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Scholarships in Korea for international students

Who each programme is for, how you get in and what it pays. Sources read October 13, 2026.

Which scholarships fit where you are?

Applying for a bachelor's degree
GKS-U is the government scholarship, and this site's GKS pages cover it. On this page: AMA+ Scholarship for the arts, KAIST Scholarship at KAIST and, for Japanese nationals, the Korea–Japan programmes.
Applying for a master's or doctorate
GKS-G is covered on this site's GKS pages. On this page: POSCO Global Scholarship in Korea, Seoul Tech Scholarship, AMA+ Scholarship and KAIST's graduate scholarships; KOICA Scholarship Program for government officials their government nominates; the Korea–Japan programmes for Japanese nationals.
Coming on exchange
GKS support for exchange students: the Korean host university recommends the student, and the student does not apply directly.
Already enrolled in Korea
Woojung Education & Culture Foundation, Daewoong Foundation Global Scholarship Program (GSP) and Yonsei International Companion Scholarship are for students already studying in Korea.

This page has no calendar of open deadlines: check each provider's own page for a current call.

Is GKS the only Korean government scholarship?

No. Besides GKS, the Korean government funds KOICA Scholarship Program (for government officials their government nominates), the Korea–Japan programmes (for Japanese nationals) and AMA+ Scholarship (a Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism programme at Korea National University of Arts). Seoul Tech Scholarship is the Seoul city government's.

KOICA Scholarship ProgramBy government nomination
KOICA Scholarship Program is a master's programme of 17 months, or a doctoral programme open only to a person who has completed KOICA's master's programme, at a university in Korea. It is for a citizen of a country KOICA designates who is a government official and has the official nomination of their own government; without that nomination a person cannot apply. KOICA's overseas offices and Korean embassies give out the list of countries, which changes every year, and take the forms. KOICA lists full tuition, a round-trip airfare, a settlement allowance, dormitory accommodation and a monthly allowance; its page gives no amounts.

Source: KOICA: KOICA Scholarship Program, for 2024. Read October 13, 2026.

Korea–Japan programmes
The Korea–Japan programmes are for Japanese nationals only. Study in Korea, the government portal, lists 4: a bachelor's or associate degree after a year of Korean language study, a master's or doctorate that includes a year of Korean language study, and an undergraduate year or a short undergraduate programme for students of Japanese universities. The portal prints each programme's age limit and number of places, and refers to its notices for the dates.

Source: Study in Korea, the government portal; the page carries no date. Read October 13, 2026.

ADB-ROK, WB-ROK, UNHCR-ROK
The ADB-ROK, WB-ROK and UNHCR-ROK scholarships are not separate programmes: their 2026 guidelines are GKS-G's own guideline, and they are part of GKS-G's international organization track.

ADB-ROK · WB-ROK · UNHCR-ROK

GKS-G for master's and doctoral applicants

Which scholarships can you enter as a new degree student?

AMA+ Scholarship and Seoul Tech Scholarship take a direct application; POSCO Global Scholarship in Korea goes through a Korean graduate school's recommendation.

POSCO Global Scholarship in Korea (formerly POSCO Asia Fellowship)By recommendation

Who it is for
A person with a bachelor's degree, earned or expected, and a nationality other than Korean; a person who holds Korean nationality, a dual national included, cannot apply.
Eligible countries
The foundation's FAQ lists 26 countries and marks the list tentative: China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, United States, Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Türkiye, United Kingdom, Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa.
How you get in
By recommendation, not by direct application: the applicant is first admitted to a master's or doctoral programme at a Korean graduate school, and that school recommends them to the foundation. The foundation prints 5 steps: admission (by November), the school's recommendation (by December), the foundation's interview (by January), the result (by February) and the award ceremony (March).
Graduate schools
The foundation's Korean page says a partner graduate school; its FAQ names 6, marked tentative: KDI School of Public Policy and Management, Korea University, POSTECH, Seoul National University, The Academy of Korean Studies, and Yonsei University. Fields, per the FAQ: the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences and engineering.
What it pays
POSCO Global Scholarship in Korea pays full tuition and KRW 1,000,000 a month in living expenses: 4 semesters and 22 months for a master's programme, 6 semesters and 36 months for a doctoral or integrated programme. The foundation also lists the National Health Insurance premium and support for Korean language study, and marks the number of students it selects subject to change.
Settlement fee
KRW 1,000,000, once
Selected a year
20

The foundation publishes each year's selected students by country

Source: POSCO TJ Park Foundation and its FAQ; neither page carries a date. Read October 13, 2026.

AMA+ Scholarship 개도국 예술인재양성(AMA+) 장학사업Apply yourself

Who it is for
Applicants in the arts for a bachelor's or master's programme at Korea National University of Arts, when the applicant and both parents hold the nationality of a country on the OECD DAC list of aid recipients; with more than one nationality, every nationality of the applicant and of the parents must be on that list. The applicant submits a valid TOPIK score at or above the level the department sets (from a country where TOPIK is not available, a valid SKA or iSKA score) and a portfolio unless the department marks it not mandatory. A person who has held a Korean government scholarship for a degree, AMA+ Scholarship and GKS included, cannot apply, apart from the guideline's rule for graduates going on to a higher degree.
How you get in
Direct application, online. The call for 2027 entry ran from May 5, 2026 to May 15, 2026 and is over; the guideline dates the final results June 30, 2026 and the start of the first semester March 2, 2027.
What it pays
AMA+ Scholarship pays KRW 800,000 a month, an amount the guideline says may be raised, and full tuition for regular semesters only. The guideline also lists economy airfare at entry and graduation (no entry airfare for a grantee already staying in Korea when the results are announced) and National Health Insurance. Korean language training of 3 or 6 months comes before the degree; holders of TOPIK level 5 or 6 are exempt, though the guideline says the department may still require the course.
Settlement fee
KRW 200,000, once
Thesis allowance
up to KRW 1,000,000
Korean proficiency grant
KRW 100,000 a month

Source: Korea National University of Arts's guideline, for 2027. Read October 13, 2026.

Seoul Tech Scholarship 서울테크스칼라십Apply yourself

Who it is for
A person of any nationality other than Korean, under 40 (for the 2026 call, born on or after January 1, 1986), with a bachelor's degree earned or expected by August 31, 2026 and a grade of 80 percent or more, or the announcement's equivalent grade point average, going into a master's programme in science or engineering. A person who holds Korean nationality, or whose parents do, is not eligible. Each university's own language requirement applies.
How you get in
Direct application to the Seoul Scholarship Foundation: an online form, then originals by post. The 2026 call opened December 22, 2025; the online form closed March 6, 2026 and post had to arrive by March 25, 2026. It is over. Selection ran through a document review, each graduate school's own process and a final review.
Universities
The announcement names 9 universities in Seoul: Konkuk University, Kyung Hee University, Korea University, Sogang University, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul National University, University of Seoul, Sungkyunkwan University, and Soongsil University.
What it pays
Seoul Tech Scholarship pays the admission fee and tuition in full and KRW 1,000,000 a month in living expenses, an amount the announcement says may vary with the length of stay, for up to 2 years, renewed every 6 months while the student stays enrolled full-time and keeps a semester average of 80 or higher. It also lists health insurance premiums and an economy ticket for entry.
A year, in total
about KRW 20,000,000
Selected in the 2026 call
about 30

Source: Seoul Metropolitan Government's announcement, on Study in Korea, for 2026. Read October 14, 2026.

What do universities themselves offer?

Study in Korea, the government portal, says most universities support international students with 30 to 100 percent as a scholarship according to grades, and adds that its examples differ by university and that the reader should ask the university. This page lists the programmes whose own page states who, how and how much.

For another university, its admissions page for international students is the source; the list of IEQAS-certified universities has each school's name.

KAIST Scholarship, undergraduateApply yourself

Who it is for
Applicants in KAIST's international undergraduate admission.
How you get in
With the admission application: the applicant ticks the KAIST Scholarship option in the financial resources section, and there is no separate scholarship application. KAIST says a student selected for admission is entitled to it.
What it pays
KAIST Scholarship for undergraduates exempts tuition for 8 semesters and pays KRW 350,000 a month in living expenses plus medical insurance; after the first year the student must keep a grade point average over 2.7 out of 4.3.

Source: KAIST's admission page; the page carries no date. Read October 13, 2026.

KAIST graduate scholarshipsApply yourself

Who it is for
International applicants to KAIST's graduate programmes: KAIST Scholarship and KGPS in every department except the GDI-GTIP track, KPS in all departments.
How you get in
With the admission application: the applicant selects the KAIST Scholarship option. Eligible applicants are then considered for KGPS or KPS without a separate application.
KAIST Scholarship
KAIST Scholarship for graduate students covers full tuition and national health insurance and pays a monthly stipend that depends on research involvement and differs by college; the page gives no amount.
KAIST Global Presidential Scholarship (KGPS)
KGPS is for international applicants to a master's or integrated master's and doctoral programme who chose the KAIST Scholarship option, in every department except the GDI-GTIP track: it covers full tuition and pays KRW 1,000,000 a month for 4 regular semesters. KAIST says only highly competitive applicants are recommended by the department head.
KAIST Prestige Scholarship for International Ph.D. Students (KPS)
KPS is for international applicants to an integrated master's and doctoral programme or a doctoral programme, in all departments: it covers full tuition and pays KRW 300,000 a month for 8 regular semesters, from the start of the doctoral stage in the integrated programme. The department head recommends and the college dean makes the final selection.

Source: KAIST's admission page; the page carries no date. Read October 13, 2026.

Seoul National University's Office of International Affairs lists scholarship names and links on a page of its own, without amounts: its list.

Is there a scholarship for exchange students?

Yes: NIIED pays exchange students KRW 630,000 a month for a semester of 4 months, an amount that changes with the days of stay and the end of term, and the Korean host university recommends the student.

GKS support for exchange students GKS 우수 교환학생 지원사업By recommendation

Who it is for
A foreign undergraduate, master's or doctoral student at a university abroad that has an exchange agreement with a Korean university chosen to run the programme, coming on a regular exchange (short courses such as Korean language study are excluded), with an overall grade of 80 percent or more at the home university. Not eligible: a person who has received a Korean government scholarship before, a dual national with Korean nationality, a student already enrolled in Korea, and a student applying to more than one Korean host university at once.
How you get in
By recommendation: NIIED first chooses the host universities, then selects from the candidates those universities recommend. The 2026 list has 41 host universities.
What it pays
GKS support for exchange students pays KRW 630,000 a month, an amount that changes with the days of stay and the end of term, and round-trip airfare at the actual ticket price within the programme's standard, for 4 months; the period cannot be extended. Study in Korea gives about 500 students, a number it says changes with the budget.

Source: NIIED's list of host universities (PDF), for 2026. Read October 14, 2026.

Source: Study in Korea, the government portal; the page carries no date. Read October 13, 2026.

What is there once you are enrolled in Korea?

Woojung Education & Culture Foundation selects enrolled international students on recommendation, Daewoong Foundation Global Scholarship Program (GSP) takes applications from students enrolled at a Korean university, and Yonsei International Companion Scholarship is for students already in Yonsei University Graduate School.

Woojung Education & Culture Foundation 우정교육문화재단By recommendation

Who it is for
International students who came to Korea to study and need help with tuition or have excellent grades. The foundation gives priority to students from the United Nations countries that fought for the Republic of Korea or sent it supplies in the Korean War, and from less developed countries, Southeast and Central Asia among them.
How you get in
By recommendation: school heads and teachers, a country's government or its embassy in Korea, or the foundation's board recommend, and the foundation selects. It pays in the first and the second half of every year.
What it pays
Woojung Education & Culture Foundation's pages state no amount. Its news lines for 2026 give 102 students from 32 countries in the first semester and 98 students from 32 countries in the second.

Source: Woojung Education & Culture Foundation; the page carries no date. Read October 13, 2026.

Daewoong Foundation Global Scholarship Program (GSP) 대웅재단 글로벌 장학 프로그램Apply yourself

Who it is for
International students in a bachelor's or master's programme at a university in Korea; the foundation's page says a holder of Korean nationality cannot apply. Study in Korea gives the selection criteria as being able to explain one's plans in Korean or English, intending to work and settle in Korea after graduation, and fitting a Korean company.
How you get in
Application to the foundation, which prints 5 steps: application, a document review, an aptitude test, an interview and the result. Its page says the application period is announced separately; Study in Korea says selection is held all year.
What it pays
Study in Korea gives KRW 500,000 a month, an internship, employment classes and training for Daewoong Foundation Global Scholarship Program (GSP); the foundation's own page lists a scholarship grant, work experience and employment classes, and states no monthly amount.

Source: Daewoong Foundation: GSP (in Korean); the page carries no date. Read October 14, 2026.

Source: Study in Korea, the government portal; the page carries no date. Read October 13, 2026.

Yonsei International Companion Scholarship

Who it is for
Full-time international students already enrolled in regular semesters at Yonsei University Graduate School through the international student admission track. Not eligible (4 groups): students on a full-tuition scholarship from the Graduate School, students of the Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry or Nursing, students in contract-based programmes, and Graduate School students at Mirae Campus.
How you get in
The Graduate School's page states who is eligible and the amounts; it gives no procedure.
What it pays
Yonsei International Companion Scholarship pays KRW 2,000,000 a semester in a master's programme, KRW 3,000,000 in a doctoral programme and KRW 2,000,000 in an integrated programme, in regular semesters: 4 semesters in a master's or doctoral programme, 6 in an integrated programme.

Source: Yonsei University Graduate School; the page carries no date. Read October 13, 2026.

Which programmes on scholarship lists are not for studying in Korea?

KF Scholarship for Graduate Studies and the government scholarship for study abroad are printed on lists of scholarships in Korea; neither pays for study at a Korean university.

For universities outside Korea
KF Scholarship for Graduate Studies is for graduate students majoring in a Korea-related field, or working on a Korea-related research topic, at a university located outside Korea. Study in Korea lists it among scholarships for international students as 한국전공대학원생펠로십. Its 2026–27 cycle had 3 calls, all closed: North America (December 1, 2025 to February 6, 2026), Europe and Japan (March 9, 2026 to April 10, 2026), and a call with no region in its title (August 3, 2026 to September 11, 2026). Korea Foundation: list of calls
For Korean nationals
국비유학생, the government scholarship for study abroad, is for Korean nationals going overseas. It is printed on the same portal page.

Which scholarships have ended?

Ended December 2023
The GKS scholarship for self-financed students (우수 자비 유학생 장학) ended in December 2023: NIIED's notice of January 5, 2024 says no scholars are selected from 2024 on, and that GKS-U and GKS-G continue. NIIED's notice

A university's page may still describe it as open; the notice is NIIED's own.

Where does the government portal differ from the provider?

Study in Korea and a provider's own page sometimes print different values for the same programme. This page prints both, each with its source; its programme blocks use the provider's.

POSCO Global Scholarship in Korea: students a year
Study in Korea prints 50. POSCO TJ Park Foundation prints 20 and marks it subject to change.
POSCO Global Scholarship in Korea: when to apply
Study in Korea gives May as the application period. POSCO TJ Park Foundation prints no application month: admission to the graduate school comes first (by November), then that school's recommendation (by December).
POSCO Global Scholarship in Korea: nationality
Study in Korea says holders of an Asian nationality. POSCO TJ Park Foundation's FAQ lists 26 countries, in the Americas, Europe and Africa as well as Asia, and marks the list tentative.
AMA+ Scholarship: when to apply
Study in Korea gives March as the application period and no number of places. Korea National University of Arts's 2027 guideline ran its call from May 5, 2026 to May 15, 2026.

A tuition waiver lowers the bill and a living allowance arrives as money; the cost calculator counts them separately.

Sources

StudySunbae is independent of every provider on this page and of the Korean Government. Each figure is quoted from a listed source read on the date beside its block; a provider can change a programme without notice, and its own page decides.