Fully Funded Scholarships with Accommodation and Airfare for International Students 2027

Tuition is the cost everyone plans for. The two costs that quietly break budgets are the flight to reach your university and the roof over your head once you land. A return long-haul ticket can cost more than a semester of living expenses in some countries, and first-month housing — deposit, advance rent, set-up costs — is due before most stipends even start. That is why this list applies a strict filter: every programme in the main ranking below covers both airfare and accommodation in its official benefit package for 2027.

Read the mechanisms carefully, because “accommodation covered” means three different things in practice. Some programmes provide housing directly (a dormitory room or campus apartment is assigned to you — Türkiye Burslari, KAUST, the Chinese CSC dormitory model). Some pay a housing or living allowance from which you rent privately (Chevening, Fulbright, Australia Awards, Gates Cambridge). And some do a hybrid: a stipend sized to cover rent plus priority access to subsidised university residences (MEXT, GKS). We state the exact mechanism for every entry — and at the end we list famous programmes that fail the test (including one very popular scholarship that provides dormitories but pointedly does not pay your international flight), so you are never caught out. For the full funding landscape, browse our scholarship directory; for cost context by city, try the tools in our tools library.

At a glance: how each scholarship handles housing and flights

The programmes, mechanism by mechanism

1. Fulbright Foreign Student Program — United States

The classic full package. Fulbright grants for graduate study in the US typically include round-trip international airfare, tuition and fees, a monthly maintenance stipend, a settling-in allowance and health coverage (the Fulbright ASPE plan alongside university insurance). Accommodation is funded through the stipend — you rent your own apartment or university housing — and in several country programmes the grant explicitly itemises a housing allowance plus books and computer allowances. Amounts vary by country commission and host-city costs, so read your country’s grant terms rather than any global figure. Full programme profile: Fulbright Program.

2. Australia Awards Scholarships — Australia

The Australian Government’s package is one of the most precisely documented in the world: full tuition, a single return economy airfare to and from Australia via the most direct route, a one-off establishment allowance as a contribution towards accommodation expenses, textbooks and study materials, a fortnightly Contribution to Living Expenses (CLE), Overseas Student Health Cover, and an Introductory Academic Program before classes start. The housing mechanism is allowance-based: the establishment payment helps you secure your first lease, and the CLE is the money you pay rent from. Pre-course English fees are covered if DFAT deems them necessary. Country eligibility is restricted (mainly partner developing countries, including Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Indonesia) and scholars must leave Australia for two years after finishing. See our Australia Awards profile.

3. MEXT Scholarship — Japan

Japan’s government scholarship provides an economy-class return air ticket between your home country and Japan, full tuition exemption at national universities, and a monthly stipend (rates differ by level; regional supplemental allowances apply in designated study areas). Housing is the hybrid model: MEXT does not hand you an apartment, but scholars receive priority access to university dormitories and international student houses at subsidised rents, and the stipend is calibrated so that dormitory living is comfortably affordable; outside dormitories, you rent privately from the stipend. Be precise about this when budgeting — the flight is provided, the home is subsidised and stipend-funded, not assigned free. Details in our MEXT Scholarship profile.

4. Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) — South Korea

GKS pays entry and exit airfare at actual cost (note: the guidelines exclude airfare for scholars already resident in Korea and a few specific cases). Since the recent restructuring, most living support is consolidated into an annual allowance — for 2027, KRW 14.4 million per year in the undergraduate degree phase and KRW 16.56 million in the graduate degree phase per the published 2027 figures — which explicitly integrates living expenses including accommodation, health insurance and settlement/return components. Tuition is covered up to KRW 5 million per semester, with the host university waiving the excess and the admission fee. Most scholars live in university dormitories paid from the allowance. Because the allowance is integrated, do not double-count older line items (separate “settlement allowance” figures from pre-restructure cycles) when you budget.

5. Türkiye Burslari — Turkey

The most “everything provided” package on this list. Per YTB’s official benefits page, Türkiye Scholarships provide university placement, tuition, a one-year Turkish language course, accommodation (free student dormitory housing), a once-off flight ticket, general health insurance and a monthly stipend — published at 6,500 TL (associate/bachelor’s), 9,500 TL (master’s) and 13,000 TL (PhD) per month, with a merit track paying double to academically qualified scholars; rates are revised periodically, so confirm the current figures on the official page. Housing here is genuinely provided, not allowance-based, which makes monthly budgeting unusually simple.

6. KAUST Fellowship — Saudi Arabia

Every admitted KAUST graduate student receives the Fellowship automatically. Per KAUST’s official Fees & Funding page it includes full tuition and bench-fee coverage (up to USD 35,000/year), a monthly stipend (USD 20,000/year for master’s students; USD 25,000–30,000/year for PhD), base accommodation included (shared for single students; two-bedroom for married students), health insurance, and relocation support covering visa, relocation and travel costs — with return travel supported on graduation. Total value is estimated by KAUST at USD 70,000–80,000 per year. Housing is provided on the campus in Thuwal (upgrades cost extra). STEM fields only, and English tests are required for admission unless you qualify for KAUST’s exemption — this article’s filter is about housing and flights, not language.

7. Chevening Scholarship — United Kingdom

Chevening covers full tuition, a return airfare to and from the UK, an arrival allowance, and a monthly stipend — with a higher London rate — that is explicitly calculated to cover your accommodation and living expenses. Housing is therefore allowance-funded: most Chevening scholars rent privately or take university halls and pay from the stipend. Note the calendar: applications for the 2027-28 cohort closed on 6 October 2026, so if you are reading this in late October 2026, your target is the 2028-29 round opening in autumn 2027 — but the package described here is the standing model. Profile: Chevening Scholarship.

8. Commonwealth Scholarships — United Kingdom

For citizens of eligible Commonwealth countries, the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission’s terms include approved airfare to and from the UK (normally by the most economical route), full tuition fees, and a monthly stipend covering accommodation and living costs (higher in London), plus allowances such as a warm-clothing allowance on arrival and thesis/child allowances where applicable. As with Chevening, housing is paid from the stipend rather than provided. Profile: Commonwealth Scholarship.

9. Gates Cambridge — United Kingdom

Gates Cambridge is explicit in its core funding list: the University Composition Fee, a maintenance allowance of £23,152 for 12 months (2026-27 rate) from which scholars pay for college or private accommodation, one economy single airfare at the start of the course and one at the end, plus inbound visa costs and the Immigration Health Surcharge. Discretionary top-ups (academic development, dependants, fieldwork) exist but are not guaranteed. For 2027 entry, the US round closed on 14 October 2026; the international round closes by course funding deadline on 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027 — this one is still actionable. Profile: Gates Cambridge.

10. Knight-Hennessy Scholars — United States (Stanford)

Knight-Hennessy’s funding is designed around full cost of attendance: a fellowship covering tuition and associated fees, a stipend for living and educational expenses including room and board, an annual travel stipend intended to cover one economy trip to and from Stanford, and a one-time relocation stipend for newly enrolling scholars. Housing is stipend-based in Stanford-area accommodation. The 2027-cohort application closed on 6 October 2026; the model is described here because it is the benchmark US package for the next cycle. Profile: Knight-Hennessy Scholars.

11. Rhodes Scholarship — United Kingdom (Oxford)

The Rhodes package covers Oxford and college fees, an annual stipend set to cover accommodation and living expenses in Oxford, the Immigration Health Surcharge, and economy airfare to Oxford at the start and back home at the end of the tenure (plus a settling-in allowance). Housing is scholar-arranged — most Rhodes Scholars live in college or university accommodation paid from the stipend. Constituency deadlines mostly fall in mid-2026 to late 2026 and many have passed for 2027 entry; treat this as next-cycle planning unless your constituency’s date says otherwise.

12. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters — Europe

Erasmus Mundus scholarships fund a multi-country master’s with participation costs (including tuition) paid on your behalf and a monthly scholarship of €1,400 for up to 24 months intended to cover travel, visa, installation and living costs — accommodation comes out of that monthly amount as you rotate between at least two European countries. The “airfare” here is not a booked ticket but funded travel money inside the monthly scholarship, which suits the programme’s built-in mobility. Application windows for 2027 entry run programme-by-programme from roughly October 2026 to January/February 2027. Profile: Erasmus Mundus.

13. DAAD EPOS — Germany

EPOS (development-related postgraduate courses) pays €992 per month for master’s students and €1,300 per month for doctoral candidates — rising to €1,400 from February 2026 — plus insurance and a travel allowance covering the journey from your home country to Germany (and back for longer programmes). Accommodation is allowance-based with a safety valve: if your rent exceeds a defined share of the monthly payment, a rent subsidy can be granted on application. Germany’s blocked-account requirement (€11,904/year for the visa) is normally satisfied by the DAAD award letter for EPOS scholars. Profile: DAAD Scholarship.

14. France Excellence Eiffel — France (read the fine print)

Eiffel earns its place on the flights criterion — the programme pays for a return international flight, national travel, and health insurance — but it is the most mis-sold entry on this list, so be exact: Eiffel does not provide housing and does not cover tuition. What you receive is a monthly allowance — €1,200 (master’s) / €2,100 (doctoral) from January 2026 — out of which you pay rent, plus Campus France assistance with finding accommodation (including access to CROUS residences where available). Include Eiffel in your plans only if your tuition is separately waived by your institution, as many French universities do for Eiffel scholars. The 2027 call opened 2 October 2026; institutions submit nominations to Campus France by 6 January 2027, and universities set earlier internal deadlines.

15. Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships — New Zealand

For eligible partner-country citizens, Manaaki covers full tuition, air travel between your home country and New Zealand, a living allowance, an establishment allowance to help with set-up costs in New Zealand, and medical/travel insurance. Housing is allowance-funded in the private or university market. The next application round is expected in early 2027 (previous rounds opened around February–March; confirm on the official Manaaki site, as dates are announced per round).

Near misses: famous scholarships that fail one half of the test

• Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC): provides tuition, free dormitory accommodation (or an accommodation subsidy), a monthly stipend and medical insurance — but international airfare is generally NOT included in the standard CSC package. A free dormitory does not help you pay for the flight to reach it; budget the ticket yourself or confirm a bilateral exception with your dispatching authority.
• Stipendium Hungaricum (Hungary): covers tuition, a monthly stipend and an accommodation contribution (dormitory placement or HUF 40,000/month) — but travel to and from Hungary is explicitly not covered.
• Australia RTP (research scholarships): a generous stipend (base rate AUD 34,315 in 2026; AUD 35,550 in 2027) and tuition offset, but no programme airfare — some universities add small relocation allowances, which is not the same thing.
• Destination Australia: closed to new applicants (funding ceased 1 July 2024). Any site still listing it as open is out of date.

Eligibility snapshot

• Government flagships (Fulbright, Australia Awards, MEXT, GKS, Türkiye, Manaaki, Commonwealth) require citizenship of eligible countries — check your country’s eligibility and quota before anything else.
• University fellowships (KAUST, Gates Cambridge, Knight-Hennessy, Rhodes) are nationality-open or constituency-based and turn on admission to the host university.
• Level: KAUST, Gates Cambridge, EPOS, Eiffel and Knight-Hennessy are graduate-only; Türkiye, GKS and Australia Awards span undergraduate to PhD.
• Return obligations: Australia Awards (two years at home), Fulbright (J-1 two-year home-residence rule where applicable) and several government schemes require you to go home afterwards — factor this into career plans.

How to apply, step by step

1. Filter by the mechanism, not the marketing. For each target, find the official benefits page and identify the exact airfare and accommodation lines. If either is missing, the scholarship belongs in your “partial funding” pile.
2. Check country eligibility and level. Government schemes allocate by nationality; a brilliant application from an ineligible country is wasted work.
3. Secure admission where required. KAUST, Gates Cambridge, Knight-Hennessy and EPOS (course admission) all run through a university application; Türkiye, GKS and MEXT embassy tracks combine placement with selection.
4. Prepare the standard document set (below) and, for allowance-based housing, research real rents in your destination city using our study-abroad hub and cost tools — a stipend that covers rent in Adelaide may not cover it in Sydney.
5. Submit before the deadline in the funder’s timezone and keep the official award letter safe: it is your visa financial evidence.
6. On winning, clarify the logistics in writing: Is the flight booked for you or reimbursed? Is housing assigned, or do you sign a lease? When does the first stipend payment land, and what cash must you bridge until it does?

Required documents (typical)

• Passport; academic transcripts and certificates (with certified translations)
• Admission offer or placement documentation, where the scheme requires it
• Study/research plan or statement of purpose; CV; referee letters
• Language test results where the host requires them (these schemes fund housing and flights — most still test English)
• Medical certificate (MEXT, GKS and Türkiye all require health documentation at defined stages)
• Financial-need evidence for need-assessed schemes

Decision timeline (2027 cycle)

How to improve your chances

• Apply to a portfolio, not a single dream. These packages are among the most competitive in the world; serious applicants run three to five of them in parallel across cycles.
• Match the mission. Government schemes (Australia Awards, Türkiye, Fulbright) select future contributors to home-country development; university fellowships (KAUST, Gates) select research excellence. Write the application the funder is actually scoring.
• Show housing-and-flight literacy in your budget/interview answers. Panels notice candidates who already know how the package works — it signals you will actually arrive and enrol.
• Do not let the flight question surprise you later. If you add a near-miss scholarship (CSC, Hungaricum) to your portfolio, price the ticket now and plan how you would pay it.

Common mistakes

• Assuming “fully funded” includes flights. CSC and Stipendium Hungaricum are routinely described as fully funded while excluding international airfare.
• Double-counting GKS components. The current GKS allowance is integrated; older guides listing separate settlement, dormitory and insurance payments describe a previous structure.
• Expecting Eiffel to pay tuition or provide an apartment. It pays an allowance and a flight; tuition must be waived or paid separately.
• Forgetting arrival cash. Even fully funded scholars need money for the first weeks — deposits, bedding, local transport — before the first stipend lands.
• Ignoring return-home obligations attached to government awards, which affect post-study work plans.

FAQs

Which scholarship gives you a free house AND a free flight?

The closest to “both provided” are Türkiye Burslari (free dormitory accommodation plus a once-off flight ticket), KAUST (campus accommodation included plus relocation/travel support) and MEXT (ticket provided, subsidised dormitory access with stipend). Most others fund both costs through allowances rather than providing them directly — the money outcome is similar, the logistics are on you.

Does the Chinese Government Scholarship pay for flights?

Generally, no. The standard CSC package covers tuition, dormitory accommodation or a housing subsidy, a monthly stipend and medical insurance, but not international airfare. That is why CSC appears in our near-miss section rather than the main list.

Is Chevening’s stipend really enough for London rent?

Chevening pays a higher monthly stipend for scholars studying in London, calculated to cover accommodation and living costs, and scholars also receive an arrival allowance. It is designed to be sufficient for a single scholar in typical student housing — but London rents vary sharply, so choice of accommodation matters.

Do these scholarships pay for dependants’ flights and housing?

Almost never. Airfare and housing benefits are for the scholar only. Some schemes (Gates Cambridge, Commonwealth) offer dependant allowances toward living costs, and KAUST provides family accommodation for eligible married PhD students, but dependants’ flights are normally your own expense.

When is the airfare actually booked — before or after the visa?

Programmes that book travel for you (Australia Awards, Türkiye, MEXT) arrange it after selection and visa grant processes are underway; programmes paying travel allowances (DAAD EPOS, Erasmus Mundus) transfer money you book with. Never book a non-refundable ticket before the funder confirms in writing.

Can I keep money left over from the housing allowance?

For allowance-based schemes, yes — the stipend is yours to budget, and frugal housing leaves more for other costs. For provided housing (Türkiye dormitories, KAUST campus), there is no cash equivalent if you choose to live elsewhere, and living off-campus may not be permitted.

Does Australia Awards really pay for accommodation?

It pays an establishment allowance that explicitly contributes towards accommodation set-up costs, plus a fortnightly living contribution from which rent is paid. It does not assign you a house. The distinction matters for your first-month planning.

Sources & Verification

• KAUST Admissions — Fees & Funding (tuition up to USD 35,000, stipends, base accommodation, relocation support incl. travel): admissions.kaust.edu.sa/fees-funding
• YTB — “Why Türkiye Scholarships?” official benefits page (placement, tuition, language course, accommodation, once-off flight ticket, health insurance, stipends 6,500/9,500/13,000 TL): turkiyeburslari.gov.tr
• Australia Awards / DFAT benefit descriptions via RMIT University — return air travel, establishment allowance, Contribution to Living Expenses, OSHC: rmit.edu.au
• Campus France — France Excellence Eiffel 2027 call (opened 2 Oct 2026; institutional deadline 6 Jan 2027; results week of 12 Apr 2027) and Eiffel programme rules (allowance, international travel paid; tuition not covered): campusfrance.org
• Gates Cambridge Trust — funding components (maintenance £23,152, 2026-27; one economy airfare each way; visa/IHS) and 2027 round deadlines.
• Study in Korea / NIIED — GKS 2027 benefit structure (airfare at actual cost; integrated annual allowances; tuition cap KRW 5 million/semester).

Planning a wider 2027 campaign? Cross-check this list against fully funded scholarships with deadlines in 2027 and compare host universities in our university directory.

Disclaimer: Benefits, stipend rates and travel rules change every cycle and can differ by country of citizenship. Figures above were checked against official sources in October 2026; items marked TBC follow the previous cycle’s pattern and must be confirmed when the new call opens. Always verify the current package on the official programme page before applying. StudyGraduate is an information portal, not an agency; we cannot guarantee selection, admission or visa approval.