A fully funded scholarship pays your tuition, your living costs and usually your flights, which for most international students is the only realistic way to study at a top university abroad. There are more of them than most people think, from the UK’s Chevening to the EU’s Erasmus Mundus, but each runs on its own calendar, and missing a window can mean waiting a full year.
This guide covers ten of the best-known fully funded scholarships for students from Pakistan and around the world, what they pay for, who can apply, and when their application windows usually open for study in 2027–28.
Table of Contents
What fully funded scholarships actually cover
The phrase is used loosely online, so check the details of any award. A genuinely fully funded scholarship normally covers:
- tuition fees;
- a monthly living allowance;
- return flights;
- health insurance;
- often visa costs and a settling-in allowance.
Some awards described as fully funded cover tuition only, or pay a stipend too small for an expensive city. Always read the official list of benefits before you rely on one.
10 major fully funded scholarships for 2027–28
1. Chevening Scholarships (UK)
The UK government’s flagship award pays for a one-year master’s degree at a UK university, including tuition, a monthly stipend, travel and visa costs. Applicants need at least 2,800 hours of work experience and must return home for two years afterwards. The 2027–28 round opened on 4 August 2026 and closed on 6 October 2026, so the next window is expected around August 2027. Read our full Chevening Scholarship guide.
2. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (Europe)
Funded by the European Union, these master’s programmes take place in at least two European countries. The scholarship pays €1,400 a month for up to 24 months, and scholarship holders pay no tuition. Most programmes take applications between October 2026 and January 2027 for courses starting in September 2027, which makes this the most urgent window right now. See our Erasmus Mundus scholarship guide.
3. DAAD scholarships (Germany)
The German Academic Exchange Service funds master’s and PhD study in Germany, where most public universities charge no tuition. Monthly stipends for many programmes match Germany’s official student living allowance. Deadlines vary by programme, so search the DAAD database early. Our DAAD scholarship guide explains how it works.
4. Fulbright (United States)
Fulbright funds master’s and PhD study in the US through national commissions in more than 150 countries. Each country runs its own competition and calendar. In Pakistan, the 2027 student round closed on 1 April 2026. Read our Fulbright scholarship guide.
5. Commonwealth Scholarships (UK)
Funded by the UK government for citizens of eligible Commonwealth countries, including Pakistan, these awards cover master’s and PhD study in the UK with tuition, a stipend and flights. Applications are usually made through a national nominating agency, which sets its own earlier deadline, often in the autumn.
6. Türkiye Bursları (Türkiye)
Türkiye’s government scholarship covers bachelor’s, master’s and PhD study, with tuition, a monthly stipend, accommodation, health insurance, flights and a year of Turkish language study. The application window has typically run in the first months of the year.
7. Stipendium Hungaricum (Hungary)
Hungary’s programme offers free tuition, a monthly stipend, accommodation support and medical insurance to students from partner countries, Pakistan among them. Applications are normally made in late autumn and winter for study starting the following September.
8. Chinese Government Scholarship (China)
Awarded through Chinese embassies and universities, it covers tuition, accommodation, a monthly stipend and insurance for degree study in China. Most applications open early in the year.
9. MEXT (Japan)
Japan’s government scholarship funds undergraduate and research study, with tuition, a monthly allowance and flights. The embassy-recommended route usually opens in the spring.
10. Global Korea Scholarship (South Korea)
Korea’s government programme supports undergraduate and graduate study, including a year of Korean language training, tuition, a stipend and flights. Graduate applications typically open in the first quarter of the year.
The timing for the last six programmes shifts slightly each year, so treat these windows as a planning guide and confirm the dates on each official website before you apply.
Scholarship deadlines at a glance
Scholarship deadlines for international students fall across the whole year. For study starting in autumn 2027, the pattern looks like this:
- **Chevening:** closed on 6 October 2026; the next round is expected to open around August 2027.
- **Erasmus Mundus:** most programmes between October 2026 and January 2027.
- **DAAD:** varies by programme, with many deadlines between August and December.
- **Commonwealth Scholarships:** set by national nominating agencies, often in the autumn.
- **Stipendium Hungaricum:** usually late autumn to mid-winter.
- **Türkiye Bursları, Chinese Government Scholarship, Global Korea Scholarship:** usually early in the year.
- **MEXT:** embassy route usually in spring.
- **Fulbright:** set country by country; in Pakistan, the student round has recently run from February to April.
Mark scholarship deadlines in your calendar with a reminder two weeks before each one. References and transcripts take longer to collect than most international students expect, and late documents are one of the commonest reasons good applicants are rejected.
Official websites
Always apply through the official programme sites, which also publish the current eligibility rules:
- Chevening application timeline
- Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters scholarships
- DAAD scholarship information
- Fulbright in Pakistan (USEFP)
For the other programmes, search for the official government or embassy page rather than relying on third-party listings, which are often out of date.
How to plan around different deadlines
Because each award runs on its own schedule, a strong applicant can apply to several in one year. A realistic plan for someone aiming to start in September 2027 looks like this:
- **October 2026 to January 2027:** Erasmus Mundus programmes, plus any DAAD programmes with winter deadlines.
- **January to April 2027:** Asian government scholarships and Türkiye Bursları, plus Fulbright where your country’s window falls then.
- **Throughout:** prepare English test results, references and a strong personal statement that can be adapted for each application.
Start with a spreadsheet of every award you are eligible for, its deadline, required documents and the referees you need. Most rejections come from missing documents or late references, not weak candidates.
What makes an application stand out
Selection panels for fully funded scholarships look well beyond grades. They want:
- **a clear plan:** what you will study, why, and what you will do afterwards;
- **evidence of leadership** in work, study or your community;
- **a link to your home country:** many awards, including Chevening and Fulbright, expect you to return and contribute;
- **specific, honest writing** rather than generic praise of the host country.
Our guide on how to write a scholarship essay goes through this in detail.
English tests and visas
Almost every scholarship and university will ask international students for proof of English. Choosing the right test can save money, because not every test is accepted for every visa. Our comparison of IELTS vs PTE vs TOEFL vs Duolingo explains which to take.
Once you win a place, you will still need a student visa. See our guides to the UK student visa and the Canada study permit.
Beware of scholarship scams
Real fully funded scholarships for international students never ask you to pay an application or “processing” fee to the scholarship body, and they never guarantee selection. Be suspicious of agents who promise a scholarship for a fee, messages asking for bank details, and websites that copy official logos but use different web addresses. Apply only through each programme’s official site.
If you do not win a full scholarship
If fully funded scholarships do not work out, many students combine partial funding instead. Consider:
- countries with low or no tuition at public universities, covered in our guide to the cheapest countries to study abroad;
- university merit scholarships, which can cover part or all of tuition;
- research assistantships for PhD study, which often pay a salary.
Frequently asked questions
Which fully funded scholarships are open right now?
In October 2026, the main window open for 2027 study is Erasmus Mundus, with most programmes accepting applications until January 2027. Several DAAD programmes also have deadlines in this period.
Can I apply to more than one scholarship?
Yes. You can apply to several in the same year, as long as you meet each one’s rules. You can only accept one award for the same period of study.
Do I need work experience?
Some awards require it, such as Chevening’s 2,800 hours. Others, like Erasmus Mundus and many government scholarships, admit recent graduates.
Are scholarships available for bachelor’s degrees?
Yes, mainly government scholarships such as Türkiye Bursları, Stipendium Hungaricum, MEXT, the Global Korea Scholarship and the Chinese Government Scholarship. Chevening, Erasmus Mundus and Fulbright are for postgraduate study.
Do I have to pay to apply?
No genuine scholarship charges an application fee. You may pay for English tests and university applications separately.
