Scholarship Deadlines Calendar 2026/2027

Scholarship deadlines for the 2026/2027 academic year are spread across 12 months — and most students apply too late. DAAD closes in October 2026, Chevening in November 2026, Fulbright varies by country but often falls in September–October, and Erasmus+ closes in February 2027. Miss these windows and you fund yourself for another year. This month-by-month calendar covers 15+ major scholarships so you can plan each application well in advance.

How to Use This Calendar

Each scholarship entry shows: deadline, funding amount, who it's for, and where to apply. Start 3–4 months before each deadline — writing a strong motivation letter takes 6–8 weeks of drafts. Language certificates can take 4–6 weeks to receive after sitting the test.

Rule of thumb: if your target scholarship has a November deadline, your language test should be booked for August at the latest.

January 2026: Early Bird Scholarships

Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC)

Detail	Information
Deadline	January–March 2026 (varies by country)
Funding	Full tuition + ¥3,000–¥3,500/month stipend + accommodation
For	International students for study in China
Portal	csc.edu.cn

The CSC scholarship covers full tuition, accommodation, and a monthly stipend. Deadlines vary by Chinese university and home country — some institutions in China close as early as January, others by March. Apply through both the CSC portal and directly to your target university in China.

February 2026: Erasmus+ Opening Round

Erasmus+ Student Grants

Detail	Information
Deadline	February 2026 (set by home institution)
Funding	€300–€800/month depending on destination country
For	EU/EEA students at participating universities
Duration	3–12 months exchange

Erasmus+ grants are distributed through your home university's international office. For a semester starting in September 2026, most universities want applications in February 2026. The grant rate for moving from Germany to France is €360/month; to Portugal, €490/month; to Norway, €720/month. Your home university sets the exact deadline — check their international office website by January at the latest.

March–April 2026

MEXT Scholarship (Japan Government)

Detail	Information
Deadline	April–June 2026 (embassy recommendation stage)
Funding	¥143,000/month (approx. €880) + tuition + travel
For	International students for undergraduate or graduate study in Japan
Duration	2–3 years (undergraduate: 3–4 years)

The MEXT scholarship is one of the most comprehensive in the world — full tuition, travel allowance, and a monthly stipend. The process takes almost a year: embassy screening happens April–June 2026, university placement in October–November 2026, with study starting April 2027. Apply through the Japanese embassy in your home country.

Australia Awards Scholarships

Detail	Information
Deadline	April 30, 2026 (for most countries)
Funding	Full tuition + AUD 30,000/year living allowance + flights
For	Citizens of developing countries in the Indo-Pacific
Duration	Full degree

May–August 2026: Mid-Year Deadlines

Rotary Peace Fellowship

Detail	Information
Deadline	May 15, 2026
Funding	Full funding (tuition, living, travel)
For	Professionals with 3+ years experience in peace/development
Programmes	Master's at 6 Rotary Peace Centers worldwide

Heinrich Böll Foundation (Germany)

Detail	Information
Deadline	March 1 and September 1 (two rounds)
Funding	€934/month (Bachelor's) or €1,200/month (Master's/PhD)
For	Students aligned with Green/social justice values studying in Germany

September–October 2026: Major International Deadlines

Fulbright U.S. Student Program

Detail	Information
Deadline	September–October 2026 (varies by country)
Funding	Full tuition + living stipend + travel (amount varies)
For	U.S. citizens studying abroad; foreign nationals studying in the U.S.
Duration	1 academic year

For U.S. applicants going abroad, campus deadlines are typically in September 2026 — submit to your campus Fulbright advisor first. For foreign nationals applying to study in the U.S., deadlines vary by country: India and Indonesia close in May, Germany and Australia in September, Mexico in July. Check the Fulbright Commission in your country for the exact date.

DAAD Scholarships (Germany)

Detail	Information
Deadline	October 15, 2026 (most programmes for study starting 2027)
Funding	€861/month (Bachelor's) to €1,200/month (PhD) + health insurance
For	International students for study/research in Germany
Portal	daad.de/en/study-and-research-in-germany/scholarships/

DAAD offers over 100 different scholarship programmes. The most popular for international Master's students is the "Study Scholarships for Foreign Graduates" — deadline October 15, 2026 for a study start in October 2027. The scholarship pays €861–€1,200/month plus health insurance and one return flight. German language skills are not required for English-taught programmes, but B1 German strengthens applications. See our Germany guide for more on DAAD options.

November 2026: Chevening and Commonwealth

Chevening Scholarships (UK)

Detail	Information
Deadline	November 4, 2026
Funding	Full tuition + £1,270–£2,000/month living allowance + flights + visa
For	Future leaders from eligible countries (most outside EU/USA)
Duration	1-year Master's at any UK university

Chevening is one of the UK's most prestigious awards — it covers tuition at any UK university, including Oxford and Imperial. You need 2+ years of work experience and must plan to return to your home country afterwards. The application asks for 4 essays (500 words each) and three university choices. Results are announced in June 2027. See our UK study guide for university options.

Commonwealth Scholarship (UK)

Detail	Information
Deadline	November 2026 (varies by home country)
Funding	Full tuition + living allowance + flights
For	Citizens of Commonwealth countries for Master's or PhD in the UK

Sweden Institute Scholarships

Detail	Information
Deadline	February 10, 2027 (for study starting September 2027)
Funding	SEK 10,000–11,000/month + tuition waiver (non-EU only)
For	Students from select countries for Master's in Sweden

January–February 2027: Final Round Deadlines

Erasmus+ (Second Round)

Students who missed the first February round often have a second chance in February 2027 for placements starting September 2027. Contact your international office to confirm whether your university has a second selection round.

Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Detail	Information
Deadline	December 3, 2026 (U.S. citizens); January 7, 2027 (all others)
Funding	Full tuition + £21,045/year maintenance + extras
For	Outstanding students for any degree at Cambridge University

Rhodes Scholarship (Oxford)

Detail	Information
Deadline	August–October 2026 (varies by country)
Funding	Full tuition + £20,500/year + travel
For	Exceptional students under 25 for postgraduate study at Oxford

Country-Specific Government Scholarships

Scholarship	For Study In	Deadline 2026/27	Funding Level
EIFFEL Excellence (France)	France	January 8, 2027	€1,181/month + extras
Orange Tulip (Netherlands)	Netherlands	February 1, 2027	Partial to full tuition
VLIR-UOS (Belgium)	Belgium	February 1, 2027	Full + €900/month
Government of Korea GKS	South Korea	September–October 2026	Full + ₩1,000,000/month
Turkish Government (YTB)	Turkey	February 20, 2027	Full + TRY 2,400/month
Inlaks India Foundation	USA/UK/Europe	April 15, 2027	Up to $100,000

Quick-Reference Calendar Summary

Month	Scholarship	Deadline
January 2026	Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC)	Varies by institution
February 2026	Erasmus+ (first round)	Set by home university
March 2026	Heinrich Böll Foundation (round 1)	March 1, 2026
April 2026	MEXT Japan, Australia Awards	April–April 30
May 2026	Rotary Peace Fellowship	May 15, 2026
Aug–Oct 2026	Fulbright, Rhodes	Sep–Oct 2026
October 2026	DAAD, GKS Korea	October 15, 2026
November 2026	Chevening, Commonwealth	November 4, 2026
December 2026	Gates Cambridge (U.S.)	December 3, 2026
January 2027	Gates Cambridge (others), EIFFEL	January 7–8, 2027
February 2027	Sweden Institute, Erasmus+ (r2), VLIR	February 1–10, 2027

Tips for a Stronger Application

Start the motivation letter 8 weeks before the deadline. Every competitive scholarship reads hundreds of generic "I want to make an impact" essays. Yours needs a specific story: a problem you witnessed, a gap you want to fill, and why this exact degree at this exact university solves it.

Get reference letters early. Ask professors in September for November deadlines. Give them your CV, a draft of your motivation letter, and the scholarship criteria so they can write something tailored — not generic praise.

Check eligibility before investing time. Some scholarships require you to return home after graduation (Chevening, Commonwealth). Others are limited to specific countries or career fields. Five minutes of eligibility reading saves weeks of wasted work.

For proof of funds requirements across different countries, see our proof of funds guide. For Germany-specific scholarships and tips, visit our Germany study guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply for multiple scholarships at once?

Yes, and you should. Apply to 3–5 scholarships simultaneously if you're eligible. Most scholarships require you to notify them if you receive another award — some allow you to hold both (especially if they cover different costs), others don't. Read each scholarship's policy on concurrent awards.

Do I need a university acceptance before applying for a scholarship?

It depends. DAAD and CSC do not require a formal acceptance — you apply to the scholarship and get matched with a university. Chevening, Gates Cambridge, and Rhodes all require you to have applied to the university at the same time (with conditional acceptance usually sufficient). Erasmus+ requires you to be enrolled at a participating university already.

Is the DAAD scholarship only for Germany?

The main DAAD scholarships are for study or research in Germany. However, DAAD also funds "Research Stays" for foreign PhD students at German institutions and "Go8 Mobility Programme" jointly with Australian universities.

What IELTS score do I need for Chevening?

Chevening requires IELTS 6.5 overall with no band below 5.5, or TOEFL iBT 79+. A higher score (7.0+) strengthens your application because it signals you can participate fully in seminars and write at university level without academic English support.

How competitive is the Fulbright program?

Acceptance rates vary by country: around 15–25% for most countries, lower for India and China (often under 10%). The key differentiator is project specificity — a vague proposal about "studying policy" loses to a specific proposal with a named supervisor and a clear research gap.

Does Erasmus+ cover non-EU students?

Standard Erasmus+ student mobility is for EU/EEA students enrolled at European universities. However, the Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility programme extends to students from partner countries outside Europe. Your home university will know if they have ICM agreements.

When should I start preparing for October scholarship deadlines?

In June or July. That gives you time to register for language tests (book 6–8 weeks ahead), request transcripts (allow 3–4 weeks), and write multiple drafts of motivation essays. The students who succeed are usually those who started when it felt "too early".