Fully Funded Scholarships for Nepali Students to Study Abroad

Good news for Nepali students: real funding exists in Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA, from full awards to tuition discounts. Some cover most of your costs, and others take off a fixed amount. This guide lists scholarships checked on official pages, and shows you how to confirm that each one is open to students from Nepal.

An award that says “international students” may not include Nepal, so always read the eligibility page. A scholarship also doesn’t decide your admission or your visa.

What Fully Funded Scholarships Can Nepali Students Apply For?

The main fully funded options are Australia Awards, Fulbright and Chevening for a master’s, and a few very competitive awards for a bachelor’s.

Fully funded awards go to few people, so also look at partial awards while you apply. Here are the main names:

“Fully funded” means different things to different providers, so read what each one pays for. Personal costs may stay with you even when tuition and living support are included.

What Types of Scholarship Are There?

Scholarships are usually fully funded, partial, tuition waivers, government awards, university awards or research funding.

The type tells you how much of the cost you will still need to find from Nepal. These 6 types are the most common:

Before you accept any award, add up what you will still pay for tuition, housing, food, insurance, travel and your visa.

Which Scholarships Are Available in Australia?

Australia Awards is the main fully funded award for Nepal, and the Research Training Program supports research degrees.

Australia Awards Scholarships support postgraduate study in fields linked to Nepal’s development priorities. DFAT publishes Nepal’s intake information, including country-specific rules. Applications usually open early in the year, so watch the Australia Awards Nepal site from January.

The Research Training Program supports research master’s and doctoral students. Depending on the university, it may include a fee offset, stipend and allowances. Each university runs its own applications and dates.

It doesn’t apply to a bachelor’s or coursework master’s, so look at university awards for those. Our guide to universities in Australia is a good place to start, and study in Australia from Nepal covers the wider plan. For every award in one place, read our full guide to scholarships in Australia.

Which Scholarships Are Available in Canada?

Funding in Canada mostly comes from individual universities, and the best-known awards are at the University of Toronto and UBC.

The Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship at the University of Toronto selects 37 scholars each year. It covers tuition, books, incidental fees and full residence for 4 years.

You can’t apply alone, because your school must nominate you, and each school can nominate only 1 student a year. Nomination usually closes in October, so speak to your +2 college in Nepal early.

The UBC International Scholars Program supports high-achieving students with leadership and significant financial need. You must enter UBC directly from secondary school for your first degree. To plan your budget around any award, read the cost of study in Canada and study in Canada from Nepal. For every award in one place, read our full guide to scholarships in Canada.

Which Scholarships Are Available in the UK and USA?

Chevening and Fulbright are the main fully funded master’s awards, and universities in both countries also offer their own funding.

UK: Chevening supports a 1-year master’s, and it usually takes applications from August to October. Check its eligibility page for Nepal. For the Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships, Nepal was not on the eligible list when this guide was written, so avoid old lists that say otherwise. See scholarships in the UK.

USA: the Fulbright program in Nepal usually opens in February and closes at the end of May. You must also meet its citizenship, academic and work experience rules.

Universities may offer merit awards, need-based aid and tuition waivers. At graduate level, teaching and research assistantships can give tuition support or a stipend. See scholarships in the USA.

Which Scholarships Fit Your Study Level?

Bachelor’s students mostly find merit and need-based awards, master’s students find government and university awards, and PhD students find research funding.

Here is what to check at each of the 3 levels:

Students from Nepal can work out their +2 grade with our NEB GPA calculator before comparing awards.

What Do You Need to Be Eligible?

Most providers look at your grades, English score, nationality and, for some awards, your work experience or financial need.

These 8 points come up most often, but no provider uses them all in the same way:

• Your results in your most recent qualification.
• How your subject relates to the program.
• Your English score, from IELTS or PTE, where asked.
• Work experience, where the award asks for it.
• Leadership or volunteering, where relevant.
• Financial need, where the award is need-based.
• Nationality, residency and any age limit.
• Whether you need an offer before you apply.

No single GPA or IELTS score earns you a scholarship in Nepal or anywhere else, because each provider weighs these points differently.

Which Documents Do You Need, and How Do You Apply?

Most awards ask for transcripts, a statement, references and English results, and you should apply only through the official platform.

Prepare these documents early, because some take weeks to collect in Nepal: transcripts, a CV, a personal statement or SOP, and a recommendation letter. Then follow these 6 steps:

1. Choose your country and study level.
2. Find awards on official government and university sites.
3. Confirm that Nepali citizens are eligible, and exactly what the award covers.
4. Check admission and scholarship deadlines separately.
5. Apply through the official platform before the provider’s stated time and time zone.
6. Read the terms carefully before you accept.

Be careful of anyone who asks for payment in return for a promised scholarship.

Does a Scholarship Help With Your Student Visa Money Rules?

It can help, but you must still show you can pay whatever the award doesn’t cover.

Include your scholarship letter in your file and work out the gap. Visa money rules change, so check your destination’s official page. For Canada, read our guide to proof of funds. For Australia, read about financial documents.

From Nepal, you may also need a bank balance certificate, and some families add an education loan. An award doesn’t settle your visa, so check all 2 sides: your funds and your other documents.

What Mistakes Should You Avoid?

The biggest mistakes are applying without reading the rules, mixing up deadlines and relying on old scholarship lists.

Watch out for these 6 mistakes:

• Skipping the full eligibility conditions.
• Confusing the admission deadline with the scholarship deadline.
• Copying essays or exaggerating your achievements.
• Asking for references too late.
• Trusting a forwarded message or an old article about dates.
• Forgetting the costs the award doesn’t cover.

Not sure which awards suit you? Talk to a Goreto counselor at our branches in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Chitwan, Itahari and Pokhara. We can help you choose a country, shortlist universities and plan your next steps.