Danish Government Scholarship for Highly Qualified Non-EU/EEA Students

The Danish Government, through the Ministry of Higher Education and Science, allocates a limited number of scholarships to public Danish universities each year. The universities then award them directly to non-EU/EEA Master's applicants based on academic merit.

Nepali students are eligible. Awards vary significantly by university — University of Copenhagen, Aarhus University, DTU, Aalborg, SDU, and Roskilde all participate.

Most awards cover full tuition (DKK 60,000–125,000 per year depending on programme). A subset of scholarships also include a living grant of around DKK 6,000–8,000 per month, but this is rare and highly competitive.

Important: there is no centralised application. You apply to your target Danish Master's programme through the university's normal admissions process, and you are automatically considered for the scholarship if you are eligible — unless the university specifies otherwise.

Nepali citizens are eligible as non-EU/EEA applicants. You must have an offer for a full-degree Master's programme (not exchange, not Bachelor's). Doctoral students apply separately via PhD funding routes.

IELTS 6.5 / TOEFL 83 is the typical English requirement, though programmes vary. Strong academic performance — typically equivalent to a first-class Bachelor's — is critical because the scholarships are awarded by merit.

Step 1: Apply to your target Danish Master's programme by January 15 (the standard deadline for non-EU/EEA applicants). The application portal is optagelse.dk for most public universities.

Step 2: In the application, indicate that you want to be considered for the Danish Government Scholarship. Some universities have a separate scholarship application form — check each university's international office page.

Step 3: Wait for the admission decision (typically March–April). Scholarship offers usually come with the admission letter or shortly after.