Frequently Asked Questions

A fully funded scholarship covers all major costs of studying abroad — typically tuition, monthly living stipend, health insurance, and at least one round-trip flight. Some also include a settling-in allowance, language training, or family allowance. Always read the award letter carefully: "fully funded" is a marketing term and the actual benefits vary by program.

No. Scholarship Union is free for students. You apply directly to the awarding institution through the official link we provide on each listing. We never ask for application fees, processing fees, or payment of any kind. If someone claiming to be from Scholarship Union asks you for money, it is a scam — please report it.

Yes, and you should. Most students apply to 8–15 scholarships in a single cycle because acceptance rates for the most competitive ones (Chevening, Fulbright, DAAD, Erasmus Mundus) range from 1% to 5%. Just check each program's rules: some require you to decline other offers if accepted, and a few prohibit holding two awards at once.

For a fully funded scholarship at a top university, plan 10–14 months ahead. Allow 3–4 months for university shortlisting and English-test preparation, 3–4 months for documents (transcripts, recommendation letters, motivation letter), 1 month for application submission, and 2–3 months of buffer for delays. Last-minute applications almost always have weaker essays.

Most undergraduate and master's scholarships fund the student only. PhD scholarships and some prestigious master's programs (Chevening for spouses, Erasmus Mundus for accompanying family) include a family allowance, but coverage varies widely. Always check the official funding details on the program's website — relying on summaries from forums or social media can be costly.

Most student visas allow 15–20 hours/week of part-time work during the semester and full-time work during holidays. Examples: Germany (120 full days/year), UK (20 hours/week), USA (on-campus only for F-1). Some scholarship contracts explicitly forbid outside work because the stipend is designed to cover all living costs — check your terms before accepting.

A typical fully-funded scholarship requires: passport copy, academic transcripts, degree certificates, English proficiency proof (IELTS/TOEFL/Duolingo), 2–3 recommendation letters, motivation letter / statement of purpose, CV, research proposal (PhD only), and sometimes a financial declaration. Start collecting these 6+ months early — recommendation letters from busy professors often take 4–8 weeks.

Use the filters on our search page: country, education level (undergraduate/masters/PhD), funding type (fully funded/partially funded), and deadline range. The new date-range filter lets you find scholarships closing within a specific window. Also browse the Destinations menu for country-specific lists and the Scholarships menu for level-specific lists.

A scholarship is typically merit- or need-based funding for undergraduate or master's study, paid to or on behalf of the student. A fellowship is usually for graduate or post-graduate scholars and often includes a research stipend and academic affiliation. A grant is project-based funding (research, fieldwork, conference travel) and usually requires periodic reporting. The line between them is blurry — many programs use "fellowship" and "scholarship" interchangeably.

For most English-taught programs in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, and Europe — yes. Common minimum scores: IELTS 6.5–7.0, TOEFL iBT 90–100, Duolingo 110–125. Some scholarships waive the test for native English speakers or applicants from English-medium universities. PhD applications often require higher scores than master's. Many universities also accept Duolingo, which is cheaper and faster.

Yes — most fully funded master's scholarships accept final-year undergraduate students who will graduate before the program start date. You submit an interim transcript and a letter confirming expected graduation. PhD scholarships sometimes require the master's degree to already be conferred at application time, so check each program's timeline carefully.

A motivation letter (also called a statement of purpose or personal statement) is a 500–1,000-word essay explaining why you want this specific scholarship, what you bring to the program, and how it fits your career plan. Strong motivation letters are concrete (mention specific professors, courses, or research groups), honest (not generic), and tightly written. Avoid clichés like "since I was a child…".

Ask faculty who taught you in a small class or supervised your research — not the most famous professor you took one lecture from. Give them 6+ weeks of lead time, share your CV and motivation letter, and remind them once at the 4-week mark and again at 2 weeks. Provide a list of programs with deadlines. A specific letter from someone who knows you beats a generic one from a big name.

You receive an offer letter, sign and return it within the deadline, then begin the visa process (which can take 4–12 weeks depending on country). The university issues an enrolment confirmation (CAS for UK, I-20 for USA, etc.) which you use for the visa application. The scholarship body usually handles flight booking and orientation. Start your visa application the day you sign the offer.

Yes. Most scholarship winners are applying for the second or third time. Use the gap year to: strengthen your CV (publish, work, volunteer), retake English tests for a higher score, get one more recommender, and rewrite your motivation letter from scratch. Email the program asking for feedback — some give it, most don't, but it costs nothing to ask.

Some scholarships have rolling admissions (apply any time, decisions made monthly), country-specific deadlines that change every year, or no fixed deadline at all (research scholarships often work this way). When we can't verify a single global deadline, we label it "Varies" so you know to check the official source for your country and start date.