Seoul National University Graduate Scholarships for International Students (GSFS, SNU President Fellowship, SNU Global Scholarship)

Graduate Scholarship for Foreign Students (GSFS): full tuition for up to four semesters plus a monthly stipend of at least KRW 500,000 (amount varies by college). SNU President Fellowship (SPF, PhD only): full tuition for up to six semesters, KRW 1,500,000 to 2,000,000 per month for 3 to 4 years, return airfare, national health insurance, Korean language training and child care support. SNU Global Scholarship: tuition, living costs, airfare and housing, with amounts set case by case.

Fields: Any field

Open to most nationalities

• International applicant whose parents are also not Korean nationals (International Admission I track).
• GSFS: no prior enrolment at or graduation from any educational institution in Korea; eligible countries and participating colleges can change each semester.
• SPF: PhD applicants only, who work as teaching or instructional staff at a university in a developing country and do not yet hold a PhD; priority for Asia, Africa and South America.
• Bachelor's degree for master's applicants, or master's degree for PhD applicants, completed by the start of the semester (28 February 2027 for spring 2027 entry).
• Meet the language requirement of your programme (Korean or English, for example TOEFL iBT 80 or IELTS 6.0 where English is accepted).
• SNU Global Scholarship: considered for international graduate students after admission; about 160 recipients.

SNU admits international graduate students twice a year, for spring and fall semesters. For spring 2027 entry the online application ran from 6 to 9 July 2026 and final results came out on 20 November 2026. Fall-semester dates are published separately on the SNU admissions site; check the current guide before planning.

Deadlines move a little every year and some close early. Confirm the date on the official page before you plan around it.

• Online application form with scholarship section ticked
• Personal statement and study plan (about 600 English words each)
• Two recommendation letters submitted online by the recommenders
• Degree certificate and academic transcripts, apostilled or verified by a Korean embassy
• Proof of your and your parents' nationality and a parent-child relationship certificate
• Language test results required by your programme
• For SPF: proof of employment as university teaching staff in a developing country

1. 1

   Step 1: Download the admissions guide

   Get the current International Graduate Admissions Guide from en.snu.ac.kr/admission and confirm your department and language requirement.
2. 2

   Step 2: Prepare documents early

   Have your degree and transcripts apostilled or verified by the Korean embassy, which can take weeks, and line up two recommenders.
3. 3

   Step 3: Apply and tick the scholarship box

   Submit the online application during the short application window and select GSFS or SPF in the scholarship section.
4. 4

   Step 4: Send originals if shortlisted

   After preliminary admission, post your original documents to SNU by the stated deadline.
5. 5

   Step 5: Contact OGA after admission

   Admitted students can ask the Office of Global Affairs at intlscholarship@snu.ac.kr about the SNU Global Scholarship and other awards.

• GSFS tuition support lasts up to four semesters; check whether your degree runs longer.
• Stipend amounts and durations vary by college and can change with funding.
• Awards are tied to full-time enrolment at SNU and you must keep satisfactory academic progress.

• The application window is only a few days long and documents must be uploaded within it, so prepare everything weeks ahead.
• If you lecture at a Nigerian or other African university without a PhD, the SNU President Fellowship is one of the best fully funded options, so state your teaching role clearly.
• Apostille or Korean embassy verification of Nigerian certificates can be slow; start this as soon as you decide to apply.
• SNU notes its scholarship pages may lag behind changes; confirm current amounts with intlscholarship@snu.ac.kr before relying on them.
• The Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) is a separate government scheme with its own February deadline.

Winning the award does not include the visa. Plan your application with our guide for the host country.

• South Korea student visa

Checked against these official pages on 16 Oct 2026.

• SNU: Graduate scholarships before application (opens in a new tab)
• SNU: Graduate scholarships after admission (opens in a new tab)
• SNU: 2027 Spring Graduate Admissions Guide for International Students (PDF) (opens in a new tab)