The Uppsala University Global Scholarship pays the full tuition fee for an international master’s programme at Uppsala University in Sweden. It is for citizens of countries outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, it is funded by the Swedish Council for Higher Education, and it does not include any money for living costs. Competition is tough: Uppsala says only about 2% of applicants receive a scholarship.
For master’s study starting in autumn 2027, you first apply for the programme on universityadmissions.se by 15 January 2027, with Uppsala as your first choice. Then you fill in Uppsala’s own scholarship form between 16 January and 1 February 2027. That 1 February 2027 date is the scholarship Deadline, and it is also the day your documents and application fee are due at University Admissions.
Uppsala University Global Scholarship at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Host | Uppsala University, Sweden |
| Funded by | Swedish Council for Higher Education |
| Covers | Full tuition fee for an international master’s programme |
| Does not cover | Living costs, travel, insurance or the application fee |
| Who can apply | Citizens of countries outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland who pay tuition |
| Programme rule | The Uppsala programme must be your first choice of four on universityadmissions.se |
| Programme application | Opens 16 October 2026; closes 15 January 2027 |
| Scholarship form | 16 January to 1 February 2027 |
| Deadline | 1 February 2027 |
| Results | With admission results, around 1 April 2027 |
| Success rate | About 2% of applicants |
What the Uppsala Global Scholarship covers
The scholarship removes the full tuition fee for your programme. Uppsala’s fees for non-EU/EEA/Swiss students run from SEK 49,500 to SEK 90,000 per semester, depending on the programme, so on a two-year master’s the award can be worth between about SEK 198,000 and SEK 360,000.
There is no stipend. You pay rent, food and everything else yourself, and the Swedish Migration Agency will check that you can. Stockholm University’s living-costs page currently gives the requirement as at least SEK 10,656 a month. Uppsala’s own application guide says plainly: do not apply if you cannot fund your living costs, even if you win the tuition scholarship.
The old IPK name
Many older listings, including Scholars4Dev’s, still call this the “Uppsala IPK Scholarship”. The current name is the Uppsala University Global Scholarship. Uppsala’s other prospective-student award today is the Anders Wall Scholarship for African citizens (more on that below).
Uppsala Global Scholarship eligibility
Uppsala lists these conditions:
- Citizenship: you are a citizen of a country outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland.
- Fee-paying: you are liable to pay tuition. A Swedish permanent residence permit, or a temporary permit for reasons other than study, usually makes you exempt from fees, and then you cannot get the scholarship.
- First priority: the scholarship only applies to the programme you rank first among your four choices on universityadmissions.se.
- On time: you applied for the programme before the University Admissions deadline. Late applicants are not eligible.
- Entry requirements: you meet all general and programme-specific requirements.
- Complete file: your application fee and all supporting documents reached University Admissions before the deadline.
- Merit: you show academic talent and interest in the educational environment.
Programmes that cannot get the scholarship
Students admitted to these programmes are not eligible for Uppsala University scholarships, mostly because they are joint or consortium programmes with their own funding:
- Joint Nordic Master’s Programme in Environmental Law
- Master’s Programme in Analytical Chemistry (EACH)
- Master’s Programme in Biology (NABiS, Nordic Master in Biodiversity and Systematics)
- Master’s Programme in Euroculture
- Master’s Programme in Evolutionary Biology (MEME)
- Master’s Programme in Global Markets, Local Creativities
- Master’s Programme in Implementation, Transformative Learning and Sustainability
- Master’s Programme in International Humanitarian Action
- Master’s Programme in Paleobiology (PANGEA)
- Master’s Programme in Religion in Peace and Conflict
- Master’s Programme in Transformative Game Design
Several of these are Erasmus Mundus programmes, which have their own scholarships; our Erasmus Mundus scholarship guide explains how those work.
Edge cases
- Nationality: there is no country list. Any non-EU/EEA/Swiss fee-payer can apply.
- African citizens: you can also apply for the Anders Wall Scholarship, but you can only receive one Uppsala University scholarship.
- Second choice: if another Swedish university is your first choice and Uppsala second, you cannot get the Global Scholarship.
- Bachelor’s applicants: the Global Scholarship is master’s only. Africans applying for an international bachelor’s can try the Anders Wall Scholarship.
Anders Wall Scholarship for African students
The Anders Wall Scholarship is funded by the Beijer Foundation and Uppsala University. It started in 2012 and is now limited to citizens of African countries. It pays the full tuition fee for an international bachelor’s or master’s programme at Uppsala, with no money for living costs. The eligibility rules match the Global Scholarship, with African citizenship added, and you apply on the same form. Ticking both boxes costs nothing, so African applicants should do it.
| Global Scholarship | Anders Wall Scholarship | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens | Citizens of African countries |
| Level | Master’s | Bachelor’s and master’s |
| Covers | Full tuition | Full tuition |
| Living costs | Not covered | Not covered |
| Funder | Swedish Council for Higher Education | Beijer Foundation and Uppsala University |
How Uppsala selects scholarship holders
Selection is merit based. Financial need plays no part. Uppsala judges your academic record from the documents you sent to University Admissions, plus the motivational letter in the scholarship form. Selection runs alongside programme admission, so you also have to be admitted.
With about a 2% success rate, assume the committee is comparing you with the top students on your programme from all over the world. Your transcript does most of the work. The letter is your only chance to add context.
How to apply for the Uppsala University Global Scholarship, step by step
- Choose your programme: check it is an international master’s at Uppsala and not on the excluded list, and read its entry requirements and fee.
- Apply on universityadmissions.se: between 16 October 2026 and 15 January 2027 (midnight CET). Rank the Uppsala programme first. You will get an eight-digit application number; keep it.
- Upload documents and pay the fee: transcripts, degree certificate, passport and English proof go to University Admissions, with the SEK 900 application fee, by 1 February 2027.
- Write your letter: prepare a motivational letter of no more than 350 words that speaks to the scholarship’s criteria.
- Fill in the scholarship form: Uppsala publishes the link when the window opens on 16 January 2027. Enter your personal details, choose the scholarship (or scholarships) and add your application number and letter. No documents are uploaded here, and the form is free.
- Submit by 1 February 2027: incomplete or late forms are not considered.
- Wait for results: admission results come on 1 April 2027; scholarship decisions are sent by email around the same time. Check spam.
Two deadlines
Your programme application must be in by 15 January 2027 with Uppsala ranked first, and the scholarship form by 1 February 2027. Missing the first one rules you out of the scholarship completely.
Writing the 350-word motivational letter
350 words is short, roughly four tight paragraphs. Uppsala asks you to explain why you should get the scholarship with reference to its criteria, which are academic talent and interest in the educational environment. Build the letter around those two points:
- Academic talent (about 120 words): your GPA or class rank, thesis, research, publications or prizes. Numbers beat adjectives.
- Fit with Uppsala (about 120 words): name specific courses, research groups or teachers on your programme, and say why that setting suits how you learn.
- Your plan (about 80 words): what you will do with the degree.
- Close (one or two sentences): why the tuition scholarship is what makes the programme possible.
An example opening: “I graduated first in a class of 112 in biochemistry, and my thesis on antibiotic resistance in hospital wastewater was presented at a national conference. Uppsala’s master’s programme in this field would let me continue that work with researchers who study the same problem.” Write it in a document first, count the words, then paste it into the form.
Common mistakes
- Ranking Uppsala second: this is the most common way to lose eligibility.
- Missing the 1 February document deadline: your application must be complete at University Admissions, not just submitted.
- Going over 350 words: stick to the limit.
- Choosing an excluded programme: check the list before you rank your choices.
- Applying without a plan for living costs: a scholarship does not get you a residence permit; proof of funds does.
- Expecting a stipend: there is none.
After you apply: results and next steps
University Admissions publishes selection results for international master’s programmes on 1 April 2027. Scholarship decisions arrive by email; third-party listings place them in late March or early April, and Uppsala’s own page simply says results are emailed. If you win, accept your place on University Admissions, then apply for a residence permit with proof of funds for living costs.
Uppsala’s pages do not set out a credit threshold for keeping the Global Scholarship in your second year. For the separate scholarships it gives to current students, Uppsala withdraws the award if any remaining tuition is not paid on time, so read your award letter carefully and email tuitiongrants@uu.se with questions.
Costs the Uppsala scholarship does not cover
- Living costs: at least SEK 10,656 a month by the current Migration Agency figure, for the whole period of your permit.
- Application fee: SEK 900 to University Admissions, paid before you know the result.
- Residence permit fee and travel: paid by you.
- Housing deposit: student housing in Uppsala is in demand, and many landlords want a deposit.
Uppsala compared with similar scholarships
| Scholarship | Country | What it pays | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uppsala Global Scholarship | Sweden | Full tuition | 1 Feb 2027 (form) |
| Axel Adler Scholarship (Gothenburg) | Sweden | Full tuition | Programme application 15 Jan 2027 |
| Danish Government Scholarships | Denmark | Tuition waiver, sometimes a monthly grant | 15 Jan 2027 at most universities |
| Roskilde University scholarships | Denmark | Full tuition plus DKK 7,800 a month | 15 Jan 2027 |
If you want a package that also pays living costs, Roskilde’s award does that. For more options, see our guide to scholarships in Europe for international students, and African applicants should also look at our list of scholarships for African students.
Who should apply, and who should not
Apply if you are a fee-paying student near the top of your class, Uppsala is your real first choice, and you can cover living costs from savings, family or another grant. Since the form is free and takes little time once your programme application is in, almost every eligible applicant should send it.
Think hard if your grades are average and you have no way to fund living costs. A 2% success rate means most applicants will pay full fees or not come at all. Do not rank Uppsala first only for the scholarship if you would rather study elsewhere.
FAQs
Is the Uppsala University Global Scholarship fully funded?
No. It covers 100% of tuition for your master’s programme but pays nothing towards living costs, which you must prove you can cover for your Swedish residence permit.
When is the Uppsala Global Scholarship deadline for 2027?
The Deadline for the scholarship form is 1 February 2027; the form opens on 16 January 2027. Your programme application must reach universityadmissions.se by 15 January 2027.
Can I get the Uppsala scholarship if Uppsala is my second choice?
No. The scholarship only applies to the programme you rank first among your four choices on University Admissions.
How many students get the Uppsala Global Scholarship?
Uppsala does not publish a fixed number. It says only about 2% of scholarship applicants are successful.
Sources and updates
I started from Scholars4Dev’s “Uppsala University Global Scholarships” article (updated 12 November 2025), which still describes the 2026 round (16 January to 2 February 2026) and uses the old IPK name in its link. Every fact was checked on Uppsala University’s master’s scholarships page (2027 window of 16 January to 1 February, 2% success rate, eligibility, Anders Wall details, excluded programmes), its scholarship application guide (350-word letter, no uploads, no fee, merit only) and its tuition fees page (SEK 49,500 to 90,000 per semester). Autumn 2027 University Admissions dates come from Stockholm University’s important dates page, and the SEK 10,656 living-cost figure from its living costs page. Uppsala does not publish the number of awards, an exact scholarship results date or a second-year credit rule. Checked 25 October 2026.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
