CEEPUS - Central European Scholarship

What the CEEPUS scholarship gives you

You will receive a full scholarship to study for 3 to 10 months at a university in another Central or Eastern European country. The scholarship covers your living costs and, where necessary, the costs of accommodation, laboratory fees and basic health insurance. You will not be required to pay any tuition or enrolment fees at the host university. There is no standard fixed amount. Each host country covers the costs of incoming students itself and adjusts the funding to reflect the cost of living there. Students going to Austria, for example, receive around 1,300 EUR per month. Lower amounts apply in other countries, such as Croatia (240 EUR per month plus free accommodation) or Bosnia and Herzegovina (360 EUR per month). Your home country may also cover your travel costs. CEEPUS is a joint exchange programme run by 16 member states in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe.

Who can apply

• Level: You are studying for a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree. Teaching and research staff are also welcome to apply.
• Study progress: You have completed at least two semesters of a standard degree programme.
• Field of study: Open to all subjects.
• Where you go: You are studying in one of the 16 CEEPUS member countries, for example in Austria, Poland, Croatia, Serbia or Slovenia. You are not eligible for funding if you are studying in your own home country.
• Nationality: You are a national of a CEEPUS member state or an EU/EEA country. Nationals of other countries may still apply if they upload a valid visa or residence permit for a member state.

How to apply

Most students apply via a CEEPUS network, a group of partner universities that work together. First, discuss your plans with the CEEPUS coordinator at your home university. You then apply via the online tool at ceepus.info. The application deadlines are 15 June for the winter semester and 31 October for the summer semester. If your university does not belong to a network, you can apply as a ‘freemover’ by 30 November. To do so, you will need a confirmation of admission from the host university and two letters of recommendation.

How realistic are your chances?

CEEPUS is restricted to a specific group of Central and Eastern European countries and operates primarily through partnerships between higher education institutions. Your prospects depend heavily on whether your home university is part of a CEEPUS network in your field of study. If this is the case and you have completed at least two semesters, the path is clearly mapped out and your chances are good. The key to success is, above all, that you clarify the network connection and the coordinator’s details at an early stage, well before the deadline.