State Education Development Agency (SEDA; VIAA in Latvian) - Latvian Government Scholarship

Benefit

You will receive 500 EUR per month for a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree programme, or 700 EUR per month for a PhD programme at a state-recognised higher education institution in Latvia. Bachelor’s and Master’s students will receive funding for up to 10 months per academic year, whilst PhD students will receive funding for up to 11 months. You may receive the scholarship for a maximum of two academic years within a single study cycle (Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD), but you must reapply each year. The funding is provided by the Latvian Ministry of Education and Science and is administered by the State Agency for Educational Development (VIAA). The scholarship does not cover all costs. Tuition fees range from 2,800 to 15,000 euros per year and are not fully covered. You must organise and pay for your own travel and health insurance, and you cannot combine this scholarship with any other.

Eligibility

• Where you study: You are studying at a Latvian university. Most degree programmes are taught in Latvian, but some are taught in English.
• Degree level: You are a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD student.
• Study progress: To apply for a Bachelor’s degree programme, you must have already completed at least one full academic year at any higher education institution at the time of application. To apply for a Master’s degree programme or a PhD, you must have completed the previous level of study.
• Nationality: You are a national of one of the approximately 39 eligible countries. These are countries that have concluded an education agreement with Latvia (for example, Poland, Ukraine, Italy, China, Turkey and South Korea) or that, in return, offer scholarships to Latvian students (for example, Germany, Austria, Japan, Switzerland and the United States).
• Confirmation letter: Before you apply, you must choose a degree programme and obtain confirmation of this from the official contact person at the Latvian higher education institution.

How to apply

You should register via the VIAA online system and submit your application there. The deadline is 15 January. A committee will assess each application against set quality criteria, and you will be notified of the result by email in June.

How realistic are your chances?

Only nationals of approximately 39 partner countries are eligible to apply, and applicants from each country may receive no more than 10 per cent of the total funding, meaning that the number of participants is limited by nationality. If you already have your letter of acceptance, meet the academic requirements and can submit a convincing personal statement and a study plan, your chances are good. It is important to obtain the letter of acceptance well in advance, as the entire application process depends on it.