The best-known scholarships with no application fee are government awards: Japan’s MEXT, Türkiye Bursları, Hungary’s Stipendium Hungaricum, the Chinese Government Scholarship, the Malaysia International Scholarship, Indonesia’s KNB, Azerbaijan’s Heydar Aliyev grant, the UK’s Chevening, Australia Awards and Canada’s CGRS-D doctoral award. None of them charges you to apply for the scholarship itself, and most pay tuition, a monthly stipend and often flights.
There is a catch most lists skip. A free scholarship application does not always mean a free university application, and several of these cycles have already closed for 2027 entry. Below I check each one against its official source, give the current deadline status as of 24 October 2026, and show where a hidden fee can still appear.
10 scholarships with no application fee at a glance
| Scholarship | Country | Levels | Who can apply | Status for 2027 entry (as of 24 Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stipendium Hungaricum | Hungary | Bachelor’s, master’s, PhD, non-degree | Nationals of partner countries | Opens November 2026; deadline 15 January 2027 (based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens) |
| Türkiye Bursları | Türkiye | Associate to PhD | All countries | 10 January to 20 February 2027 (deadline 20 February 2027) |
| Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) | China | Bachelor’s, master’s, PhD | All countries except China | Next round usually runs from winter to spring 2027 |
| Malaysia International Scholarship (MIS) | Malaysia | Master’s, PhD | Citizens of listed recipient countries | 2026 round closed 3 April 2026; deadline 3 April 2027 |
| KNB Scholarship | Indonesia | Bachelor’s, master’s, PhD | Developing and partner countries | 2026 round closed 31 March 2026; deadline 31 March 2027 |
| Heydar Aliyev Education Grant | Azerbaijan | Bachelor’s to PhD and residency | OIC and NAM member countries and some others | Nomination stage usually in spring |
| MEXT (Japanese Government) | Japan | Undergraduate to doctoral | Countries with Japanese diplomatic relations | Embassy route for 2027 closed (15 May 2026 in India); embassy deadline there 15 May 2027; university route varies |
| Chevening | United Kingdom | One-year master’s | Chevening-eligible countries | Closed 6 October 2026; deadline 6 October 2027 |
| Australia Awards | Australia | Varies by country (often master’s) | Eligible Indo-Pacific, African and Middle East countries | 2027 intake closed 30 April 2026 in Pakistan; deadline 30 April 2027 (dates vary by country) |
| CGRS-D | Canada | PhD only | Canadians, and international students already enrolled in a Canadian PhD | 2026 national competition closed 17 October 2026; deadline 17 October 2027 |
If you are planning for 2027 entry, the first four rows are the ones still worth preparing for right now.
Where a “no application fee” scholarship can still cost you money
The scholarship body charges nothing, but other steps can.
| Possible cost | When it applies | Example |
|---|---|---|
| University application fee | When you must apply to a university separately | Chevening requires three UK master’s applications, and some UK universities charge their own fee. Some Chinese universities charge a fee for direct (Type B) CSC applications |
| English test | When the programme or university asks for IELTS, TOEFL or PTE | Australia Awards requires a test for most applicants |
| Document costs | Transcripts, certified copies, translations, medical forms, courier | MEXT and CSC both ask for a medical examination form |
| Agent fees | Never required | No official scheme on this list needs an agent; Australia Awards states it never asks applicants for payment |
My advice: where the scholarship lets you choose, pick universities that waive their fee for scholarship applicants, and budget for one English test plus transcripts before you start.
Scholarships with no application fee still open for 2027
1. Stipendium Hungaricum (Hungary)
Hungary’s government scholarship covers tuition, a monthly stipend, a free dormitory place or a housing contribution, and medical insurance. It runs in more than 30 Hungarian universities, with around 900 programmes, most taught in English. For 2026/27 the call closed on 15 January 2026 at 14:00 CET; the 2027/28 call opens in November 2026 and the deadline is 15 January 2027.
- Monthly stipend reported for 2026: about €110 for bachelor’s and master’s, about €355 for PhD (higher in the later PhD phase). Amounts are set in Hungarian forints, so euro figures shift with the exchange rate.
- You must also be nominated by your country’s Sending Partner, often the ministry of education, which may run its own earlier deadline.
- English requirements are set by each university. Many accept an English-medium letter or run their own test.
2. Türkiye Bursları (Türkiye)
Türkiye Scholarships, run by the Turkish government agency YTB, cover university placement, tuition, a monthly stipend, accommodation, health insurance, round-trip flights and a one-year Turkish language course. The 2026 call ran from 10 January to 20 February 2026, so the deadline is 20 February 2027. Applying through turkiyeburslari.gov.tr is free.
For the 2027 stipend rates, age limits and documents, see our full Türkiye Bursları Scholarship guide.
- You can list up to 12 university and programme preferences in one application.
- Reported age limits: under 21 for bachelor’s, under 30 for master’s, under 35 for PhD.
- No English test is needed at application stage; English-taught programmes ask for one later.
3. Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC)
The full CSC award covers tuition, free campus accommodation or a housing subsidy, comprehensive medical insurance and a monthly stipend of RMB 3,000 for master’s and RMB 3,500 for doctoral students. You apply either through the Chinese embassy in your country (Type A) or directly to a Chinese university (Type B), using the campuschina.org portal.
Our Chinese Government Scholarship guide lists agency numbers, the new CSCA test and 2027/2028 deadlines.
The CSC itself charges nothing, and some universities waive their processing fee for scholarship applicants. Others do charge one for direct applications, so check the university’s admission notice before you pay.
4. Malaysia International Scholarship (MIS)
MIS is for master’s and PhD study only. It pays tuition fees directly to the university and gives RM1,500 a month for living costs. The 2026/27 call ran from 4 March to 3 April 2026, earlier than many guides say, so the deadline is 3 April 2027, and applications go through the Ministry of Higher Education’s portal at biasiswa.mohe.gov.my.
- Only citizens of that year’s MIS recipient countries can apply.
- Age limit: 40 for master’s, 45 for PhD. Minimum CGPA 3.00 or a second class upper.
- English: IELTS 6.0, TOEFL PBT 550 or equivalent, or an official letter confirming your previous degree was taught in English.
- A research proposal of at least 1,000 words is required.
5. KNB Scholarship (Indonesia)
The Kemitraan Negara Berkembang (KNB) scholarship is the Indonesian government’s fully funded award for students from developing countries and partner countries. The 2026 round closed on 31 March 2026, so the deadline is 31 March 2027. Registration now runs through knb.kemdiktisaintek.go.id; older guides still give the former kemdikbud address.
You need a recommendation letter from the Indonesian embassy in your country. English requirements depend on the university; Universitas Indonesia, for example, asked for IELTS 6 (or TOEFL equivalents) for both master’s and doctoral applicants in 2026.
6. Heydar Aliyev International Education Grant (Azerbaijan)
Azerbaijan’s grant covers tuition, international flights, medical insurance, visa and registration costs, and a monthly stipend of 800 AZN. It is open to citizens of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and Non-Aligned Movement member states, and in recent calls also to some other partner groups.
You cannot apply directly. Your government or the Azerbaijani embassy must nominate you first. In the 2025/26 call, national nomination ran from 15 March to 15 May 2025, followed by central online registration from 1 to 15 June 2025. Applicants need proficiency in the teaching language of the programme.
Scholarships with no application fee that have closed for 2027
These four are still worth knowing, because you can prepare now for the next round.
7. MEXT Japanese Government Scholarship
MEXT covers tuition, round-trip airfare and a monthly stipend. Current stipends are ¥117,000 for undergraduates, ¥143,000 for research students, ¥144,000 for master’s and ¥145,000 for doctoral students. The embassy route opens in spring: in India, for example, the preliminary deadline for 2027 entry was 15 May 2026, so the next one there is 15 May 2027. The university-recommended route runs on each Japanese university’s own calendar.
8. Chevening Scholarship (UK)
Chevening pays tuition for a one-year UK master’s, a monthly stipend, an economy return flight and the visa fee. Applications for 2027/28 ran from 4 August to 6 October 2026 at 11:00 UTC and are now closed. The deadline is 6 October 2027. You need at least 2,800 hours of work experience, applications to three eligible UK courses, and an unconditional offer by 8 July 2027.
9. Australia Awards
Australia Awards, funded by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, covers tuition, return airfare, an establishment allowance, living costs and health cover. Dates are set country by country; in Pakistan, for example, applications for the 2027 intake closed on 30 April 2026, so the deadline there is 30 April 2027. Australia Awards states that it never charges fees at any stage.
Unlike most schemes here, it requires an English test: IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0, TOEFL iBT 84 with at least 21 in each section, or PTE Academic 58 with no skill below 50.
10. Canada Graduate Research Scholarship, Doctoral (CGRS-D)
CGRS-D pays $40,000 a year for three years. It replaced the CGS-D, NSERC PGS D and SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships, and the separate Vanier scholarship has ended. International students can apply only if they are already enrolled in a doctoral programme at an eligible Canadian university, and they can receive only a limited share of awards (UVic puts it at about 15% nationally). The 2026 competition’s agency deadline was 17 October 2026, with university deadlines in September. The agency deadline is 17 October 2027.
Scam warning
None of these schemes asks you to pay for a form, a “processing slot” or a guaranteed place. If a website or agent asks for money to submit a government scholarship application for you, walk away and apply on the official portal yourself.
Which of these scholarships need IELTS?
| Scholarship | English test at scholarship stage? | Accepted alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Türkiye Bursları | No | English-taught programmes may ask later |
| Stipendium Hungaricum | Set by each university | Often an English-medium letter or university test |
| CSC | Set by each university | HSK for Chinese-taught programmes; some accept an English-medium letter |
| MIS | IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL | Official letter that your previous degree was in English |
| KNB | Depends on university | Check the host university’s requirement (UI asked for IELTS 6 in 2026) |
| Azerbaijan grant | Proficiency in the teaching language | Check the call for accepted proof |
| MEXT | Embassy written exam in English or Japanese | No fixed IELTS score on the embassy route |
| Chevening | No separate Chevening test | Your UK university sets its own requirement |
| Australia Awards | Yes: IELTS 6.5 (no band below 6.0) | TOEFL iBT 84 or PTE Academic 58 |
| CGRS-D | No central test | You are already admitted to a Canadian PhD |
How to apply without paying fees: a practical order
- Check your nationality first: MIS, Azerbaijan, Australia Awards, Chevening and Stipendium Hungaricum all limit eligibility by country. Confirm you are on the current list before spending time on documents.
- Find the official portal: stipendiumhungaricum.hu, turkiyeburslari.gov.tr, campuschina.org, biasiswa.mohe.gov.my, knb.kemdiktisaintek.go.id, chevening.org, or your local Australia Awards and Japanese embassy sites.
- Find out whether you need nomination: Hungary and Azerbaijan need a home-country nominating body, and MEXT and KNB involve the embassy. Their internal deadlines can be weeks before the main one.
- Prepare a core document pack: passport, transcripts, degree certificate, CV, two recommendation letters, a study plan or motivation letter, and an English-medium letter from your university.
- Choose fee-free university routes: where you must also apply to a university, check its fee page and look for waivers for scholarship applicants.
- Submit early: government portals slow down in the final days, especially Türkiye Bursları in February.
Strong references matter for almost every scheme here. Our recommendation letter samples help you brief your referees, and if Europe is your target, the Erasmus Mundus scholarship guide covers another free-to-apply option.
FAQ on scholarships with no application fee
Which fully funded scholarships have no application fee and no IELTS?
Türkiye Bursları needs no English test at application stage, and MIS accepts a letter confirming your previous degree was taught in English. Stipendium Hungaricum and CSC leave it to each university, and many accept an English-medium letter.
Is the Chinese Government Scholarship application free?
The CSC charges nothing to apply. Some Chinese universities charge a processing fee for direct (Type B) applications, so check the university’s notice before paying.
Can I apply for more than one government scholarship at the same time?
Usually yes, since each country runs its own selection. You can normally accept only one fully funded government award, so decline the others promptly if you win more than one.
Which no-fee scholarship should I apply for first for 2027?
Stipendium Hungaricum, because it opens in November 2026 and closes on 15 January 2027. Türkiye Bursları follows from 10 January 2027, so you can prepare one document pack and use it for both.
Sources and updates
Türkiye Bursları dates and benefits come from YTB’s announcement of the 2026 call; the 12 preferences, age limits and the expected 2027 window come from secondary guides that follow the official calendar. Stipendium Hungaricum’s 2026 deadline comes from Study in Hungary, and the 2027/28 timing and stipend figures from Leap Scholar’s guide, pending the official call. CSC stipends come from Tsinghua University and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. MIS details come from UNITEN and the MIS listing on Mastersportal. KNB details come from Universitas Indonesia, Universitas Sanata Dharma and the Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Civil Affairs. Azerbaijan details come from Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and reporting on the 2025/26 call. MEXT stipends come from Kagoshima University and the Embassy of Japan in India. Chevening dates come from Business Today’s report on the 2027/28 call and chevening.org. Australia Awards requirements come from Australia Awards Pakistan’s 2027 intake page. CGRS-D details come from Western University, the University of Alberta and the University of Victoria. Information checked on 24 October 2026. I will update the table as each 2027 call is published.
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.
