Scholarships for International Students in Korea

Government (GKS), university, language institute, on-campus work and foundation scholarships: who gives them, what they are based on, how to keep them and how to spot a fake “scholarship”.

Updated Oct 21, 2026As of Oct 20267 min read

Studying in Korea costs money, but there are many kinds of scholarships. Some are very competitive, like the government scholarship. Others are common, like a tuition reduction for a good TOPIK score. Knowing the types helps you plan.

Types of scholarships

Type	Who gives it	Usually based on	Notes
Government scholarship (GKS)	Korean government	Grades, documents, interview	Embassy track and university track. Usually covers tuition, a monthly allowance, Korean language training and airfare. Very competitive.
Admission scholarship	The university	TOPIK level and grades at admission	For example, some schools reduce tuition by a percentage depending on TOPIK level.
Semester merit scholarship	The university	GPA of the last semester	Usually decided each semester. You need enough credits.
Language institute scholarship	The language institute	Attendance, top grades	Rules and amounts differ by institute.
On-campus work scholarship	The university	Work in an office, library or lab	You are paid for the hours you work. Ask the school if it fits your visa rules.
Private foundation scholarship	Foundations and organizations	Grades, financial need, field of study	Notices are often posted on the university website.

Swipe to see the whole table

About GKS

The Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) is run by the Korean government (National Institute for International Education, NIIED, 국립국제교육원). There are programs for undergraduate and graduate study. You can apply through the embassy track (via the Korean embassy in your country) or the university track (directly to a participating university). The notice usually comes out once a year for each program, with eligibility, age and grade rules. Check Study in Korea for the current notice.

Conditions to keep your scholarship

Keep the minimum GPA your school asks for.
Attend classes regularly, especially at a language institute.
Take the required number of credits each semester.
Keep a valid visa and follow school rules.
Read the rules carefully. Some scholarships must be paid back if you stop studying or change schools.

How to apply

1
Find notices early
Check Study in Korea for GKS, and the international office pages of the schools you like for school scholarships.
2
Check eligibility
Look at the rules on nationality, age, grades, and TOPIK or English scores.
3
Prepare documents
Transcripts, diplomas, recommendation letters, a study plan and test scores. Some documents need an apostille.
4
Apply before the deadline
Submit everything on time. Late or missing documents are usually not accepted.
5
Interview and results
Some scholarships have an interview. Results are announced on the date in the notice.

Be careful: if someone says you can get a “scholarship” only after you pay an agency fee, it is a red flag. Real scholarships are decided by the government, the school or the foundation. Check the official notice yourself.

Official sources

We link to the original source so you can check it yourself.

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