How much do scholarships pay? Official stipends compared

“Fully funded” is the phrase that sells a scholarship, and it is also the one that hides the most. Two awards can both carry the label and leave you with very different amounts to live on, or with very different bills still to pay.

So we went back to the source. Below are the stipend amounts that scholarship programmes publish on their own official pages, checked on October 30, 2026, together with what else each award covers and, just as important, what it does not.

How we compared them

• Official figures only. Every amount comes from the programme’s own page. Where a page gives no amount, the scholarship is not in the table.
• No currency conversion. Exchange rates change daily, so each amount stays in the currency the programme pays it in.
• Monthly figures are our arithmetic. Where a programme quotes a yearly amount, we divided it by 12 to give a rough monthly figure. That is for comparison only; programmes may pay in different instalments.

Scholarship stipend amounts at a glance

Scholarship	Country	Official amount	Roughly per month	Tuition
Gates Cambridge	UK	GBP 23,152 a year (2026/27)	GBP 1,929	Covered
Rhodes Scholarship	UK	GBP 20,400 a year (2025/26)	GBP 1,700	Covered
Hong Kong PhD Fellowship	Hong Kong	HK$344,400 a year (2026/27)	HK$28,700	Not stated as covered
Swiss Government Excellence	Switzerland	CHF 2,450 a month	CHF 2,450	Not covered
ETH Zurich ESOP	Switzerland	CHF 13,500 a semester (from autumn 2027)	See note	Waived
EPFL Excellence Fellowships	Switzerland	CHF 10,000 a semester	See note	Not stated as covered
Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters	Several countries	EUR 1,400 a month	EUR 1,400	No fees charged
Eiffel Excellence	France	EUR 1,200 a month (master’s), EUR 2,000 (PhD)	EUR 1,200 or 2,000	Not covered
DAAD Scholarships	Germany	EUR 992 a month (students), EUR 1,300 (doctoral)	EUR 992 or 1,300	Not stated
Heinrich Böll Foundation	Germany	EUR 992 a month (master’s), EUR 1,500 (doctoral)	EUR 992 or 1,500	Possible reimbursement
Government of Ireland Scholarships	Ireland	EUR 10,000 for one year	EUR 833	Fee waiver
Stipendium Hungaricum	Hungary	HUF 43,700 a month (bachelor’s and master’s)	HUF 43,700	Free

Note on ETH Zurich and EPFL: both quote a semester amount. Spread over a six-month semester, CHF 13,500 is about CHF 2,250 a month and CHF 10,000 about CHF 1,667 a month.

What each scholarship covers beyond the stipend

The monthly figure is only half the story. Flights, visas and health insurance can add up quickly, and these are the extras each programme lists on its official page:

• Gates Cambridge: the full course fee, one economy airfare at the start and end of the course, visa costs and the Immigration Health Surcharge.
• Rhodes: course fees, visa and health surcharge costs, and two economy return flights.
• Hong Kong PhD Fellowship: a travel allowance, for up to three years of PhD study.
• Swiss Government Excellence: health insurance and a return flight allowance for holders from outside the EU and EFTA. It does not cover tuition or semester fees.
• ETH Zurich ESOP: a tuition fee waiver for the whole master’s.
• EPFL Excellence Fellowships: guaranteed housing.
• Erasmus Mundus: no tuition or other mandatory participation fees, plus support for travel, visa and installation costs.
• Eiffel: airfare, health insurance, help with housing and cultural activities, but not tuition fees.
• DAAD: a travel allowance and often health insurance.
• Heinrich Böll Foundation: support for health insurance and possible reimbursement of tuition and language courses.
• Government of Ireland: a full fee waiver from the host institution, for one year of study.
• Stipendium Hungaricum: free tuition, a dormitory place or housing contribution and medical insurance. The official site says the stipend does not fully cover living costs, so students need their own funds.

Three things the numbers tell you

1. The biggest stipend is not always the best deal. The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship pays CHF 2,450 a month, but it does not cover tuition or semester fees, so check those costs at your host university first.

2. “Partly funded” can still be generous. Eiffel pays EUR 1,200 to 2,000 a month plus airfare and insurance, but because it does not cover tuition, we list it as partly funded. Whether that works for you depends on the fees at your French university.

3. Compare the stipend with where you will live. A monthly allowance means little on its own. Before you choose, look up rent and living costs in the city where you would study, ideally on the university’s own international student pages.

Paid programmes that are not scholarships

Some internships and research programmes also pay. These amounts come from their official pages:

• KAUST Visiting Student Research Program: USD 1,000 a month, plus housing and return airfare.
• WIPO Internship Program: CHF 1,645 to 2,170 a month.
• CERN Summer Student Programme: a daily allowance of CHF 94.
• Google Summer of Code: USD 750 to 6,600 in total, depending on project size and country, paid after passing evaluations.

Frequently asked questions

Which scholarship pays the most?

It depends on the currency, the city and what else is covered. On yearly figures, Gates Cambridge (GBP 23,152) and Rhodes (GBP 20,400) are among the highest in our listings, and both also pay course fees and travel.

Is the stipend taxed?

That depends on the country and on your situation. The official pages we used do not say, so ask the scholarship office or the university’s international student team.

Do stipends go up each year?

Several programmes quote a figure for a specific academic year, such as Gates Cambridge for 2026/27 and Rhodes for 2025/26, which suggests the amount is reviewed. Check the official page for the year you will start.

Find the right scholarship

Compare full details and next deadlines in our Scholarships listings, see the scholarship deadline calendar, or start with our Top 10 fully funded scholarships for international students.