Scholarships and grants for international students in Slovakia 2026/27: what you can realistically get

The main "scholarship" is free tuition

Many people ask about scholarships as if Slovakia had one programme that pays foreigners to study. It does not. The real saving is elsewhere: at public universities, full-time study in Slovak is free of tuition for foreigners. You still pay for housing, food, insurance and paperwork, but not for the course itself. We compare this with neighbouring countries in Where to study for free in Europe after school.

So a sensible strategy is to pick a programme taught in Slovak (and, if needed, prepare on a language course) and treat scholarships as a bonus rather than the foundation of your budget.

The main types of scholarship at a glance

Social and merit scholarships under Act 300/2025

The new Higher Education Act 300/2025 Z. z. applies from 1 September 2026 and replaces the earlier Act 131/2002. Two sections matter for scholarships.

Programmes for foreigners: government scholarships, NSP and Erasmus+

Slovak government scholarships. A separate programme for citizens of partner countries at all study levels at public universities. According to vladnestipendia.sk, you must be 18-26 on 1 September for bachelor's and master's, or 23-35 for doctoral study; the SAT is not required; you apply online with every mandatory attachment, and a missing document means rejection. The list of eligible countries appears only in the wizard on the site: if your country is not there, you cannot apply. The Slovak embassy in Ukraine reported that applications for 2026/27 closed on 25 May 2026, so plan for the next round well ahead.

National Scholarship Programme (NSP). The call for the 2026/27 summer semester is open, with a deadline of 31 October 2026. The programme supports mobility of students, doctoral candidates, teachers and researchers, meaning stays at Slovak universities and research centres rather than funding a full bachelor's degree. If you are an applicant still choosing a university, the NSP is usually not your route. If you already study abroad or are doing doctoral research, read the conditions for your category at stipendia.sk. We do not quote amounts here because we could not confirm them on the pages available.

Erasmus+. This works for those already enrolled at a participating institution: study semesters abroad, traineeships and blended intensive programmes. You apply through your own university, and the national agency in Slovakia is SAAIC. For an applicant the takeaway is simple: Erasmus+ is a bonus in your second or third year, not a reason to choose a country.

What universities pay themselves and how it looks in practice

Each university, and often each faculty, has its own scholarship rules. As an illustration, the merit award at the STU Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology counts a weighted average of no more than 2.2, goes to up to 10 % of students, and has a 2026 base amount of 450 EUR, with a maximum of three times that. Other faculties and universities use different figures that change every year, so treat this as an example, not a promise.

• Open the "Štipendiá" section of the faculty website and find the štipendijný poriadok for the current year.
• Check whether international students, including those on English-taught programmes, are among the eligible recipients.
• Find the application deadlines and grade requirements: results of the previous academic year are usually counted, so a first-year student should not expect a merit award in the first semester.
• Make sure the scholarship conditions do not conflict with your residence status.

For the rest of your costs, see our guides to dormitories and the cost of living and student jobs. You can estimate a full budget in the cost calculator.

What to do: a short plan

1. Choose a programme taught in Slovak

   This is where the main saving comes from. Compare universities in the section for school leavers and in the catalogue.
2. Work out your status

   Permanent residence, international protection, temporary refuge or a student visa: this decides whether the social scholarship applies.
3. Check your country in the government scholarship wizard

   If your country is on the list, note the dates of the next round and prepare documents in advance.
4. Ask for the university's scholarship regulations

   Ask the admissions office how international students receive the merit scholarship.
5. Apply after enrolment

   The social scholarship is applied for in writing at the university, the merit award is usually granted after the year's results, and Erasmus+ goes through the international office.

Common mistakes

• Treating a scholarship as the base of your budget: amounts are modest, competitive and do not arrive immediately.
• Trusting posts about "scholarships for all foreigners": check the ministry's or the university's own site.
• Missing a deadline: the NSP closes on 31.10.2026, and government scholarships follow their own calendar.
• Skipping the social scholarship because "foreigners are not eligible": for some statuses the law expressly provides for it.
• Choosing a university for its scholarship rather than for the programme and the language of study.

Questions and answers