Estonian Education and Youth Board (Harno) - Scholarship for degree and exchange study in Estonia

Scholarship for degree and exchange study in Estonia

For a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Estonia, you will receive 350 EUR per month; for a PhD, 660 EUR per month. The funding covers your rent and travel expenses; tuition fees are not covered. Bachelor’s and Master’s students receive the scholarship for up to 12 months per academic year and for 10 months in the final year of their standard period of study. Exchange students receive it for the duration of their stay, up to 10 months, and only for stays of at least 30 days. The funding is provided by the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research via the Education and Youth Board (Harno).

Who can apply

• Where you study: You are enrolled at a higher education institution in Estonia, either as a full-time student or as an exchange student. Any Estonian higher education institution is eligible.
• Confirmed place: When you apply, you will already have received a letter of admission from the Estonian higher education institution for the relevant academic year.
• Nationality: You are not an Estonian national and hold the nationality of one of the countries listed (for example, Germany, France, China, the USA, India, Italy, Ukraine or Finland). Nationals of Russia and Belarus are not eligible to apply.
• Field of study: Master’s and PhD students may study any subject. Bachelor’s students may only apply for subjects related to the Estonian language and culture.
• Progress (degree students): By the end of last year, you had earned at least 75% of the credit points required so far for your full-time degree programme.
• PhD contract: You are not eligible for the PhD scholarship if you have an employment contract as a junior researcher at an Estonian university.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted once a year by email to the Office for Education and Youth. Please attach the application form (including a letter of motivation), a copy of your passport or identity card, and your confirmation of enrolment. The application deadline for 2025/26 is 1 October, and you will be notified of the result by email by 1 December. There will be no interview. A selection panel will make its decision solely on the basis of your application documents, assessing your motivation and the overall quality of your application. Applicants from certain countries will receive one or two bonus points.

How realistic are your chances?

This scholarship is relatively specific in its scope. You must hold a letter of admission from an Estonian higher education institution, be a national of one of the listed countries, and applicants for a Bachelor’s degree programme are restricted to subjects in the field of Estonian language and culture. As a result, the pool of applicants is smaller than for open international scholarships. If you clearly meet these criteria, write a compelling personal statement and come from a country that receives bonus points, your chances are good.