Top 10 scholarships in Sweden, Denmark and Finland
Ten Nordic scholarships for international students at Uppsala, Lund, KTH, Chalmers, Stockholm, Aalto, Helsinki, Tampere, Aarhus and Copenhagen, checked on official pages.
In Sweden, Denmark and Finland, students from outside the EU usually pay tuition fees, and universities use scholarships to offset them. Most of these awards reduce or waive fees rather than pay a full living allowance, so read each one carefully.
These ten Nordic scholarships were checked on the universities’ official pages.
The list at a glance
| # | Programme | Where | Next deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uppsala University Global Scholarship | Sweden | February 1, 2027 |
| 2 | Lund University Global Scholarship | Sweden | Not announced yet |
| 3 | KTH Scholarship | Sweden | January 15, 2027 |
| 4 | Chalmers University of Technology Scholarships for Fee-Paying Students | Sweden | January 15, 2027 |
| 5 | Stockholm University Scholarship Scheme | Sweden | Not announced yet |
| 6 | Aalto University Excellence Scholarship | Finland | January 5, 2027 |
| 7 | University of Helsinki Scholarship Programme | Finland | January 19, 2027 |
| 8 | Tampere University Tuition Fee Scholarship | Finland | January 7, 2027 |
| 9 | Aarhus University Danish State Scholarship | Denmark | January 15, 2027 |
| 10 | University of Copenhagen Danish Government Scholarship | Denmark | Not announced yet |
1. Uppsala University Global Scholarship
Covers the full tuition fee for an international Master’s programme at Uppsala University; living costs are not covered.
- Who can apply: Citizens of countries outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland who are liable to pay tuition fees and rank the Uppsala programme first at universityadmissions.se. Selection is merit based.
- Deadline: Applications for autumn 2027 are open from 16 January 2027 to 1 February 2027; no closing time is given and late applications are not accepted.
- Funding: Partly funded
2. Lund University Global Scholarship
Covers part or all of the tuition fee (about SEK 26 million awarded each year in total); living costs are not covered.
- Who can apply: Non EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who pay tuition fees, apply in the regular round with a Lund programme as first choice and meet admission requirements. Bachelor’s awards only in a few programmes.
- Deadline: The page says the application usually opens in early February each year; the last round closed on 16 February 2026 and a portal link will appear when the next round opens.
- Funding: Partly funded
3. KTH Scholarship
Covers the KTH tuition fee for the first and second year of a master’s programme, subject to satisfactory first year results; living costs are not covered.
- Who can apply: Fee-paying students who apply to an eligible KTH master’s programme as first priority and meet its admission requirements. Joint Erasmus+ and EIT programmes are excluded.
- Deadline: Scholarship application opens 1 December 2026 and closes 15 January 2027; documents at universityadmissions.se are due 1 February; results 1 April 2027.
- Funding: Partly funded
4. Chalmers University of Technology Scholarships for Fee-Paying Students
Chalmers-administered master’s scholarships (Avancez, IPOET, US Friends of Chalmers, Adlerbert); offers are valid for two years of study. Coverage amounts are not stated on the page.
- Who can apply: Prospective fee-paying master’s students who have applied at universityadmissions.se; financial status is not considered.
- Deadline: Scholarship application runs from late November 2026 to mid January 2027 and aligns with the programme application deadline, which is 15 January 2027 (midnight CET).
- Funding: Funding: see the official page
5. Stockholm University Scholarship Scheme
Covers the whole tuition fee for a master’s programme at Stockholm University; students pay their own living costs.
- Who can apply: Non EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who must pay tuition and are admitted in the first (international) admission round; priority to those listing Stockholm University first.
- Deadline: No separate deadline: eligible students get an application form by email after selection results are published, and results are sent by the end of April.
- Funding: Partly funded
6. Aalto University Excellence Scholarship
A merit-based waiver of the full tuition fee for the normative study period; living costs are not covered.
- Who can apply: Applicants liable for tuition fees (most non-EU/EEA citizens in English-taught programmes); EU/EEA and Swiss citizens are not eligible.
- Deadline: Request it in the admission form; the master’s application period for autumn 2027 runs from 7 December 2026 at 9:00 to 5 January 2027 at 15:00 (UTC+2).
- Funding: Partly funded
7. University of Helsinki Scholarship Programme
A 50 percent or 100 percent tuition fee waiver (fees are 13,000 to 18,000 EUR per year) for two years; most awards are 50 percent waivers.
- Who can apply: Applicants eligible for a Helsinki master’s programme who are liable for tuition fees (non-EU/EEA without Finnish permanent residence) and have excellent previous results.
- Deadline: Apply in the same form as the master’s application; the application period for studies starting in autumn 2027 is 5 to 19 January 2027 (no time given).
- Funding: Partly funded
8. Tampere University Tuition Fee Scholarship
Covers 50 percent of tuition fees for the programme duration (fees 10,000 EUR bachelor’s, 12,000 EUR master’s per year); a 2,000 EUR early bird reduction is also offered.
- Who can apply: Fee-paying (non EU/EEA/Swiss) applicants; highly selective and not offered in every programme (nine awarded in 2026 admission).
- Deadline: Apply as part of the admission application; the English-taught master’s application period runs from 14 December 2026 at 8:00 to 7 January 2027 at 23:59 (UTC+2).
- Funding: Partly funded
9. Aarhus University Danish State Scholarship
Full or partial tuition waiver, in some faculties (Arts, Aarhus BSS) plus a monthly living grant; usually one or two per master’s programme.
- Who can apply: Applicants liable to pay tuition fees (non-EU/EEA), with priority to excellent academic qualifications. EU/EEA/Swiss students cannot apply.
- Deadline: No separate application; you are assessed when you apply for admission. Summer intake applications opened 5 November 2026 and the non-EU deadline is 15 January (no time given).
- Funding: Partly funded
10. University of Copenhagen Danish Government Scholarship
Full or partial tuition waivers and/or an amount for basic living expenses; the Faculty of Science award covers tuition and living expenses for 22 months.
- Who can apply: Citizens of countries outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland admitted to a UCPH master’s programme with a time-limited Danish study residence permit; selection on academic achievement only.
- Deadline: No separate application; applicants are considered automatically. The master’s deadline for non-EU applicants is listed as 15 January at 23:59 (CET) for September intake, without a year.
- Funding: Partly funded
How we ranked them
This is an editorial selection, not a formula. We looked at how much each award pays (full funding ranks above fee reductions), how open it is to international applicants, and whether the official page is clear and current. Every detail was checked on the official page on October 30, 2026. No university or funder paid to be included.
Also see the DTU Tuition Fee Waiver, Linnaeus University, Malmö University and Jönköping University scholarships.
Frequently asked questions
Are Nordic scholarships fully funded?
Mostly not. The majority on this list cover part or all of the tuition fee. A few, where the official page says so, also help with living costs.
When do Nordic applications close?
Several deadlines on this list fall in January 2027, often tied to the university’s main admission round. Check each listing.
Before you apply
Read how to write a scholarship motivation letter, check which English test you need in IELTS vs TOEFL vs Duolingo, and see every upcoming date in the scholarship deadline calendar.