Korea Scholarships for International Students: 2027 Map of the GKS Scholarship (Undergraduate, Graduate, Exchange) and University TOPIK Scholarships, and What to Prepare When

Korea scholarships open to international students fall into two broad groups. One is the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS), under which the Korean government pays tuition and living expenses; the other is scholarships universities give incoming students by cutting tuition according to their TOPIK or English scores. GKS recruits once a year in set months, while university scholarships are decided by the score reports submitted with the admission application. Miss the GKS window and you must wait a year; miss a university scholarship and you must wait until applications open for the next intake.

GKS applicants are nationals of countries the National Institute for International Education (NIIED) has designated as invited countries. The Embassy Track takes applications through the Korean diplomatic mission in the applicant's country, and the number selected is set by country. The University Track takes applications directly at the university the applicant is applying to.

The scholarship map at a glance

GKS Undergraduate (GKS-U): September is decisive

NIIED announces GKS undergraduate scholarships every September. The recruitment notice for 2027 entrants came out on September 9, 2026, and university-by-university selection information for the University Track on September 23. The Embassy Track takes applications in September, while University Track applications are accepted separately by each university from September to November. Screening runs from October to December, and final results for 2027 admission are scheduled for early January 2027.

The eligibility requirements are as follows.

• Nationality: The applicant and both parents must not be Korean nationals.
• Age: Under 25 as of the relevant year. The 2027 University Track (UIC) is open to those born on or after March 1, 2002.
• Grades: Cumulative high school grades must be 80 or higher out of 100, within the top 20% of the class, or above the reference GPA (example: 2.64 on a 4.0 scale, 2.91 on a 4.5 scale).

The scholarship covers round-trip airfare, the Korean language training fee, tuition and a monthly allowance. Scholars study Korean for one year and then enter an associate degree (2–3 years) or bachelor's (4–6 years) program. Amounts for each item, such as the study allowance, settlement allowance and insurance, are compiled in A complete guide to GKS benefits.

For 2027 admission, Embassy Track applications closed in September, and on the University Track some schools, such as Ajou University and Kookmin University, closed on October 30. If you are aiming for 2028 admission, first check whether your high school grades clear the 80-point threshold, obtain documents that take time to issue, such as transcripts, by summer, and then check the Study in Korea scholarship notices (Notice > Scholarships) in early September. For differences between the tracks, see the 2027 GKS undergraduate application guide and 2027 GKS undergraduate University Track.

GKS Graduate (GKS-G): Announced in February, results in summer

Graduate scholarships are announced every February, with applications in February and March. After screening from April to June, final selections are made in June. In 2026, the admission guidelines came out on February 2, and Embassy Track applications ran from 11 a.m. on February 12 to 6 p.m. on February 25. Final results were announced on July 1. University Track deadlines vary by university.

The eligibility requirements are as follows.

• Nationality: The applicant and both parents must not be Korean nationals. The applicant must be a national of a country NIIED has designated as a GKS invited country.
• Age: Under 40. The 2026 recruitment was open to those born on or after September 1, 1986.
• Grades: Grades in the previous degree program must be 80 or higher out of 100, or above the GPA standard set in the admission guidelines.

The scholarship period is one year of Korean plus two years of study for a master's degree, and one year of Korean plus three years for a doctorate. Scholars who obtain TOPIK Level 5 or 6 within the first six months of the Korean language course skip the rest of the course. Under the 2026 guidelines, tuition was covered up to KRW 5 million, and the university paid the admission fee.

Besides the general program, there are specialized tracks.

• R&D Track: Open only to master's and doctoral programs in science and engineering departments related to industrial fields.
• Global Network Track: Master's programs in humanities and social science departments related to international cooperation; scholars start the degree program right away, without Korean language training.

If you are aiming for the next round, check the Study in Korea scholarship notices from early February. In 2026, the Embassy Track application period was 14 days. Gathering documents after the notice comes out may be too late, so obtain documents that take time to issue, such as transcripts and degree certificates, in advance. Last year's schedule and documents are summarized in the 2026 GKS graduate Embassy and University Track guide.

GKS exchange student program: One semester while enrolled abroad

This scholarship is for students enrolled at overseas universities who spend one semester (4 months) studying at a partner university in Korea. About 500 students are selected, depending on the budget. It provides KRW 630,000 a month (which may vary with the length of stay and the semester end date) and round-trip airfare. Applicants' overall grades at their home university must be 80% or higher.

University admission scholarships: Your TOPIK level is your scholarship

Most Korean universities offer scholarships for international students that cut 30–100% of tuition based on scores. The benchmark is usually the TOPIK level, while programs taught in English look at English scores. Here are the actual standards at a few schools.

As the table shows, a one-level difference in TOPIK changes the reduction rate by 20–50 percentage points. Some schools, such as Ewha Womans University, set the scholarship for the semester of admission based on the TOPIK level held at the time of application. Check the admission guidelines for the deadline to submit scores recognized for scholarships, and choose a TOPIK test date whose results come out within that deadline. At schools such as Yeungnam University, which look at TOPIK and GPA together even after enrollment, managing your grades after admission also pays off in scholarships. Ajou University's freshman scholarship applies only to the first semester; after that, continuing-student scholarships are reviewed with a baseline of at least 12 credits and a GPA of 2.0 or higher in the previous semester.

Standards at more schools are compiled in Yonsei, Sungkyunkwan and Seoul National University international undergraduate scholarships, Korea University international student scholarships (TOPIK, GPA) and English-track study in Korea and TOPIK scholarships. If you are looking for schools with low tuition to begin with, see the regional national universities low-tuition and scholarship guide; for graduate assistantships, see the Korea master's tuition and assistantship scholarship guide.

Preparation calendar for 2027

• Now to January 2027: Check the TOPIK schedule and pick a test date whose results come out within the score deadline recognized by the schools you will apply to. Graduate applicants should obtain transcripts and degree certificates in advance.
• February–March 2027: GKS graduate announcement and applications (based on the annual schedule).
• Spring–summer 2027: Prepare documents that take time to issue, such as high school transcripts for the undergraduate GKS application, along with TOPIK scores.
• September 2027: GKS undergraduate announcement and Embassy Track applications (based on the annual schedule, for 2028 admission); University Track from September to November.
• Each university's international admission application period: Submit TOPIK and English score reports for admission scholarships together with the application.

--- Recruitment timing is based on the annual schedule in Study in Korea's scholarship information and on actual 2026–2027 notices. University scholarship criteria are the current standards posted by each university and may change depending on school circumstances.