The best scholarships to study in Finland

There is no shortage of scholarships or universities in Finland. The Finnish education system is famous for its excellent undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programmes in fields like education, information technology, engineering, and natural sciences. This guide presents the most prominent Finnish scholarships that each year offer international students the opportunity to broaden their academic knowledge — and who knows, maybe the next recipient could be you!

1. Finnish Government Scholarships

The Government of Finland offers both fully funded and partial scholarships for international students wishing to pursue undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral studies across various Finnish universities. These scholarships aim to attract high-quality students from around the world, fostering higher education and research excellence in Finland. These scholarships are available for students from countries outside the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA).

Type of studies covered: Undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programmes across fields such as agriculture, humanities, business, education, engineering, health sciences, ICT, medicine, natural sciences, services, and social sciences.

General requirements:

• Be a citizen of a country outside the EU/EEA.
• Hold educational certificates that qualify for higher education in the country of origin.
• For master’s programmes, a university bachelor’s degree or its equivalent is required.
• For master’s programmes at Universities of Applied Sciences, at least two years of relevant work experience after completing a bachelor’s degree is necessary.

Coverage and benefits:

• Full tuition fee coverage for the first academic year.
• Relocation grant of at least €5,000 ($5,690).
• Travel expenses.
• Health insurance.
• Accommodation.

If your scholarship is funded by the Finnish Government, you can pursue your studies at a variety of participating universities. Here are some of the top universities in Finland where you can study under a government scholarship:

• How to apply:Applications must be submitted directly through the participating Finnish universities.
• Opening date: Generally published in September.
• Closing date: Typically between December and January.

2. University of Helsinki Scholarships

The University of Helsinki offers scholarships to support international students wishing to pursue master’s programmes across various academic fields, from natural sciences, engineering, medicine, and humanities to social sciences and law.

General requirements:

• Be an international student from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland.
• Hold a bachelor’s degree equivalent to one obtained in Finland.
• Submit a formal application to a full-time master’s programme at the University of Helsinki.
• Demonstrate proficiency in English.

Coverage and benefits:

• Comprehensive scholarships covering 100% of tuition fees.
• Partial scholarships covering 50% of tuition fees.
• The scholarship duration matches the duration of the master’s programme, typically two years.
• Living allowance: Full scholarship recipients also receive a monthly stipend to help with living costs in Finland (note: It may not cover all expenses).
• Discounts on meals at Unicafe student restaurants.
• Reduced rates for public transport.
• Affordable access to Unisport services.

These are some of the programmes you can apply for a scholarship at the University of Helsinki:

How to apply?

1. Select a master’s programme at the University of Helsinki and check its admission requirements.
2. Apply for the master’s programme via the university’s online application portal.
3. Indicate your interest in applying for the scholarship during the admission process.
4. Submit all required documents, including proof of academic excellence and English proficiency.

• Opening date: Applications for studies starting in autumn 2025 (September) open from 2 January 2025.
• Closing date: 16 January 2025.

3. EDUFI Fellowship Scholarships

The EDUFI Fellowship programme, offered by the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI), aims to support international doctoral students and young researchers who wish to undertake postgraduate studies or research projects at Finnish universities.

This scholarship enables international doctoral students and researchers from around the world to conduct research in Finland.

General requirements:

• Be currently pursuing doctoral studies or be a young researcher.
• Applicants must have an affiliation with a Finnish academic institution willing to support their research project.
• Mustn’t have resided in Finland for more than one year in total prior to applying.

Coverage and benefits:

• Monthly allowance: €1,500 ($1,700) to cover living expenses for one person in Finland.
• Duration: Fellowship grants range from three to 12 months.
• Please note: No additional housing allowance is provided, and international travel costs to and from Finland aren’t covered by the programme.

Application procedure and deadlines:

• Contact a Host Institution: Candidates must establish contact with a Finnish university department willing to host them.
• Application Submission: The Finnish university department submits the application on behalf of the candidate.
• Opening and closing dates: There are no fixed deadlines — applications are accepted throughout the year. Recommendation: It’s advised to submit applications at least five months before the intended start date.
• Processing time: Decisions are typically made within three months of receiving the application.

Additional considerations:

• Open to candidates of all nationalities and academic fields.
• Priority is given to applicants from Russia, China, India, Chile, Brazil, and North America.
• Primarily intended for doctoral students completing their PhD (or double PhD) in Finland.
• Visiting doctoral students enrolled at foreign universities may also be eligible if the host department provides exceptionally strong justification for the visit.