Stage 4 of 8 · 8 lessons · ~4 weeks

Funding and scholarships

Work out how the degree will be paid for: fully funded scholarships, assistantships, university awards, low tuition options, family money and loans. Apply for the funding that fits your profile and destination, on its own timeline, and avoid the traps.

Start: The kinds of funding

Lessons· one lesson for each topic, in this order

Do this

List every funding source that could apply to you: scholarships, assistantships, university awards, family and loans.
Check each scholarship's eligibility on its official page, rule by rule.
Add every funding deadline to your tracker, including nominating agency deadlines.
Ask each target department what funding it offers and when it decides.
Search university scholarship pages for each programme on your shortlist.
If you need a loan, compare interest, collateral and repayment on a salary at home.
Write a backup plan for the case where the main scholarship does not come through.

Start with

ScholarshipFree
Study in Japan
Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO)
MEXT and other Japanese scholarships explained on the official portal

Keep handy

Study in Korea and the Global Korea Scholarship
The Global Korea Scholarship guideline and notices for each year
Campus China (Chinese Government Scholarship)
The official portal for the Chinese Government Scholarship

Also worth your time

MastersportalGo deeper
Filter programmes by tuition and find scholarship listings to confirm on the funder's page

Before moving on: A funding plan that covers your total cost from named sources, with each scholarship's eligibility checked on its official page, its deadline in your tracker, and a backup if the main source does not come through.

Tauseef's advice

Japan, Korea and China run some of the largest government scholarships for international students, and they reward a clear research plan and early contact with a professor. Read this year's official guideline, not a summary from last year.