Why South Korea for Higher Education?

1. Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) — The Flagship Government Award

Formerly known as the Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP), the Global Korea Scholarship is South Korea’s flagship scholarship initiative and one of the most comprehensive fully funded programmes available to international students worldwide.

• Provider: Government of South Korea, administered by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED)
• Level: Undergraduate, Master’s, and PhD programmes
• Coverage: Full tuition fees, round-trip airfare (economy class), a one-time settlement allowance, a monthly living allowance of approximately KRW 900,000 to 1,000,000, free one-year Korean language training, medical insurance, a research allowance, and a degree completion grant
• Eligibility: Non-Korean citizenship (including parents); under 25 for undergraduate and under 40 for graduate applicants; a minimum academic score of 80% or top 20% of class in the most recent qualification; good physical and mental health
• Application Tracks: Embassy Track (apply through the Korean Embassy, with up to three university choices) or University Track (apply directly to a single chosen university)
• Application Window: Undergraduate applications typically open around September; graduate applications typically open in February and close in March
• Scale: Around 2,000 graduate scholarships and 500-plus undergraduate scholarships are awarded annually across more than 80 participating Korean universities
• Note: Participating universities are divided into Type A (top-ranked, mostly in Seoul, highly competitive) and Type B (located outside Seoul, with comparatively lower competition); Embassy Track applicants must select at least one Type B university

2. University-Specific Scholarships — Automatic Full Funding (STEM-Focused)

Five of Korea’s leading national science and technology institutes offer full tuition waivers and monthly stipends to every admitted international graduate student — automatically, with no separate scholarship application required.

• KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology): Full tuition waiver plus a monthly living stipend, medical insurance, and research support for both undergraduate and graduate international students. All graduate instruction is in English. Admission requires TOEFL iBT 83 or IELTS 6.5 for international applicants. Ranks in the QS Top 50 globally for Engineering and Technology.
• POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology): Full tuition waiver with one of the highest combined monthly stipends among Korean institutions — reportedly up to approximately KRW 1,850,000 for Master’s and KRW 2,200,000 for PhD students through combined teaching and research assistantship support.
• UNIST, GIST, and DGIST: Follow the same model as KAIST and POSTECH — full tuition waiver and monthly stipend automatically bundled into the admission decision for all admitted international graduate students.
• Important Note: Automatic funding does not mean automatic admission — research fit with a faculty advisor is typically the primary selection criterion at these institutions, alongside strong academic records and English proficiency.

3. University-Specific Scholarships — Application-Based (SKY Universities and Others)

• Seoul National University (SNU) — SNU Global Scholarship / President Fellowship: Covers full or partial tuition and, for top candidates, a stipend and airfare. The President Fellowship offers up to KRW 2,000,000 per month for PhD students from developing countries, with around 50 graduate slots available annually. Particularly strong for students from developing countries, including Bangladesh.
• Yonsei University — Underwood International College (UIC) Scholarships and Yonsei Global Scholarship (YGS): Full or partial tuition support for its all-English undergraduate curriculum, plus merit-based graduate scholarships. Some awards include living stipends for exceptional candidates.
• Korea University — Scholarship A/B/C Tiers and Global KU Scholarship: Tiered scholarships covering 100%, 75%, or 50% of tuition fees based on GPA, alongside the Global Korea Scholarship pathway available through the university track.
• Hanyang University — RISE Scholarship: A dedicated application-based scholarship for high-achieving international students.
• Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) and Ewha Womans University: Both offer merit-based scholarship tracks for international undergraduate and graduate applicants, assessed alongside the standard admission file.

4. Corporate and Foundation Scholarships

• Samsung Global Scholarship: For graduate students in technology and business fields, covering tuition and stipend at SNU, KAIST, or POSTECH. Extremely competitive, with fewer than 20 awards made per year.
• Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation Scholarship: Supports students from developing countries — including Bangladesh — studying engineering or business in Korea, covering full tuition and living costs.
• LG Yonam Foundation: Funds students in Korean studies and engineering programmes at select partner universities.
• Samsung Global Hope Scholarship Program: Provides financial support to students from low-income family backgrounds pursuing higher education, in place since 2012.

5. Research and Teaching Assistantships

• BK21 FOUR (Brain Korea 21 Phase IV) Program: A national research-funding programme supporting outstanding graduate students across a wide range of fields at participating universities, including POSTECH.
• Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA): Available at most Korean research universities, allowing international graduate students to work under faculty supervision in exchange for a stipend or tuition waiver — common in STEM disciplines.