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The Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP) is available to international students who want to pursue Bachelors’s (undergraduate degree) Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Korean Universities. The scholarship allows international students to study in Korea and conduct advanced studies in a higher educational institution in Korea.

Korea currently top the World’s Chart of Best World Study Abroad Destination. Most of their Scholarships are Fully sponsored and students’ visa requirements are very easy to meet up.

This Scholarship Program is sponsored and managed by the National Institute for International Education Development (NIIED), a branch of the Ministry of Education in South Korea.

 It provides non-Korean scholars with the funding and opportunity to conduct undergraduate or postgraduate level studies in South Korea after completing one year of intensive Korean language studies. In the end, it also develops global leaders as well as strengthens Korea-friendly networks worldwide.

In this post, we will share with you every information you need to help you apply for the Korean Government Scholarships. This includes the eligible countries, the value of the scholarship, and how to apply for it. Stay put while we take you through all these.

Why NIIED | Korean Government Scholarship?

NIIED is an executive agency under the Ministry of Education. It plays a leading role in strengthening national competitiveness by developing international human resources among overseas Koreans, exchanging students under national government scholarship programs, and providing educational administrative services.

International undergraduates, masters, and Ph.D. receive this government scholarship annually to students studying in Korea.

Also, the Korean Government over the years has proven to be committed to fostering stronger diplomatic ties between the international communities and Korea through these Korean Government Scholarships which avail intelligent international students the opportunity to achieve their dreams.

Why Study in Korea?

Korea has about 250 national, public and private universities that welcome both Korean and international students. Recent government reforms have made it much easier for international students to afford to live and work in Korea while attending programs at institutions of higher education.

Graduate education in Korea holds a high reputation throughout the world, particularly in technical areas such as engineering and information technology. Also, Korea teaches most of its master’s programs in English.

Furthermore, Korean schools have notable research programs, distinguished faculty, and state-of-the-art research facilities. Six Korean universities were rated in the top 400 world universities, according to Times Higher Education World University Rankings

In addition, Korea charges all students, whether Korean nationals or international students, the same tuition.

Also, while offering master’s degrees that are more affordable than those in English-speaking countries, the Korean government, Korean universities, and several private foundations provide many scholarship programs specifically designed for international students.

Many Korean universities also provide assistance with employment for international students.

How Much Does Korean Government Scholarship Pay?

The Korean Government Scholarship is a Fully Funded Scholarship that takes care of your Airfare, Tuition Fee, Settlement Allowance, Living Allowance, Medical Allowance, Research Cost, and many others. Kindly see for yourself the details of the Korean Government Scholarship (KSB) Benefits

Categories	Amount (KRW)
Airfare	Actual cost
Resettlement Allowance	KRW 200,000
Living Allowance	Undergraduate: 800,000 Graduate: 900,000
Medical Insurance	KRW 20,000 (per month)
Language Courses	KRW 800,000 per quarter
Tuition Fees	Actual cost  (No more than 5 million KRW per semester)
Award for Excellent Korean Language Proficiency	KRW 100,000
Research Support	KRW 210,000 – 240,000 (per semester)
Printing Costs (Dissertation)	KRW 500,000 – 800,000
Completion Grant	KRW 100,00 (Once)

Undergraduate Scholarship Benefits:

• Airplane Ticket or Airfare: The Korean Government Undergraduate scholarship covers an economy-class flight with the shortest route between a scholar’s country and Korea. Students will also receive a one-way ticket to Korea at the beginning of the scholarship program. Students who complete their studies under the scholarship program will receive another one-way ticket from Korea.
• Monthly Stipend: 800,000 KRW per month
• Tuition: NIIED will cover the tuition fee of up to 5 million KRW. However, in the case where the tuition is higher than 5 million KRW, the host university covers the exceeding amount. The university also covers the university entrance fee.
• Settlement Allowance: 200,000 KRW upon arrival
• Scholarship Completion Grants: 100,000 KRW upon completion of studies
• Korean Language Training: NIIED and the language institution cover the full cost for the 1-year training.
• Medical Insurance: Health insurance covers students for major accidents and illnesses during their scholarship period.
• Korean Proficiency Grants: Scholars with level 5 or 6 on TOPIK will receive 100,000 KRW won per month during the degree program.

What are the Graduate Scholarship Benefits?

Graduate Students for the Korean Government Scholarship will get the following benefits:

Airfare

• Entry to Korea: an economy-class flight ticket to Korea
• Return flight: an economy class flight ticket from Korea to the KGSP scholar’s home country
• The airfare for entry will NOT be provided to scholars who have resided in Korea from the time of applying and on.
• The return flight is available only for the KGSP scholars who complete their degree coursework.
• The return flight is NOT offered for those who withdraw from the scholarship.
• Any fees incurred in the domestic travel within a KGSP scholar’s home country are NOT covered.
• International travel insurance is NOT covered.
• The flight tickets for the Chinese and Czech KGSP scholars will be prepared and provided by the Chinese and the Czech governments, according to the agreements with the Korean government. 

Settlement Allowance

• Students receive 200,000 KRW

Monthly Allowance

• Degree Program (Master’s or Doctoral): 900,000 KRW
• Research Program: 1,500,000 KRW

Research Allowance

• Liberal Arts and Social Science Degrees: 210,000 KRW per semester
• Science, Technology, and Engineering Degrees: 240,000 KRW per semester

Language Training Fees

• Language training fees are fully covered.

Degree Tuition

The degree tuition is fully covered up to the following:

• Tuition up to 5 million KRW is covered by NIIED, and the amount that exceeds 5 million is covered by the host university.
• The KGSP scholars waived the admission fees of the universities.

Dissertation Printing Fee Reimbursement

• NIIED will reimburse the actual cost of printing as written on the receipt.
• The maximum amount is 500,000 KRW for degrees in Liberal Arts and Social Science and 800,000 KRW for degrees in Science, Technology, and Engineering.

Medical Insurance

• Students get medical insurance of the value of 20,000 KRW per month

Korean Proficiency Grants

The value is 100,000 KRW per month.

• This special funding is available for KGSP scholars with levels 5 and 6 on TOPIK.

Scholarship Completion Grants

The value is 100,000 KRW per month.

• The KGSP scholars who return to their home countries are offered after completing their degree coursework under the scholarship.
• It is not offered for KGSP scholars who decide to stay in Korea after the completion of their degree coursework.

If you’re an engineering or life science student, you can also apply for this KAIST Scholarship for International Students in South Korea

Scholarship Number

The total number of Awardees worldwide is 1,276 applicants from 153 regions for Both Undergraduates, masters, and Ph.D. Students. Concerning that, KGSP Undergraduate: around 170 grantees will get the award annually, and KGSP Graduate: around 700 grantees will get the award annually.

Eligibility Requirements

International students applying for the Korean Government Scholarship must meet the following requirements:

• Both an applicant and his/her parents must be citizens of their country of origin.
• Applicants should not hold Korean citizenship.
• Also, applicants should have adequate health, both mentally and physically, to stay in a foreign country for a long time.
• Applicants should also be under 25 years of age at the date of entrance for Undergraduates.
• or under 40 years of age at the date of entrance for Graduates
• Then for academic professors, you must be under 45 years of age as of the 1st of September 2023.
• Must have finished or be scheduled to finish formal education of all elementary, middle, and high school courses by the date of arrival. (Undergraduate)
• Possess a grade point average (G.P.A.) above 80% from the last educational institution attended.
• Applicants must also hold a Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s degree by the date of arrival for graduates.
• For the postdoctoral Research Program, you must have a doctoral degree or level of education equivalent to a doctoral degree.
• And for Research Program applicants, you must hold a degree or a level of education equivalent to or higher than a master’s degree.
• Applicants who have previously achieved in any undergraduate program, master’s program, or doctoral program in Korea cannot apply for this program. 
• Furthermore, as an applicant, you must have a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree on or before 31st August 2023.

However, a former or current KGSP scholar who holds an overall grade of 90% or above can reapply to this program once either through the embassy or university track.

To enjoy this scholarship in Korea, check out the Admission, Visa, and Cost of Living for studying in South Korea.

Level/ Field of Study

This Korean scholarship for international students is available for Bachelor, Masters, and Ph.D. in any of the Courses any one of the 60 participating Korean higher institutions offers.

This is one of the ways the Korean Government strengthens its bilateral relationships with the participating Countries. Host Nationality

The Korean scholarship for international students is hosted by the Korean  Government. We also recommend that you browse through our scholarship by country to find different scholarships available for your country of choice. 

Which Country is Eligible for the Korean Government Scholarship?

The scholarships are open to students from the following countries:

China, Japan, Russia, Cambodia, Mongolia, Vietnam, Mexico, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Chinese Taipei, Uzbekistan, Turkey, USA, Ethiopia, Colombia, Nepal, Senegal, Bangladesh, Ukraine, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Azerbaijan, El Salvador, Egypt, Tanzania, Germany, France, Dominica, Chile, Iran, Canada, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Pakistan, Gabon, Romania, Belarus, Bulgaria.

Slovakia, United Kingdom, Czech, Guatemala, Ecuador, Algeria, Yemen, Uganda, Belize, Honduras, Italy, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Poland, Ghana, Georgia, Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Republic of South Africa, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Rwanda, Libya, Lithuania, Moldavia, Bahrain, Barbados, Bahamas, Venezuela, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Brazil, Brunei, Serbia, Seychelles, Sudan, Sweden, Slovenia, Armenia, Argentina, Haïti, Ireland, Afghanistan, Angola, Oman, Austria, Uruguay, Iraq, Israel, Zambia, Cameroon, Qatar, Kenya, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Panama, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Fiji, Hungary, Australia, Jordan

Korean Government Scholarships Application Form

Applicants for the KGSP 2023 should pick the application form from the Korean Embassy in their host country or a partnering Korean University or the Domestic University in their Locality that can send their best candidates to apply.

How to Apply | Korean Government Scholarship Application Form:

You can only apply for the scholarships through the Korean Embassy in your home country or a participating Korean University.

However, you should submit all documents related to your scholarship application to the Korean Embassy in your country of residence or the domestic university concerned.

Meanwhile, the Korean Embassy or the domestic university sends proper candidates to NIIED with the required documents.

Then, NIIED evaluates potential candidates and notifies the Korean Embassy of the final selected KGSP grantees.

KGSP Selection Procedure:

1st Selection: Applicants submit their applications either to the Korean Embassies around the world or to the partnering universities in Korea.

Hence, the embassies and universities select the successful candidates among the applicants in the 1st round of selection. The applicants of successful candidates will then be forwarded to NIIED

2nd Selection: The NIIED selection committee selects the successful candidates among those who passed the 1st round.

3rd Selection: Among the successful candidates who have passed the 2nd round, the applications of those who applied through the Korean Embassies will be reviewed by universities for admission. Successful candidates must get admission from at least one of the universities.

Duration:

• A year of Korean language course +2 year Associate degree
• 1-year Korean language course + 4-year bachelor’s degree
• A year of Korean language course + 2 years of Master’s degree
• 1-year Korean language course + 3 years of Doctoral degree

KGSP Application Deadline

Below is the application deadline for the Korean Government Scholarship for both Graduates and Undergraduates.

Feb – Mar 2023

Graduate Application Period

Sep-Oct 2023

Undergraduate Application Period

The application will re-open in September 2023.

Additionally, applicants should submit their applications either to the Korean Embassies around the world or to the partnering universities in Korea.

You can get more information on this scholarship by visiting the official scholarship website through the button below.

Scholarship Website

FAQs

How can I study in South Korea?

To study in South Korea, you would need a student visa and an offer of admission from any of the universities in Korea. The typical Korean student Visa allows you to stay for up to two years.

However, engineering students can apply for the D-2-7 visa, allowing them to stay in South Korea after graduation to find work. Another path through which you can study in South Korea is through the Korea Government Scholarship.

Who can apply for the Korean Government Scholarship?

International Undergraduate students under 25 years of age and graduate students under 40 years of age who are not citizens of South Korea are the only ones eligible to apply for the Korean Government Scholarship.

How much is the Korea Government Scholarship?

The Korea Government Scholarship comes in several packages. It is a fully-funded scholarship that pays for the full tuition of either the graduate or undergraduate education for up to 5 million KWR per semester, in addition to other benefits such as airfare, resettlement allowance, living allowance, medical insurance, language courses, etc. See the full award amount here.

How many students will be awarded the KGS scholarship?

The Korean Government awards 870 international students this scholarship yearly in proportion of 170 undergraduates and 700 graduates.

Must I be able to Speak the Korean Language before I am selected for the scholarship?

Your fluency in speaking the Korean language will be an added advantage to you, which is evident in the additional KRW 100,000 award given to international students for Excellent Korean Language Proficiency.

However, if you are fluent in English, you are qualified for the KGS but you must take Language Courses for one year once you’re in Korea.

Is GPA required for the Korea Government Scholarship?

Yes, the Korea Government Scholarship requires you to have a GPA of above 80% from the last educational institution you attended.

How can I apply for the Korea Government Scholarship?

To apply for the Korean Government Scholarship, you will need to get an application form from the Korean Embassy in your host country, a Korean University, or a Domestic University in your host country that can send you as their best candidate.

When you’re done filling out the application form, submit it and all documents related to your application to either the Korean Embassy in your country or the domestic university concerned.

What is the timeline for the KGS Scholarship?

The application starts in September every year for undergraduates and in February for graduates.
The Korean Embassies send a list of recommended candidates from October to November yearly for undergraduates and March to April for graduate students.

The Results will be released during January of the new year of study for Undergraduates and June in the new year of study for graduate students.
Finally, undergraduate students are expected to arrive in Korea by Late February, while Graduate Students are expected to arrive in Korea in late August.

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