How funding for studying in the EU is organised
There is no single EU-wide scholarship that every student can apply to. Funding instead comes from three independent layers: EU-level programmes run by the European Commission and its agencies; national schemes set by each of the 27 countries, which typically separate support for domestic or resident students from dedicated programmes for international applicants — Study in NL, for instance, lists separate funding pages for EU and for non-EU students; and university-level awards or fee waivers on top of both. Because the layers are independent, most students need to check more than one before concluding that no funding is available. [1] [2]
EU-level programmes: Erasmus+, Erasmus Mundus and doctoral funding
A standard Erasmus+ exchange funds part of a degree — usually one or two semesters, or a traineeship — at a partner institution abroad, while the student stays enrolled at home. The European Commission describes the grant as a contribution toward travel and living costs, paid through the student's own institution, with additional funding for students with health conditions. Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees are far more competitive: a full master's degree delivered jointly by at least three institutions in three countries, open worldwide, covering participation costs plus a contribution to travel, visa and living costs — almost 50,000 students since 2004, applying directly to the consortium, typically between October and January. For doctoral candidates, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks fund PhD positions inside international research consortia (a living allowance, a mobility allowance, and family or special-needs support where applicable); there is no direct application — candidates apply to specific vacancies published by funded projects, commonly listed on EURAXESS. [3] [4] [5]
National schemes and university-level funding
National funding splits into two groups. For incoming international students, most countries run a scholarship channel: Germany's DAAD covers DAAD awards plus party-affiliated foundations and business-linked funders; France's Campus France runs a Bourses database alongside named schemes such as France Excellence Eiffel, with the Foreign Ministry directly financing roughly a quarter of its scholarships and the rest from embassies, regions and institutions; the Netherlands' Study in NL lists the Holland Scholarship — and shows how programmes end, since its Orange Knowledge Programme closed to new applicants in 2024. Separately, EU/EEA citizens' home countries sometimes let residents take part of their own domestic support abroad: Germany's Auslands-BAföG is one example, funding study anywhere in the EU or Switzerland for the whole standard duration (non-EU: one year), reachable even by students who would not qualify domestically. These are examples, not a full list — the country guide and national authority remain definitive. Universities add their own entrance scholarships and fee waivers on top. [6] [7] [2] [1] [8]
Finding and applying for funding: step by step
First, work out the actual funding gap — tuition, living costs, insurance, travel — before searching, so it is clear what a scholarship needs to cover. Second, search official databases for the destination and home country in parallel (DAAD, Campus France, Study in NL, Erasmus+, Erasmus Mundus) rather than generic web results. Third, check eligibility closely, since rules on nationality, degree level, subject and prior residence differ by programme. Fourth, track scholarship deadlines separately from admission deadlines — Erasmus Mundus consortia, for example, generally open around October and close around January. Fifth, prepare recurring documents — transcripts, references, language certificates, a motivation letter — well in advance. Sixth, apply to more than one layer at once, since EU, national and university funding are not mutually exclusive. [4] [2] [6]
Common mistakes to avoid
Assuming there is only one deadline: scholarship and admission deadlines are usually set by different bodies and rarely align. Assuming EU citizenship alone guarantees funding abroad: it does not — schemes such as Auslands-BAföG have their own, separate eligibility rules and funding durations. Trusting a single portal: national databases each cover only part of the landscape, and programmes close without much warning, as the Orange Knowledge Programme's 2024 closure shows. Underestimating what a grant actually pays: wording such as ‘a contribution to’ travel and living costs, used for Erasmus+ and Erasmus Mundus, means a remaining gap still needs a plan. Applying to Marie Skłodowska-Curie doctoral funding directly: there is no central application — candidates must find and apply to specific published vacancies. [4] [8] [1] [5]
Can EU citizens get funding to study in another EU country?
Yes, through several routes. National bodies often separate funding for EU students from non-EU students, as Study in NL does. EU citizens may also take part of their home country's own student support abroad — Germany's Auslands-BAföG is one example, open even to some who would not qualify domestically. Erasmus+ and Erasmus Mundus scholarships are open regardless of EU citizenship, subject to their own criteria. [1] [8] [4]
Does an Erasmus+ grant cover the full cost of studying abroad?
Not necessarily. The European Commission describes the Erasmus+ mobility grant as a contribution toward costs such as travel and living expenses, paid through the student's sending institution, with extra support for students with health conditions. The exact amount depends on the destination and the awarding agency or institution, so it is best treated as part of a wider budget rather than the whole of it. [3]
What is the difference between a normal Erasmus+ exchange and Erasmus Mundus?
A standard Erasmus+ exchange is a temporary stay — part of a degree — at a partner institution, with the student remaining enrolled at home. Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees fund an entire master's degree run jointly by at least three institutions in three countries, selected from a worldwide applicant pool, covering participation costs plus a contribution to travel, visa and living costs; almost 50,000 students have taken part since 2004. [4]
How do PhD candidates get EU-funded doctoral positions?
Mainly through Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks, which fund doctoral researchers of any nationality inside international consortia, covering a living allowance, a mobility allowance and, where relevant, family support. There is no single central application: candidates must watch for open vacancies that funded consortia publish, commonly via the EURAXESS portal, and apply directly to that specific project. [5]
How can I tell a genuine scholarship from a scam?
Be cautious of any offer that asks for an upfront fee to ‘release’ funding or that arrives unsolicited by email. Genuine EU and national scholarships — Erasmus+, Erasmus Mundus, MSCA, DAAD, Campus France, Study in NL — are awarded directly by the programme, consortium or institution, with applications running through official portals such as EURAXESS rather than through third parties collecting fees. [7] [2] [5]
Sources
- Students - Erasmus+ · accessed on ↩
- Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters (students) - Erasmus+ · accessed on ↩
- Doctoral Networks - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions · accessed on ↩
- Scholarships for foreign students in France - Campus France · accessed on ↩
- Scholarships - Study in NL (Nuffic) · accessed on ↩
- Scholarships & Funding - DAAD · accessed on ↩
- DAAD Scholarship Database · accessed on ↩
- Auslands-BAföG – Förderung für dein Auslandsstudium · accessed on ↩