Scholarships aren’t just for toppers. Many of the scholarships Nepali students consistently win — including fully-funded government scholarships from Australia, Japan, Germany, and the UK — are awarded based on leadership, community impact, and career potential alongside academic scores. In the past 5 years, EVEC has helped 340+ Nepali students secure partial or full scholarships worth a combined NPR 2.4 billion. This guide covers the 10 scholarships with the highest success rates for Nepali students.
The 10 Scholarships
Australia Awards Scholarship (AAS)
Fully funded by the Australian Government. Covers tuition, airfare, living stipend (~AUD 32,000/year), OSHC, and return flights. Open to Bachelor’s or Master’s degree programs at Australian universities.
Eligibility: Nepali citizen, 2 years work experience, not currently enrolled in an Australian institution, no immediate family members who are Australian citizens/permanent residents.
Deadline: April 30 annually (for January intake next year). Apply at austraining.com.au/australiaawards.
EVEC Note: Highly competitive (~50 scholarships per year for Nepal). Strong community involvement and leadership experience are key differentiators — your GPA alone won’t win this.
Chevening Scholarship (UK)
UK Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office. Covers full tuition, monthly living allowance (£1,236/month in London), return flights, and visa fees. For 1-year Master’s degrees at any UK university.
Eligibility: Nepali citizen, 2 years work experience, no previous Chevening award, demonstrated leadership potential and networking ability.
Deadline: November 2 (applications open August). Apply at chevening.org.
EVEC Note: Essay quality is everything. Four essays, each 500 words, must show specific, concrete examples of leadership — vague answers are rejected. Start writing in July.
MEXT Scholarship (Japan)
Japanese Government scholarship covering full tuition, monthly stipend (¥117,000–¥145,000), and airfare. Available for research students (graduate level) and undergraduate tracks.
Eligibility: Under 35 (research stream), good academic record, willingness to study Japanese before departure (or apply to English-medium programs).
Deadline: Embassy route — typically April–May for October start. Apply via the Japanese Embassy Kathmandu.
DAAD Scholarship (Germany)
German Academic Exchange Service. Programs include: DAAD Development-Related Postgraduate Courses (covers tuition + EUR 861/month stipend + health insurance), DAAD Helmut-Schmidt Program (Master’s in public policy), and EPOS for development-country students.
Eligibility: Varies by program — generally a Bachelor’s degree, 2 years work experience, and German or English language proficiency proof.
Deadline: Varies by program, typically October–December. Apply at daad.de.
Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s
EU-funded fully-funded Master’s degrees taught across 2–3 European universities. Stipend: EUR 1,400/month + travel allowance. Over 100 programs available across engineering, arts, science, and social science.
Eligibility: Bachelor’s degree from a non-EU country, language requirements per program (usually IELTS 6.0–7.0).
Deadline: Typically January–February. Apply at eacea.ec.europa.eu.
EVEC Note: Extremely competitive (~10% acceptance rate) but the monthly stipend is among the highest of any scholarship. Apply to 3–4 Erasmus programs simultaneously to maximize your chances.
New Zealand ASEAN Scholarship
NZ Government scholarship covering full tuition, NZD 20,000/year living allowance, airfare, and establishment allowance. Open to South and Southeast Asian nationals — Nepal is included. For Master’s and PhD at NZ universities.
Eligibility: 2 years work experience, good health clearance, demonstrated intent to return to Nepal and apply gained knowledge.
Deadline: March 31. Apply via the New Zealand High Commission.
Fulbright Foreign Student Program (USA)
US Department of State scholarship covering full tuition, living stipend, airfare, and health insurance. For Master’s and PhD study at US universities across virtually any discipline.
Eligibility: Nepali citizen, Bachelor’s degree, minimum 3.0/4.0 GPA, TOEFL/IELTS, demonstrated leadership and community involvement.
Deadline: April 30 (applications open January). Apply via the US Embassy Kathmandu.
Canada Government Scholarship (CGSP)
Government of Canada scholarship covering tuition and living expenses for short programs (4–6 months) or full degrees through bilateral program agreements. Less accessible than other fully-funded options but worth applying if you have an institutional nomination.
Eligibility: Varies by bilateral program; academic excellence is the primary criterion.
Deadline: Varies. Apply at educanada.ca.
Eiffel Excellence Scholarship (France)
French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Covers EUR 1,181/month living allowance, health insurance, and cultural activities. For Master’s and PhD study at French universities.
Eligibility: Nominated by a French institution, under 30 (Master’s) or under 35 (PhD). You must first be accepted by a French university, which then nominates you for the Eiffel award.
Deadline: January 9. Apply via Campus France.
EVEC Note: Apply to French universities from October onwards — the Eiffel nomination comes from the university, not directly from you. Secure admission first.
EVEC Partner University Scholarships
Many of EVEC’s 188 partner universities offer partial scholarships (20–50% tuition waiver) to strong applicants. Examples:
- Victoria University of Wellington (NZ): 20% merit scholarship
- University of Tasmania (AU): UTAS Scholarship AUD 5,000/year
- Western Sydney University (AU): EVEC Partnership Scholarship AUD 3,000
These are automatically matched to your academic profile during your EVEC consultation — no separate application required.
5 Tips to Maximize Your Scholarship Chances
- Apply 12+ months before your intended intake — most fully-funded scholarships close 8–12 months before the program start date. Waiting until 3 months before you want to leave means missing all major scholarships for that year.
- Start your essays 3 months early — the application essays are the differentiator, not your GPA. A student with a 3.2 GPA and compelling leadership stories will beat a 3.9 GPA student with generic answers.
- Apply to multiple scholarships simultaneously — each scholarship takes 20+ hours to apply properly. Commit to applying for 4–5 scholarships in the same cycle. Your chances multiply without the effort scaling linearly.
- Get your IELTS/TOEFL done first — most scholarships require proof of English proficiency even if you attended an English-medium school. Without a score, you cannot submit. Book your test at least 3 months before the scholarship deadline.
- Book a free EVEC scholarship consultation — we match your profile to the scholarships you are most likely to win, review your essays, and provide reference letter guidance. It costs you nothing and increases your chances significantly.
Ready to Start Your Scholarship Journey?
Our scholarship team has helped 340+ Nepali students win funding worth NPR 2.4 billion combined. We review your profile, match you to the right scholarships, and support you through every step of the application — for free. Book your consultation today.
- Australia Awards Scholarships (www.australiaawards.gov.au)
- Chevening Scholarships (www.chevening.org)
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