for 2027: Plan for Next Year

13. Chevening (United Kingdom)

The 2027/28 round closed on 6 October 2026. It’s a one-year UK master’s that covers tuition, a return flight, and a monthly allowance.

  • It usually reopens in early August.
  • Start your essays in spring.

14. Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships (United Kingdom)

This is for candidates from eligible low and middle income Commonwealth countries. The deadline was 20 October 2026.

  • Nominating agencies may set earlier deadlines.
  • Learn who nominates in your country before the next round.

15. Fulbright Foreign Student Program (United States)

Fulbright brings around 4,000 students from about 160 countries to the US each year. Each country runs its own call.

  • For 2027/28, deadlines varied between February and October 2026.
  • You apply through your local Fulbright commission or US embassy.
  • The next call usually opens early in the year.

16. Knight-Hennessy Scholars (Stanford, United States)

This funds up to three years of graduate study at Stanford. The 2027 deadline was 6 October 2026.

  • You need two applications, one to Knight-Hennessy and one to a Stanford programme.
  • The Stanford application is due by the earlier of the program’s deadline or 1 December.
  • Expect the next deadline in early October 2027.

17. Schwarzman Scholars (China)

This is a one-year master’s in global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing. The 2027/28 global deadline was 9 September 2026.

  • For the next class, the global window runs April to September 2027.
  • You must be at least 18 and not yet 29 on 1 August of your enrolment year.

18. Australia Awards Scholarships (Australia)

Applications for 2027 closed on 30 April 2026. It’s only open to citizens of listed countries, and Pakistan is on the list.

  • The 2027 round opened on 1 February. Expect a similar start next year.
  • You apply through the OASIS portal.

19. Rotary Peace Fellowships (Several Countries)

This funds a master’s in peace and conflict studies at Rotary Peace Centers. The 2027/28 round closed on 15 May 2026.

  • It gives up to 50 master’s fellowships a year.
  • The next deadline is 15 May 2027.
  • It suits people with real work experience in peace or development.

20. MEXT Scholarship (Japan)

Japan’s government scholarship has two routes. The embassy route runs through your local Japanese embassy, and its 2027 deadlines fell in spring 2026. India’s preliminary deadline, for example, was 15 May 2026.

  • Research students receive ¥143,000 to ¥145,000 a month.
  • Some Japanese universities also nominate students directly.
  • Watch your embassy’s site in April.

How to Choose the Right Scholarship

Pick the one with a deadline you can actually hit. The famous name matters less.

Match it to your profile:

  • Work experience? Look at DAAD EPOS, the Swedish Institute, and the Joint Japan/World Bank award.
  • Strong research record? Try Gates Cambridge and Clarendon.
  • Happy to live in several countries? Try Erasmus Mundus.
  • Recent graduate? Try Erasmus Mundus, CSC, and Türkiye Burslari.

Check your country first:

  • DAAD EPOS and the Swedish Institute only take certain countries.
  • Hungary needs a nomination from your home country.
  • Eiffel needs a French university to nominate you.

Watch the January rush:

  • Gates Cambridge, Clarendon, Eiffel, Erasmus Mundus, and Sweden’s university form all land in December and January.
  • Start your statements in November.

Three Mistakes That Sink Good Applications

Sending the Same Essay Everywhere

Reviewers read hundreds of essays. They can tell when one is recycled.

Change your opening and your “why this course” section each time.

Asking Referees Too Late

Give your referees six weeks. Send your CV and a short note on what to highlight.

A rushed letter reads like a rushed letter.

Trusting a Blog for the Deadline

Scholarship blogs copy each other. Wrong dates spread fast.

Check the official page. Check the time zone too. A portal that closes at 11:59 pm usually means their time, not yours.

Conclusion

A fully funded master’s is hard to win. It’s not out of reach, though.

Most winners start early and apply to several awards that fit them. They also write each application with care.

Your nearest deadlines are Yenching on 30 November, Gates Cambridge and Clarendon in December and January, and Erasmus Mundus and Eiffel in early January. Open a spreadsheet tonight with one row per scholarship, then email two referees tomorrow.