Scholarships with no age limit: which major awards accept older applicants
Scholarships with no age limit and those that set one: Chevening, Erasmus Mundus, DAAD, Commonwealth, Gates Cambridge, Fulbright, Humphrey and more, checked against official rules.
“Am I too old for a scholarship?” is one of the quietest questions in study abroad, and one of the most common. People in their thirties and forties type it into search engines late at night, often after years of work, a family, or a career that took a different turn.
The answer is more encouraging than many expect. Several of the world’s best-known scholarships set no upper age limit at all. Others do have a cut-off, and it is better to know that before you spend weeks on an application. We checked the official rules of 20 scholarships and fellowships on October 30, 2026.
Scholarships with no upper age limit
These programmes state on their official pages that there is no age limit, or set no age limit in their rules:
- Chevening Scholarships (UK): its official page says there is no upper age limit (Chevening). You do need at least two years of work experience.
- Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships (UK): the CSC says there is no age limit for its applications (CSC).
- DAAD Scholarships (Germany): the DAAD says there is usually no fixed age limit, although most programmes limit how long ago you finished your last degree (DAAD).
- Heinrich Böll Foundation (Germany): the foundation says it does not set age limits (Heinrich Böll Foundation).
- Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (Europe): no age limit is stated in the EU’s Programme Guide (European Commission).
- Gates Cambridge Scholarship (UK): no age limit is stated on its eligibility pages (Gates Cambridge).
- Stipendium Hungaricum (Hungary): applicants must be at least 18, and no upper age limit is stated in the call (Stipendium Hungaricum).
- Fulbright Foreign Student Program (US): no age limit is stated on the central programme page, but each country’s Fulbright office sets its own rules (Fulbright).
Fellowships designed for mid-career professionals
If you have years of experience, some programmes are built for you rather than merely open to you:
- Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship (US): no age limit is stated, and it requires at least five years of full-time professional experience (Humphrey Fellowship).
- Yale World Fellows (US): there is no minimum or maximum age; applicants should be five to 25 years into their careers (Yale).
Scholarships with no age limit but a time limit
Some programmes do not set an age, but they do limit how long ago you finished your degree:
- Knight-Hennessy Scholars (Stanford): there is no age restriction, but for the 2027 cohort your first bachelor’s degree had to be earned in January 2020 or later (Knight-Hennessy).
- DAAD: as above, most programmes limit the time since your last degree.
Scholarships that do set an age limit
| Scholarship | Official age rule |
|---|---|
| Schwarzman Scholars | At least 18 and under 29 on 1 August of the enrolment year |
| Global Korea Scholarship | Under 25 for undergraduate, under 40 for graduate study |
| MEXT Research Students | For 2027: born on or after 2 April 1992, so about 35 or under |
| Türkiye Scholarships | Under 21 for bachelor’s, under 30 for master’s, under 35 for PhD, under 50 for research scholarships |
| Eiffel Excellence Scholarship | Up to 29 for master’s and up to 35 for PhD (2027 session) |
| Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships | Research scholarships: maximum age 35 |
| ADB-Japan Scholarship | Not more than 35 when you apply |
| Rhodes Scholarship | Varies by constituency; typically 18 to 24, or under 27 for those who finished a first degree recently |
Sources: Schwarzman, GKS, MEXT, Türkiye Burslari, Campus France, SERI, ADB, Rhodes Trust.
Several pages, such as Eiffel and the Swiss Government scholarships, do not say on which date your age is measured. Check the call for your year.
Applying when you are older: what helps
- Make your experience the centre of the application. Programmes like Chevening and Humphrey ask for work experience, so years in work are an asset, not a gap.
- Explain why now. Committees want to know why this course, at this point in your career, and what you will do afterwards.
- Check the time-since-degree rule. Even without an age limit, some programmes limit how long ago you graduated.
- Plan for family. Some scholarships, such as Chevening, do not pay for dependants. Read the terms before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a scholarship at 35 or 40?
Yes. Chevening, Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships, Erasmus Mundus, Gates Cambridge and the Heinrich Böll Foundation set no upper age limit on their official pages, and the Global Korea Scholarship accepts graduate applicants under 40.
Is there an age limit for master’s scholarships?
It depends on the scholarship. Some set none, such as Chevening and Erasmus Mundus. Others do: Schwarzman requires applicants under 29, and Türkiye Scholarships requires master’s applicants to be under 30.
Are there scholarships for people over 50?
Few major scholarships say they are designed for that age group, but the programmes without an upper age limit listed above are open to you if you meet their other conditions.
Next steps
See Chevening: 13 questions answered, compare options in the Top 10 fully funded master’s scholarships, and if your grades are a worry, read how to get into university with a low GPA.