Finding a scholarship for a master’s or PhD can sometimes feel harder than getting admission itself.
You search Google for “fully funded PhD scholarships,” open dozens of pages, and soon find yourself surrounded by expired opportunities, confusing eligibility requirements, and websites you are not sure you can trust.
The good news is that you do not need to search the entire internet.
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There are dedicated websites where universities, governments, research institutes, and funding organizations regularly advertise scholarships, funded PhD positions, studentships, and research opportunities.
Below are 30 useful websites for finding Master’s and PhD scholarships, followed by practical advice on when to apply, how to search, and how to improve your chances.
30 Websites to Find Master’s and PhD Scholarships
The image above provides a useful starting point, but scholarship websites change over time. So, rather than relying only on old lists, it is worth combining scholarship databases with official government and university funding portals.
- FindAPhD — One of the best places to search specifically for PhD projects, programmes, studentships, and funded research positions. You can search by subject, country, institution, and funding type. It currently lists thousands of PhD opportunities.
- Academic Positions — Useful for PhD positions, research jobs, postdoctoral opportunities, and academic careers across different countries.
- Scholars4Dev — Particularly useful for international students and students from developing countries looking for scholarships abroad.
- Science Careers — A useful resource for research and academic career opportunities, especially in science-related disciplines.
- Study International — Covers international study opportunities, universities, funding information, and scholarship-related news.
- ScholarshipDB — A searchable database for scholarships, PhD opportunities, research positions, and academic jobs.
- jobs.ac.uk — Particularly valuable if you are looking for funded PhD positions in the UK. Its dedicated PhD scholarship section includes studentships with deadlines and funding details.
- EURAXESS — An excellent resource for researchers interested in Europe. It includes research jobs, funding opportunities, hosting offers, doctoral opportunities, and programmes such as MSCA.
- DAAD Scholarship Database — Essential if Germany is on your list. DAAD provides funding information for students, graduates, doctoral candidates, and researchers.
- Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters — One of the most attractive options for Master’s students interested in Europe. Full scholarships may cover participation costs and contribute toward travel, visas, and living expenses.
- Chevening Scholarships — A major fully funded UK scholarship programs for eligible applicants pursuing a one-year Master’s degree.
- Fulbright Foreign Student Program — A major international scholarship route for graduate study and research in the United States.
- Commonwealth Scholarships — An important source of postgraduate funding in the UK for eligible applicants from Commonwealth countries.
- Postgraduate Search — Useful for discovering postgraduate courses, universities, and funding options, particularly in the UK.
- PhDportal — Lets students explore PhD programs and scholarships across countries and universities. Its scholarship search can also be filtered according to destination and programs.
- Mastersportal — Similar to PhDportal but focused on Master’s programmes, making it useful for comparing programmes internationally.
- Scholarship Positions — Publishes international scholarships and funding opportunities across different levels and subjects.
- Opportunities Corners — Shares international scholarships, fellowships, internships, exchange programmes, and other opportunities.
- Scholarships.com — A large scholarship search platform, especially useful for students exploring funding opportunities connected with study in the United States.
- BANDI — A useful official resource for academic and research opportunities in Italy.
- CSIRO Careers — Worth checking for research opportunities in Australia, particularly for students and researchers working in science and technology.
- Research Professional News — Useful for following research funding news and opportunities.
- EducationUSA — An official U.S. Department of State resource that helps international students understand U.S. study options, financial aid, and the application process.
- Study Australia — An official Australian Government resource for international students, including information about study options and scholarships.
- Study UK — A useful starting point for international students looking for UK scholarships and funding.
- Campus France — An important official resource if you want to study in France and explore programmes, scholarships, and funding.
- Study in Sweden — Useful for finding information about scholarships for international students interested in Swedish universities.
- Study in Finland — Provides official information about studying in Finland, including programmes and scholarship guidance.
- Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships — Important for postgraduate researchers interested in Swiss Government-funded research opportunities.
- Study in Japan – MEXT Scholarships — A key official resource for students interested in Japanese Government MEXT scholarships.
Don’t Search Only for the Word “Scholarship”
This is one of the most important tips, especially for PhD applicants.
A funded PhD may not actually be advertised as a “scholarship.” Universities may call it a PhD studentship, doctoral researcher position, funded PhD project, research assistantship, doctoral fellowship, graduate assistantship, doctoral candidate position, or simply a PhD position.
For example, FindAPhD currently separates funded projects from self-funded opportunities, while jobs.ac.uk advertises individual PhD studentships with information about stipends, fees, and closing dates.
Therefore, instead of searching only:
“Computer Science PhD scholarship”
also try:
“Funded PhD Computer Science,” “PhD studentship artificial intelligence,” “doctoral researcher machine learning,” or “fully funded PhD AI international students.”
You may suddenly discover opportunities that were missing from your original search.
When Should You Start Applying?
Do not wait until you finish your current degree before starting your scholarship search.
A good rule is to begin researching opportunities around 9–12 months before you want to start studying. This gives you enough time to prepare your CV, transcripts, recommendation letters, English-language test, research proposal, statement of purpose, and other documents.
There is no universal “scholarship season.” Deadlines vary greatly by country and programme. For example, Erasmus Mundus says that, in most cases, applications are submitted between October and January for programmes beginning in the following academic year.
PhD positions can be very different. Some are advertised throughout the year whenever a professor or research group receives funding.
That is why scholarship searching should become a routine rather than a one-time activity.
How to Search More Effectively
Start by answering four questions:
What do I want to study? Where am I willing to study? Am I looking for a Master’s or PhD? Do I need full funding?
Then create a shortlist of perhaps five countries and several universities.
Use scholarship databases for discovery, but always verify important information on the official university or funding organization’s website before applying. Check the eligibility criteria, deadline, funding amount, nationality restrictions, required documents, and whether the scholarship covers tuition only or also provides a living stipend.
For PhD students, also visit university department pages and individual professors’ research-group pages. Some excellent opportunities appear there before you ever encounter them on a large scholarship website.
Fully Funded vs. Partially Funded: Know the Difference
The phrase “scholarship available” does not automatically mean all your expenses will be covered.
A fully funded opportunity may cover tuition fees and provide a living allowance, while some packages also contribute to travel, insurance, visa costs, or research expenses. Others provide only a tuition discount or a fixed amount of money.
Erasmus Mundus, for example, states that scholarships can cover participation costs and contribute toward travel, visa, and living expenses. Chevening describes its standard scholarship as fully funded.
Always read the funding section carefully before applying.
What Documents Should You Prepare?
Most scholarship applications require some combination of an academic CV, transcripts and degree certificates, statement of purpose or motivation letter, recommendation letters, proof of English proficiency, passport details, and sometimes a research proposal.
For research-based PhDs, your research fit can be especially important. Do not send the same generic proposal and email to 50 professors.
Read the professor’s recent research. Understand what their group is working on. Then explain clearly why your experience and research interests fit that particular project.
Final Tips to Improve Your Chances
Do not depend on a single website or a single scholarship. Create a spreadsheet with columns for the university, country, scholarship, funding, eligibility, deadline, documents required, application link, and application status.
Set aside perhaps 30 minutes twice a week to check new opportunities. Many databases allow you to save searches or receive alerts.
Most importantly, apply even if you think the competition will be high. Students sometimes spend months searching for the “perfect” scholarship but submit very few applications. A better approach is to identify opportunities that genuinely match your profile and submit several strong, carefully customized applications.
Final Thoughts
Finding funding for a Master’s or PhD is not simply about knowing one magical scholarship website. It is about building a good search system.
Start with platforms such as FindAPhD, EURAXESS, jobs.ac.uk, PhDportal, DAAD, Erasmus Mundus, and the other resources above. Then move from these databases to the official university or scholarship page, verify every requirement, and prepare your application early.
A scholarship opportunity you never discover cannot be applied for.
So instead of searching randomly every few months, bookmark these websites, create alerts, track deadlines, and make scholarship searching part of your weekly routine. That simple habit could eventually lead you to the funded Master’s or PhD opportunity you have been looking for.