Scholarships in Korea

Before applying to universities in South Korea, it’s important to familiarize yourself with tuition fees and scholarship opportunities. South Korean universities charge the same tuition fees for both international and domestic students, making studying in South Korea more affordable compared to other developed countries like the US, UK, and Australia.

The affordable tuition fees also make South Korean education accessible to Nepalese students. However, it’s worth noting that private universities tend to be more expensive than public ones. Additionally, programs in fields such as Medicine, Nursing, and Engineering are generally costlier than those in the humanities. Undergraduate tuition fees range from $4,000 to $20,000 annually, depending on the university and program.

If you receive a scholarship, it can cover most of your expenses, but if not, you will be responsible for all costs. Language programs are more budget-friendly, costing around $1,300 to $1,600 per 10-week semester.

Securing a scholarship in South Korea is highly competitive. A variety of scholarships are available for international students, mostly provided by individual universities. These scholarships can offer fee waivers ranging from 30% to 100%, and sometimes cover dormitory fees as well. Some universities also provide living expenses, primarily for master’s and research students.

The Korean government offers the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS), which covers all expenses from tuition and living costs to printing costs. Corporate scholarships such as the Posco Asia Fellowship and the Samsung Global Scholarship Program are also available for international students.

Seoul National University (SNU) offers several scholarship programs for undergraduate applicants. These include the Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP):

Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP)

Eligibility:

• International applicants can apply for 4-year undergraduate programs, excluding courses like medicine, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, and architecture, which exceed 4 years.

Number of Recipients:

• Approximately 20 to 40 annually.

Subsidies:

• Tuition fee: Exempt for 8 semesters
• Living expenses: 900,000 KRW per month
• Airfare: One economy round trip
• Korean language training fee: One year (mandatory; students must achieve TOPIK grade 3 within a year to continue to the degree program)
• Other benefits: Medical insurance, settlement, and returning expenses

Application Period: September

Selection Procedure:

• Applicants submit their applications to the Korean embassy in their countries.
• The embassy conducts the first selection round.
• The National Institute for International Education makes the final selection.

MSc Tropical Forestry (International Commonwealth Scholarship)

The School of Natural Sciences offers a postgraduate distance-learning program in Tropical Forestry for international students. This scholarship, provided by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC), is worth £18,000, covering tuition fees and a two-week study abroad program in July/August 2021. The program starts in September 2019 and lasts three years, with the first two years covering the Education Module and the third year focusing on the dissertation project.

Korea University Scholarship

Korea University offers two types of scholarships for international students:

1. Global Leader Scholarship A

   • Grant: Full tuition fee (including admission fee) for 2 semesters
   • Requirement: GPA of 3.5 or higher

2. Global Leader Scholarship B

   • Grant: 50% of the tuition fee (including admission fee) for 2 semesters
   • Requirement: GPA of 3.0 or higher