For international students studying in Asia, South Korea has become one of the most popular destinations. It is attractive, trendy, and offers a lot for a newbie to enjoy and discover. Aside from pop culture, Korea is a dominant force in the digital technology business, as one of the most creative countries with a highly connected populace. 

Most overseas students begin their studies in Korea by studying Korean at a Korean Language Institute (KLI) affiliated with one of Korea's numerous institutions. Universities are your best choice if you wish to study in Korea for three months or longer. Moreover, with scholarships to study in South Korea, international students can cover their additional expenses and relax their financial burdens.

Korean universities request a certain level of Korean language to admit students for degree programmes. You must pass TOPIK (Test of Proficiency in Korean) level 3 or higher for undergraduate programmes, and TOPIK level 4 or higher for graduate programmes. If the programme you will take is 100% taught in English it can be enough to show a TOEFL result instead, but beware that many degree programmes include some courses taught in Korean even if English is the primary language of tuition.

The universities in Korea charge the same amount of tuition to both domestic and international students, in order to bring more foreigners to study in Korea and to create an international academic environment. Private universities are more expensive than public universities but they offer some fully funded scholarships in Korea for international students, so that should do the trick for you. Programmes like Medicine, Engineering, etc. cost much more than humanity programmes. Apart from tuition fees, newly enrolled students also need to pay a one-time entrance and/or enrollment fee at the beginning of their programme. Students usually pay once or twice per year.

The wide range of annual tuition for undergraduates is 4,000-20,000 USD, depending on universities and programmes,  with an average of 11,000 USD. Scholarships in Korea for international students are available majorly offered by universities and also from government entities. The chance to get one that covers a part of the tuition fees and other expenses is high so applying to scholarships to study in South Korea would be ideal for you.

Relatively low living costs for food, transportation, and accommodation make studying in Korea feasible and practical. School canteens provide cheap and good quality meals at a couple of dollars. Groceries in supermarkets are not only full of options but also have very good prices. A monthly cost of 300 USD on food is reasonable if you are not too careless with your budget.

Scholarships in South Korea help pay for the costs of earning a degree at your uni. A variety of organizations and schools award study abroad scholarships in South Korea based on financial need, merit, diversity, and other criteria. Depending on each scholarship’s rules, students may use the award to pay for tuition and fees, textbooks, housing, and cost of living.

Here’s a list of the scholarships to study in South Korea available for students from all over the world - 

Global Korea Scholarships

The GKS programme, arguably one of the best scholarships in Korea for international students, was created by the Korean government to promote international educational exchanges and mutual friendships with other countries. Through this, 220 undergraduate and 1,080 graduate students have the chance to study for free at select Korean institutions. The scholarship also includes a resettlement allowance, living allowance, medical insurance, and language course fees. Those who exhibit excellent Korean Language proficiency will be awarded a prize of KRW 100,000 ($90). Graduate students are also entitled to research support, dissertation printing costs, and a complete grant of KRW 100,000 ($90).

Samsung Global Hope Scholarship Programme
The Samsung Global Hope Scholarship Programme is open to applicants coming from the DAC list of OCD recipients. These scholarships to study in South Korea are offered to nations that are listed as least developed, low-income, lower-middle-income, and upper-middle-income. Scholars are chosen according to academic intellect, language proficiency (Korean & English), and financial need. Additionally, awards are given to students who are most likely to return to their countries and facilitate their development. The scholarship value is: Full tuition for 8 semesters (undergraduate), 4 semesters (Master’s), or 6 semesters (PhD.)

POSCO TJ Park Scholarship for Asian Students Studying in Korea

As the name suggests, these scholarships to study in South Korea are exclusive to Asian students who wish to undertake graduate studies in South Korea. It was developed to help groom the next-generation leaders from every corner of Asia. Apart from shouldering the tuition fee for 4 semesters, the scholarship award will also provide a living subsidy of $900 a month. To be eligible, the applicant must have completed a Bachelor’s degree in Korea or any other country.

Yonsei University Underwood International College (UIC) Admissions Scholarship

Yonsei University, one of South Korea’s best institutions, has recently opened the country’s first English-language liberal arts college. Named UIC, it currently has 2,500 students from 66 countries. What’s great about the UIC scholarship is that all applicants are automatically considered. Awardees for these top scholarships in Korea for international students are chosen according to their academic credentials. Once selected, the notice of scholarship will be sent together with the admission packet. As with other scholarships, students must maintain a certain GPA to renew their eligibility for the next school year.

Korea University Scholarships For International Students

As a private institution, Korea University has some of the more expensive tuition costs in the country. Thanks to these awesome scholarships to study in South Korea, many international students have managed to finish their undergraduate studies at the institution – free of charge.  A select number of new students, for example, maybe given Entrance scholarships. There is no separate application required as the awardees are handpicked based on their merits.

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