Global Korea Scholarship (GKS)

Benefit

You get a full ride to study in South Korea, funded by the Korean government through its National Institute for International Education (NIIED). The package covers economy-class flights to and from Korea, your full tuition, and a monthly living allowance of about 560 EUR for bachelor students (900,000 KRW) or about 625 EUR for master's and doctoral students (1,000,000 KRW). Before your degree you get one paid year of Korean language training. Funding runs 5 to 7 years for a bachelor (1 language year plus a 4 to 6 year degree), 3 years for a master's and 4 years for a doctorate, each including the language year. There are around 280 bachelor places and about 2,000 graduate places each cycle, so this is a large programme.

Eligibility

• Nationality: Any nationality can apply. You and both of your parents must be non-Korean citizens.
• Degree level: For a bachelor you need a completed high school education. For a master's you need a bachelor's degree. For a doctorate you need a master's degree.
• Age: Under 25 for bachelor applicants (born after 1 March 2001 for the 2026 cycle), under 40 for graduate applicants (born after 1 September 1986).
• Grades: An average of at least 80% on a 100-point scale, or a top-20% class ranking, or a GPA of at least 2.64/4.0 (2.80/4.3, 2.91/4.5 or 3.23/5.0 on other scales).
• Field of study: Any subject offered by the participating universities. Evening, short-term, online and distance-learning courses do not count.
• No prior Korean degree: You cannot already hold the degree you are applying for, and you cannot have finished a Korean school or university. Former GKS degree holders cannot reapply.

How to apply

You apply either through a Korean embassy in your country (Embassy Track) or directly to a university (University Track), using the online system at studyinkorea.go.kr. For the 2026 bachelor round the embassy window runs 15 to 30 September 2025 and the university window 15 September to 31 October 2025. Graduate applications open around February. Selection happens in rounds run by the embassy or university and then by NIIED. Final results for bachelor applicants come around 9 January 2026.

How realistic are your chances?

This is the flagship Korean government scholarship, known worldwide, so it draws a very large field despite the thousands of places. Strong grades are the entry ticket, not the deciding factor. Your personal statement, study plan and country quota all matter. A TOPIK Korean certificate (level 3 or above) or a science or engineering field adds bonus points. If you clearly meet the age and grade limits, apply early and pick your universities strategically, your prospects are realistic, but the competition is genuine.