Swiss Government Scholarships for International Students

Brief description:

The Swiss government awards a range of scholarships to foreign students through the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS): university scholarships (Swiss universities and Federal Institutes of Technology), arts scholarships (schools of music and fine arts) and scholarships for universities of applied sciences.

These scholarships provide graduates from all disciplines with the opportunity to pursue postgraduate studies or research in Switzerland at a public funded university or recognised institution.

Technically, the scholarships are offered to the government of the student’s country of origin and not to the student. Applications are subject to preliminary selection by the relevant national authorities and the Swiss diplomatic representation.

Host Institution(s):

Switzerland’s 10 universities or 2 federal institutes of technology

Field of study:

Applied sciences, Arts, and any other approved discipline.

Number of Scholarships:

Not specified.

Target group:

Scholarships are open to students from both industrialized and developing countries:

Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Columbia, Czech Republic, Croatia, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakshtan, Kenya, South Korea, Kyrghyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Macedonia, Madagascar, Morocco, Mexico, Moldavia, Mongolia, Montenegro, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Spain, Sweden, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam.

Scholarship value/inclusions:

Scholarships are provided for a nine-month academic year. Scholarships for postgraduate or Masters programmes lasting up to 2 years (3 or 4 semesters) may be extended depending on results from the first year.

Scholarships consist of monthly payments of:

The Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students does not cover the cost of academic and /or term fees. Generally-speaking, the universities and the Zurich Federal Institute of Technology exempt holders of Swiss government scholarships from term fees, but not necessarily from Masters programme enrolment fees. In the event that these fees are not waived, it is up to the scholarship holder to arrange payment.

Eligibility:

•  Candidates must hold a university degree (Bachelors/Masters) on commencement of the scholarship.

•  Candidates must be able to demonstrate their academic abilities and what they aim to achieve.

•  Candidates must contact the institution and/or the professor supervising their period of research. Universities may request supplementary information and/or set certain additional conditions to determine whether or not you qualify for admission.

•  Candidates must be under the age of 35 (born on or after 1.1.1975).

•  Candidates must be suitably proficient in the language of instruction (French, German, Italian or English) in order to draw full benefit from their studies in Switzerland.

•  Candidates who have already embarked on the first year of a Masters programme at a Swiss university or UAS are no longer eligible for a Swiss government scholarship (with the exception of arts scholarships). Such applications will not be considered by Swiss diplomatic representations.

•  Swiss government scholarships may not be combined with other scholarships or awards.

Application instructions:

If you fulfill the eligibility requirements, contact the Swiss diplomatic representation in your country of origin (contact details found below).  The diplomatic representation will provide you with all the necessary information regarding the procedure including application forms and a list of required documentation.

The application deadline falls between the end of October and early November 2011, depending on the Swiss Embassy to which the applications have to be submitted.

It is important to visit the official website (link found below) for detailed information on how to apply for this scholarship.

Contact Information:

See the country-specific webpages for eligibility criteria, application procedure, deadlines, and contact information specific to your country.

Website:

Official Scholarship Website:  http://www.sbf.admin.ch/htm/themen/bildung/stipendien/eskas_en.html

Related Scholarships: List of Switzerland Scholarships