APPLY: 2026 Korean Government Scholarships For Students At All Levels.
APPLY: 2026 Korean Government Scholarships For Students At All Levels.
The Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP) is available to international students who want to pursue Bachelors’s (undergraduate degree), Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Korean Universities. The scholarship allows international students to study in Korea and conduct advanced studies in a higher educational institution in Korea.
Korea currently top the World’s Chart of the Best World Study Abroad Destination. Most of their Scholarships are Fully sponsored and students’ visa requirements are very easy to meet up.
ThisScholarship Program is sponsored and managed by the National Institute for International Education Development (NIIED), a branch of the Ministry of Education in South Korea.
It provides non-Korean scholars with the funding and opportunity to conduct undergraduate or postgraduate level studies in South Korea after completing one year of intensive Korean language studies. In the end, it also develops global leaders as well as strengthens Korea-friendly networks worldwide.
In this post, we will share with you every information you need to help you apply for the Korean Government Scholarships. This includes the eligible countries, the value of the scholarship, and how to apply for it. Stay put while we take you through all these.
Why NIIED | Korean Government Scholarship?
NIIED is an executive agency under the Ministry of Education. It plays a leading role in strengthening national competitiveness by developing international human resources among overseas Koreans, exchanging students under national government scholarship programs, and providing educational administrative services.
International undergraduates, masters, and Ph.D. receive this government scholarship annually to students to study in Korea.
Also, the Korean Government over the years has proven to be committed to fostering stronger diplomatic ties between the international communities and Korea through these Korean Government Scholarships which avail intelligent international students the opportunity to achieve their dreams.
Why Study in Korea?
Korea has about 250 national, public and private universities that welcome both Korean and international students. Recent government reforms have made it much easier for international students to afford to live and work in Korea while attending programs at institutions of higher education.
Graduate education in Korea holds a high reputation throughout the world, particularly in technical areas such as engineeringandinformation technology. Also, Korea teaches most of its master’s programs in English.
Furthermore, Korean schools have notable research programs, distinguished faculty, and state-of-the-art research facilities. Six Korean universities were rated in the top 400 world universities, according to Times Higher Education World University Rankings
In addition, Korea charges all students, whether Korean nationals or international students, the same tuition.
Also, while offering master’s degrees that are more affordable than those in English-speaking countries, the Korean government, Korean universities, and several private foundations provide many scholarship programs specifically designed for international students.
ManyKorean universities also provide assistance with employment for international students.
How Much Does Korean Government Scholarship Pay?
The Korean Government Scholarships is Fully Funded Scholarships that takes care of your Airfare, Tuition Fee, Settlement Allowance, Living Allowance, Medical Allowance, Research Cost, and many others. Kindly see for yourself the details of the Korean Government Scholarship (KSB) Benefits
Categories
Amount (KRW)
Airfare
Actual cost
Resettlement Allowance
KRW 200,000
Living Allowance
Undergraduate: 800,000 Graduate: 900,000
Medical Insurance
KRW 20,000 (per month)
Language Courses
KRW 800,000 per quarter
Tuition Fees
Actual cost (No more than 5 million KRW per semester)
Airplane Ticket or Airfare: The Korean Government Undergraduate scholarship covers an economy class flight with the shortest route between a scholar’s country and Korea. Students will also receive a one-way ticket to Korea at the beginning of the scholarship program. Students who complete their studies under the scholarship program will receive another one-way ticket from Korea.
Monthly Stipend: 800,000 KRW per month
Tuition: NIIED will cover the tuition fee of up to 5 million KRW. However, in the case where the tuition is higher than 5 million KRW, the host university covers the exceeding amount. The university also covers the university entrance fee.
Settlement Allowance: 200,000 KRW upon arrival
Scholarship Completion Grants: 100,000 KRW upon completion of studies
Korean Language Training: NIIED and the language institution cover the full cost for the 1-year training.
Medical Insurance: Health insurance covers students for major accidents and illnesses during their scholarship period.
Korean Proficiency Grants: Scholars with level 5 or 6 on TOPIK will receive 100,000 KRW won per month during the degree program.
Entry to Korea: an economy class flight ticket to Korea
Return flight: an economy class flight ticket from Korea to KGSP scholar’s home country
The airfare for entry will NOT be provided to scholars who have resided in Korea from the time of applying and on.
The return flight is available only for the KGSP scholars who complete their degree coursework.
The return flight is NOT offered for those who withdraw from the scholarship.
Any fees incurred in the domestic travel within a KGSP scholar’s home country are NOT covered.
International travel insurance is NOT covered.
The flight tickets for the Chinese and Czech KGSP scholars will be prepared and provided by the Chinese and the Czech governments, according to the agreements with the Korean government. Many Chinese Government Scholarships can be accessed Here
The total number of Awardees worldwide is 1,276 applicants from 153 regions for Both Undergraduates, masters, and Ph.D. Students. Concerning that, KGSP Undergraduate: around 170 grantees will get the award annually, and KGSP Graduate: around 700 grantees will get the award annually.
Eligibility Requirements
International students applying for the Korean Government Scholarship must meet the following requirements:
Both an applicant and his/her parents must be citizens of their country of origin.
Applicants should not hold Korean citizenship.
Also, applicants should have adequate health, both mentally and physically, to stay in a foreign country for a long time.
Applicants should also be under 25 years of age at the date of entrance for Undergraduates.
or under 40 years of age at the date of entrance for Graduates
Then for academic professors, you must be under 45 years of age as of 1st of September 2026.
Must have finished or be scheduled to finish formal education of all elementary, middle, high school courses by the date of arrival. (Undergraduate)
Possess a grade point average (G.P.A.) above 80% from the last educational institution attended.
Applicants must also hold a Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s degree by the date of arrival for graduates.
For the postdoctoral Research Program, you must have a doctoral degree or level of education equivalent to a doctoral degree.
And for Research Program applicants, you must hold a degree or a level of education equivalent to or higher than a master’s degree.
Applicants who have previously achieved in any undergraduate program, master’s program, or doctoral program in Korea cannot apply for this program.
Furthermore, as an applicant, you must have a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree on or before 31st August 2026.
However, a former or current KGSP scholar who holds the overall grade of 90% or above can reapply to this program once either through the embassy or university track.
This Korean scholarship for international students is available for Bachelors, Masters, and Ph.D. in any of the Courses any one of the 60 participating Korean higher institutions offers.
This is one of the ways the Korean Government strengthens its bilateral relationships with the participating Countries. Host Nationality
The Korean scholarship for international students is hosted by the Korean Government. We also recommend that you browse through our scholarship by country to find different scholarships available for your country of choice. Which Country is Eligible for the Korean Government Scholarship?
The scholarships are open to students from the following countries:
China, Japan, Russia, Cambodia, Mongolia, Vietnam, Mexico, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Chinese Taipei, Uzbekistan, Turkey, USA, Ethiopia, Colombia, Nepal, Senegal, Bangladesh, Ukraine, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Azerbaijan, El Salvador, Egypt, Tanzania, Germany, France, Dominica, Chile, Iran, Canada, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Pakistan, Gabon, Romania, Belarus, Bulgaria.
Slovakia, United Kingdom, Czech, Guatemala, Ecuador, Algeria, Yemen, Uganda, Belize, Honduras, Italy, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Poland, Ghana, Georgia, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Republic of South Africa, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Rwanda, Libya, Lithuania, Moldavia, Bahrain, Barbados, Bahamas, Venezuela, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Brazil, Brunei, Serbia, Seychelles, Sudan, Sweden, Slovenia, Armenia, Argentina, Haïti, Ireland, Afghanistan, Angola, Oman, Austria, Uruguay, Iraq, Israel, Zambia, Cameroon, Qatar, Kenya, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Panama, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Fiji, Hungary, Australia, Jordan
If you’ll be going for the Master’s Program in South Korea, you should check out these 19 Masters Scholarships in South Korea
Korean Government Scholarships Application Form
Applicants for the KGSP 2026 should pick the application form from the Korean Embassy in their host country or a partnering Korean University or the Domestic University in their Locality that can send their best candidates to apply.
How to Apply | Korean Government Scholarship Application Form:
You can only apply for the scholarships through the Korean Embassy in your home country or a participating Korean University.
However, you should submit all documents related to your scholarship application to the Korean Embassy in your country of residence or the domestic university concerned.
Meanwhile, the Korean Embassy or the domestic university sends proper candidates to NIIED with the required documents.
Then, NIIED evaluates potential candidates and notifies the Korean Embassy of the final selected KGSP grantees.
Looking for a university in Korea to apply to for the KGS, see these 3 Most Beautiful Universities In Korea
KGSP Selection Procedure:
1st Selection: Applicants submit their applications either to the Korean Embassies around the world or to the partnering universities in Korea.
Hence, the embassies and universities select the successful candidates among the applicants in the 1st round of selection. The applicants of the successful candidates will then be forwarded to NIIED
2nd Selection: The NIIED selection committee selects the successful candidates among those who passed the 1st round.
3rd Selection: Among the successful candidates who have passed the 2nd round, the applications of those who applied through the Korean Embassies will be reviewed by universities for admission. Successful candidates must get admission from at least one of the universities.
To study in South Korea, you would need a student visa and an offer of admission from any of the universities in Korea. The typical Korean student Visa allows you to stay for up to two years.
However, engineering students can apply for the D-2-7 visa, allowing them to stay in South Korea after graduation to find work. Another path through which you can study in South Korea is through the Korea Government Scholarship.
International Undergraduate students under 25 years of age and graduate students under 40 years of age who are not citizens of South Korea are the only ones eligible to apply for the Korea Government Scholarship.
The Korea Government Scholarship comes in several packages. It is a fully-funded scholarship that pays for the full tuition of either the graduate or undergraduate education for up to 5 million KWR per semester, in addition to other benefits such as airfare, resettlement allowance, living allowance, medical insurance, language courses, etc. See the full award amount here.
The Korean Government awards 870 international students this scholarship yearly in the proportion of 170 undergraduates and 700 graduates.
Your fluency in speaking the Korean language will be an added advantage to you, which is evident in the additional KRW 100,000 award given to international students for Excellent Korean Language Proficiency.
However, if you are fluent in English, you are qualified for the KGS but you must take Language Courses for one year once you’re in Korea.
Yes, the Korea Government Scholarship requires you to have a GPA of above 80% from the last educational institution you attended.
To apply for the Korea Government Scholarship, you will need to get an application form from the Korean Embassy in your host country, a Korean University, or a Domestic University in your host country that can send you as their best candidate.
When you’re done filling the application form, submit it and all documents related to your application to either the Korean Embassy in your country or the domestic university concerned.
The application starts in September every year for undergraduates and February for graduates. The Korean Embassies send a list of recommended candidates from October to November yearly for undergraduates and March to April for graduate students.
The Results will be released during January of the new year of study for Undergraduates and June in the new year of study for graduate students. Finally, undergraduate students are expected to arrive in Korea by Late February, while Graduate Students are expected to arrive in Korea in late August.
We Also Recommend
Does this article meet your immediate needs? If yes, leave us with a 5-star rating in the Review Box below. If no, leave us an opinion in the comment box to express your concern or ask a question and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
