Top 30 Fully Funded Scholarships You Can Still Apply For in 2027

It is 21 October 2026. If you have been reading scholarship blogs since summer, you have probably absorbed a depressing message: everything good closed in September. That message is half true — several famous programmes (Chevening, Knight-Hennessy, McCall MacBain’s international round) have indeed shut for 2027 entry, and we list them honestly at the end so you stop wasting time on them. But the other half is better than most people realise: some of the world’s best-funded scholarships have deadlines in November 2026, December 2026, January 2027 and right through spring 2027. This article ranks the 30 strongest of them by how soon you must act.

How to read the dates: a deadline marked verified was published for the current cycle when we checked on 21 October 2026. A deadline marked expected (TBC) follows the programme’s established annual pattern because the new call has not been published yet — treat it as a planning date and confirm on the official site the moment the call opens. Nothing here is invented: where a funder has not published 2027 dates, we say so. Use our deadline tracker and scholarship tools to manage several of these applications at once, and browse the wider list in the scholarship directory.

The 30 at a glance

Closing in November–December 2026: act this month

1. Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship — University of Toronto

Full tuition, books, incidental fees and residence for four years. The catch is structural: only students nominated by their school (deadline passed 9 October 2026) can complete the scholarship application, due 6 November 2026, for September 2027 entry. If you were nominated, this is now the most urgent deadline on this page. If you were not, you have learned the single most valuable lesson in scholarship hunting — nomination-based awards are won a year early.

2. AAUW International Fellowships — United States

AAUW’s fellowships support women from outside the US for full-time graduate study or postdoctoral research at accredited US institutions, with awards that — combined with institutional funding — can complete a full package. The annual deadline falls in mid-November (the current cycle’s exact date must be confirmed on AAUW’s official site). Eligibility turns on not holding US citizenship/permanent residency and intending to return home after study.

3. UBC International Scholars Program — Canada

Need-and-merit awards up to full tuition plus living costs at the University of British Columbia, across the Karen McKellin, Wehrung, International Impact and Vantage One Excellence streams. The award application closes 15 November 2026 (verified), and your UBC admission application must be in by 1 December 2026 for scholarship consideration. You need a nominator and a separate teacher referee — arrange both this week.

4. ETH Zurich Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme — Switzerland

ETH’s ESOP covers a full living-and-study stipend plus a tuition waiver for master’s study at one of the world’s top technical universities. The application window runs with the first master’s application round in November, with the deadline expected on 30 November 2026 based on the established cycle (TBC on ETH’s site). You apply through the ETH admission process — there is no separate scholarship form, but you must opt in and supply the required pre-proposal for a master’s thesis.

5. Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS)

One of Asia’s most generous doctoral packages: an annual stipend of HK$344,400 plus a conference/research travel allowance of HK$14,400 per year for up to three years, across Hong Kong’s eight UGC-funded universities, with 400 fellowships for 2027/28. The two-step deadline is verified: submit the initial RGC application by 1 December 2026, 12:00 noon Hong Kong time, then the full university application the same day. Contacting a prospective supervisor before applying is, in practice, close to mandatory.

6. TU Delft Justus & Louise van Effen Excellence Scholarship — Netherlands

A full-tuition scholarship plus a contribution to living costs for outstanding international master’s applicants at TU Delft, awarded per faculty. The deadline has historically been 1 December for the following academic year (expected 1 December 2026, TBC). You must first complete a TU Delft admission application — start it in October, because document legalisation slows many applicants down.

7. SINGA — Singapore International Graduate Award

SINGA funds PhD research across A*STAR institutes and Singapore’s autonomous universities: full tuition, a monthly stipend (increased after passing the qualifying examination), a one-off settling-in allowance and a one-time airfare grant. For the August 2027 intake, the application deadline is expected on 1 December 2026 following the scheme’s established intake calendar (TBC on the official SINGA page). No separate supervisor application is needed — you nominate research areas and supervisors within the form.

8. Gates Cambridge — United Kingdom

Full-cost Cambridge funding: tuition, maintenance of £23,152 for 12 months (2026-27 rate), one economy airfare each way, visa costs and the Immigration Health Surcharge. The US-citizen round closed on 14 October 2026, but the international round closes on 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027 depending on your course’s funding deadline (verified). You apply through Cambridge’s graduate application, ticking the funding section — there is no separate Gates form. Profile: Gates Cambridge.

Closing January–February 2027: the big winter window

9. France Excellence Eiffel Scholarship

France’s flagship pays a monthly allowance of €1,200 (master’s) / €2,100 (doctoral) from January 2026, plus a return international flight, national travel and health insurance — but not tuition, which institutions frequently waive for Eiffel scholars. You cannot apply directly: a French institution must nominate you, and institutions submit to Campus France by 6 January 2027 (verified; the call opened 2 October 2026). University internal deadlines fall in November–December 2026, so approach institutions now.

10. KAUST Fellowship — Saudi Arabia

Automatic with admission to KAUST’s STEM master’s and PhD programmes: tuition up to USD 35,000/year, stipend of USD 20,000/year (master’s) or USD 25,000–30,000/year (PhD), campus accommodation, health insurance and relocation support including travel. Fall 2027 application rounds close around early January 2027 — confirm the exact round dates on KAUST’s official admissions pages, as rounds have shifted between years.

11. Amsterdam Merit Scholarship — Netherlands

The University of Amsterdam’s merit scholarships for non-EEA master’s students range up to full tuition plus a living-cost contribution at the top end. Faculty deadlines cluster around 15 January 2027 (expected, following the established cycle; some faculties differ). An admission application must be complete first, so the real deadline is your faculty’s admission cut-off, not the scholarship date.

12. Stipendium Hungaricum — Hungary

Hungary’s government scheme covers tuition, a monthly stipend, an accommodation contribution (dormitory or HUF 40,000/month) and medical insurance — note it does not cover your flight. The 2027/28 call is expected to open in November 2026 with the established deadline of 15 January 2027, 14:00 CET (TBC; the previous cycle closed 15 January 2026). You must also meet your sending partner’s national process, which can close earlier.

13. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters — Europe

Dozens of consortium master’s programmes, each with its own window between roughly October 2026 and February 2027: participation costs paid plus a €1,400/month scholarship for up to 24 months while you study in at least two European countries. There is no single Erasmus Mundus deadline — the catalogue entry for each programme is the only authority. Shortlist three programmes now and calendar each window separately. Profile: Erasmus Mundus.

14. DAAD EPOS — Germany

EPOS funds development-related master’s and doctoral courses with €992/month (doctoral €1,300, rising to €1,400 from February 2026), travel allowance, insurance and possible rent subsidy. Each of the ~40 eligible courses sets its own deadline — they run from autumn 2026 into 2027 — so the correct move is to pick your course from the official EPOS list and work to its date. Most courses require at least two years of relevant professional experience. Profile: DAAD Scholarship, and compare German funding routes in our rankings and guides.

15. MEXT University Recommendation — Japan

Parallel to the embassy track, Japanese universities nominate graduate applicants directly. Windows are university-specific, concentrated in November 2026 – January 2027 for October 2027 entry. The package mirrors embassy-track MEXT: tuition exemption, monthly stipend and a return economy air ticket. You need a receiving professor’s support, so supervisor outreach in October–November is the real deadline. Profile: MEXT Scholarship.

16. Need-based full rides via US admission — Harvard, Yale and peers

Not a scholarship application at all: at a small group of US universities, admitted international undergraduates receive need-based aid meeting their full demonstrated need. The “deadline” is the admission deadline — Regular Decision in early January 2027 for fall 2027 entry (with financial-aid forms such as the CSS Profile due at the same time). Aid generosity and need-aware vs need-blind policies differ by institution and are stated on each admissions site; verify before assuming a full ride is available to internationals at your target.

17. Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals — Sweden

Full tuition plus a monthly living allowance (SEK 12,000/month in recent cycles), a travel grant and insurance, for master’s applicants from eligible countries with documented work and leadership experience. The two-step process is the trap: you must first apply for your master’s programme through University Admissions by 15 January 2027, then submit the SI scholarship application in the portal window expected in February 2027 (previous pattern roughly 9–25 February; TBC).

18. Türkiye Burslari — Turkey

Tuition, free dormitory accommodation, a monthly stipend (published at 4,500 TL bachelor’s / 6,500 TL master’s / 9,000 TL PhD, revised periodically), health insurance, a one-off flight ticket and a free one-year Turkish language course. The application window has run 10 January – 20 February for years; the 2027 window is expected on the same pattern (TBC on turkiyeburslari.gov.tr). No prior admission is needed — placement is part of the award.

19. York University International Scholarship of Distinction — Canada

York’s renewable entrance award — published at CAD 45,000/year for up to four years (verify the current value) — is applied for alongside admission, with major-award applications expected to close in early February 2027 for fall entry (TBC). One of the few remaining North American undergraduate full-ride routes in the winter window.

20. Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) — China

Tuition, dormitory accommodation (or a housing subsidy), monthly stipend and medical insurance for study at 300+ Chinese universities. The application season for the next cycle is expected to run January–April 2027 through the Campuschina portal and dispatching authorities (TBC per agency and country). Remember the fine print from our accommodation-and-airfare analysis: standard CSC does not include international airfare.

21. Global Korea Scholarship — Graduate (GKS-G)

Korea’s flagship: tuition (up to KRW 5 million/semester, university waives the excess), entry/exit airfare at actual cost, a one-year Korean language programme, and an integrated annual allowance (KRW 16.56 million in the degree phase per 2027 figures) covering living costs including accommodation. Embassy-track applications for the graduate programme are expected in February 2027 (TBC; 2027 undergraduate guidelines were published in autumn 2026, graduate guidelines follow in winter). University-track deadlines are set by each university.

Opening or closing March–May 2027: the spring window

22. Australia Awards — 2028 intake

Full tuition, return airfare, establishment allowance, fortnightly living contribution and health cover for citizens of partner countries. Rounds for the following intake have consistently opened on 1 February and closed 30 April; the 2028-intake round is expected on that pattern in 2027 (TBC by country — some countries run different windows). This funds study starting in 2028: a long runway, but an unbeatable package. Profile: Australia Awards.

23. Fulbright Foreign Student Program — United States

There is no global Fulbright deadline: each country’s commission or US embassy runs its own competition, and most open in early 2027 with deadlines between February and May 2027 for the 2028-29 academic year. The package typically covers tuition, round-trip airfare, a monthly stipend and health coverage. Find your country’s programme page now and calendar its date — Fulbright is the most commonly missed deadline on this list because applicants search for a single global one.

24. Government of Ireland International Education Scholarship (GOI-IES)

One year of funding for a master’s or PhD in Ireland: a full tuition waiver plus a €10,000 stipend. The call is expected to open in late January 2027 with a mid-March 2027 deadline (previous-cycle pattern; TBC). The strategic catch: you must already hold an offer from an Irish institution, so admission applications belong in autumn 2026.

25. Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships

Tuition, air travel, living and establishment allowances and insurance for partner-country citizens. Application rounds have opened around February–March; the 2027 round is expected on that pattern (TBC — eligibility is country- and sector-specific and published per round).

26. Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Programme

Funding for postgraduate study for outstanding students from eligible developing countries with no other means of financing. Be precise about the model: awards are structured as half grant, half interest-free loan repaid over five years — generous and genuinely enabling, but not a pure grant. Applications run through Aga Khan Foundation country units with a deadline expected on 31 March 2027 (previous-cycle pattern; TBC).

27. Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP)

For mid-career professionals from developing countries admitted to participating development-related master’s programmes: tuition, a monthly living stipend, round-trip airfare and health insurance. Two application windows have run in recent cycles — roughly January–February and March–May 2027 (expected; TBC) — each tied to a list of participating programmes. You need the admission offer first.

28. Melbourne Graduate Research Scholarships / RTP — Australia

The University of Melbourne and other Australian universities run multiple research-scholarship rounds a year. The federal RTP base stipend is AUD 34,315 (2026), rising to AUD 35,550 (2027), with many universities paying above base and adding fee offsets for internationals. Deadlines are round- and faculty-specific through 2027 — check the round calendar rather than assuming a single date. See our University of Melbourne profile.

29. Rotary Peace Fellowship

Full funding for master’s degrees (and a professional development certificate) at Rotary Peace Centers: tuition, room and board, round-trip transportation and field-study expenses. Applications for the next cycle are expected to open on 1 February 2027 with a 15 May 2027 deadline (established pattern; TBC). Requires several years of relevant work experience — this is a mid-career award, not a fresh-graduate one.

30. MEXT Embassy Track — Japan (2028 intake)

The cycle restarts: embassy-track MEXT applications for 2028 intake are expected in April–May 2027 in most countries (previous-cycle pattern; your Japanese embassy publishes the exact dates). Undergraduate, research-student and teacher-training categories each have their own forms. If your 2027 options fall through, this is the first fully funded deadline of the next season — prepare documents from February 2027.

Already closed for 2027 entry — plan these for 2028

• Chevening (UK): 2027-28 applications closed 6 October 2026. Next round expected autumn 2027.
• Knight-Hennessy Scholars (Stanford): 2027-cohort application closed 6 October 2026. (Applicants from that round must still file their Stanford programme application by its deadline or 1 December 2026, whichever is earlier.)
• McCall MacBain (McGill): international deadline for the 2027 cohort was 19 August 2026; next cycle expected to open around June 2027.
• Schwarzman Scholars: the international application for the 2027-28 cohort closed in September 2026.
• Gates Cambridge — US round: closed 14 October 2026 (the international round, entry 8 above, remains open).
• CGRS-D (Canada): the direct-to-agency deadline for the current competition fell in mid-October 2026 and has just passed; some institutional processes conclude on their own calendars, so doctoral students already inside a Canadian university competition should confirm their status with their graduate office — everyone else should target the autumn 2027 competition. Remember: CGRS-D is the replacement for the discontinued Vanier scholarship; do not apply to Vanier.
• Destination Australia: closed programme (funding ceased 1 July 2024) — listed here because outdated sites still promote it.

Your month-by-month action calendar

Eligibility and how to apply (the pattern behind all 30)

Eligibility clusters into three families. Government flagships (MEXT, GKS, Türkiye, CSC, Australia Awards, Manaaki, Hungaricum, Fulbright) require citizenship of eligible countries and often impose return-home or service obligations. University fellowships (Gates Cambridge, KAUST, ETH, TU Delft, Amsterdam Merit, Melbourne) require admission to that university — the scholarship decision rides on the admission file. Mission awards (Rotary Peace, JJ/WBGSP, Aga Khan, Swedish Institute) require work experience and a development narrative. The application rhythm is the same everywhere:

1. Pick 4–6 targets across two deadline clusters (e.g., two December, three January–February, one spring) so a single rejection never ends your season.
2. Start with the gate, not the essay: nominations (Pearson, UBC), supervisor consent (HKPFS, MEXT university track), prior admission (GOI-IES, JJ/WBGSP, Amsterdam) — each must be unlocked before the form matters.
3. Build one master document folder (below) and adapt it per programme instead of starting from zero each time.
4. Submit 7+ days early. Portals fail on deadline day every single cycle; referees also need their own margin.
5. Verify TBC dates the week each call opens — expected dates in this article are planning aids, not promises.

Required documents (master checklist)

• Passport (valid at least into 2028 for 2027 intakes)
• Transcripts and degree certificates, with certified translations and legalisation where required (TU Delft and Hungaricum applicants: start early)
• Language test results where required — several of these schemes still require IELTS/TOEFL or equivalents; for IELTS-free strategy see fully funded scholarships without IELTS
• CV, statement of purpose/study plan, research proposal (doctoral and research master’s)
• Two to three referee letters — request them at least six weeks before the first deadline
• Financial-need documentation for need-based awards; work-experience letters for mission awards (SI, Rotary, JJ/WBGSP)

How to improve your chances in a compressed season

• Sequence by reversibility. Do the applications whose gates close first (nominations, supervisor emails) before polishing essays for February deadlines.
• Reuse with tailoring. A strong core statement can serve Erasmus Mundus, EPOS and Eiffel — but each funder scores different criteria; rewrite the motivation paragraphs, keep the evidence.
• For doctoral routes, the supervisor email is the application. HKPFS and MEXT outcomes are decided largely by whether a professor champions your file.
• Track everything in one place. A single tracker with deadline, timezone, referee status and submission confirmation prevents the classic “applied to the wrong cycle” disaster. Our guides section has planning walkthroughs for the major schemes.

Common mistakes

• Applying to closed programmes. Chevening and Knight-Hennessy content dominates social media weeks after their deadlines pass. Check the date before the dream.
• Treating “expected (TBC)” dates as confirmed. They are pattern-based planning dates; the official call is the only authority.
• Missing the hidden first deadline — programme admission before the Swedish Institute portal, an Irish offer before GOI-IES, school nomination before Pearson.
• Searching for a single Fulbright deadline. There isn’t one; it is set per country.
• Letting one mega-application eat the season. Gates Cambridge is glorious and a lottery; pair it with EPOS, Eiffel or Erasmus Mundus applications that reuse the same documents.

FAQs

What is the very next fully funded deadline after 21 October 2026?

For nominated Pearson students, 6 November 2026. For open applications, UBC International Scholars on 15 November 2026, followed by the 1 December cluster: Hong Kong PhD Fellowship, TU Delft van Effen and SINGA (the latter two on their established calendars).

Is Chevening still open for 2027?

No. Chevening applications for 2027-28 closed on 6 October 2026. The next round is expected to open in autumn 2027 for 2028-29 entry.

Which of these 30 have verified — not estimated — deadlines?

Pearson (6 Nov 2026), UBC (15 Nov 2026), HKPFS (1 Dec 2026), Gates Cambridge international round (8 Dec 2026 / 6 Jan 2027), Eiffel (institutions by 6 Jan 2027), plus the Erasmus Mundus and DAAD EPOS models where each programme/course publishes its own date. Everything else is labelled expected (TBC) in the table and follows the funder’s established annual pattern.

Can I apply to several of these at once?

Yes, and you should. The main restrictions are internal: some funders limit simultaneous applications to the same scheme (one Erasmus Mundus cycle can allow multiple programme applications — check per consortium), and holding two government awards at once is generally not permitted. Applying widely and choosing later is normal.

I missed everything for 2027 entry. What is my earliest next chance?

The spring-2027 items on this list that fund later starts (Australia Awards 2028 intake, Fulbright 2028-29 in most countries, MEXT embassy track in April–May 2027), followed by the autumn 2027 mega-season: Chevening, Knight-Hennessy, McCall MacBain and Schwarzman for 2028 entry.

Are any of these open to undergraduates?

Yes: Pearson and UBC (with nomination), Türkiye Burslari, GKS (undergraduate guidelines were published in autumn 2026; the embassy-track window has largely run — check your embassy for university-track options), CSC, Stipendium Hungaricum, MEXT embassy track, and US need-based aid via admission.

Do these scholarships require IELTS?

Many do not require IELTS specifically but accept alternatives or exemptions; rules are set per programme and university. Our companion guide to fully funded scholarships in Canada and the without-IELTS list linked above explain the mechanisms in detail.

Sources & Verification

• Campus France — France Excellence Eiffel 2027 call (opened 2 Oct 2026; institutions submit by 6 Jan 2027; results week of 12 Apr 2027): campusfrance.org
• University of Hong Kong Graduate School — HKPFS 2027/28 (initial application by 1 Dec 2026, 12:00 noon HKT; HK$344,400 annual stipend): gradsch.hku.hk
• University of British Columbia — International Scholars Program 2027 (application opened 5 Oct 2026; deadline 15 Nov 2026): you.ubc.ca
• Gates Cambridge Trust — 2027/28 rounds (US round 14 Oct 2026; international 8 Dec 2026 / 6 Jan 2027 by course) and funding components.
• KAUST Admissions — Fees & Funding and Fall 2027 application rounds: admissions.kaust.edu.sa
• Tempus Public Foundation — Stipendium Hungaricum application portal and cycle pattern (call expected Nov 2026; deadline 15 Jan, previous cycle closed 15 Jan 2026): apply.stipendiumhungaricum.hu

For the complete deadline picture, see our companion list of fully funded scholarships with deadlines in 2027.

Disclaimer: This list reflects the position checked on 21 October 2026. Deadlines marked “expected (TBC)” are based on the funder’s previous cycle and are not yet official — confirm every date on the official programme website before investing in an application. StudyGraduate is an information portal, not an agency; we cannot guarantee admission, scholarship selection or visa approval.