Seoul National University Scholarships for International Students

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As its name suggests, Seoul National University is a public research university based in the capital of Seoul in South Korea. Currently, the university is known for being the most prestigious institution of higher education in the country and was only established in 1946. With three main campuses, the university is additionally comprised of several colleges and departments of study and provides education for more than 27,700 students in total.

Despite its national status, the university holds international partnerships with more than 700 academic universities and institutions across the world and is considered to be the most internationalized university with a diverse student population, including transfer students from around the globe. In this article, we discuss some of the numerous scholarships offered by Seoul National University for international students.

Seoul National University Scholarships

Undergraduate Scholarships

Undergraduate students have access to a variety of Seoul National University scholarships. These are either administered and managed centrally by the university or are operated by external organizations.

A few of these programs are required to be applied to before gaining admission into the university course whereas several others can be applied to after a student’s position at the university is confirmed. Here are some of the few main scholarship programs offered to undergraduates.

 

1. Korean Government Scholarships

This scholarship program is valid for international students who intend to apply for a 4 year undergraduate level program at the SNU. This is a program that is not exclusive to the SNU but instead, it applies to international students pursuing a Bachelors-level degree at any relevant institution in Korea.

Scholarship amount:
 The funding package includes full tuition fees, living expenses (amounting up to 800,000 KRW per month), return airfare to and from Korea as well as other expenses including medical insurance, settlement expenses and Korean language training.

Eligibility criteria:
The overall scholarship program offers around 79 awards on an annual basis to students from 63 countries for the variety of universities, which is detailed in the scholarship information. Additionally, the scholarship is valid for 4 year undergraduate programs and not for programs longer than this (such as Medicine, Pharmacy etc.).

Application process:
 The application period commences from September. Prospective applicants are expected to forward their applications to Korean Embassies in their respective countries. The embassies consider the applications and make the first selections, followed by interviews and reviews before awarding the students by the National Institute of International Education.

 

2. Glo-Harmony Scholarships

This is a Seoul National University scholarship program that is predominantly offered to students who are enrolled to study in an undergraduate program at the university. This funding program is considered only after admission at the SNU is received.

Scholarship amount:
The subsidies consist of an exempted tuition fee rate for a period of 8 semesters. In addition to the full tuition exemption, the award also comes with 600,000 KRW per month as a living stipend.

Eligibility criteria:
The program is eligible for international students from a series of developing countries which are enlisted in the DAC of ODA recipients.

Application process:
Prospective applicants are required to submit applications to the SNU’s office for International Affairs who will consider these and make the relevant selections before conducting interviews and giving the awards to the selected students.

 

3. DAEWOONG foundation scholarships

As evident from the title, this scholarship program is offered by the Daewoong Foundation for students who are enrolled in any specific undergraduate programs.

Scholarship amount:
This SNU scholarship is a one-time award consisting of around 2,000,000 KRW. Additionally, successful applicants have the opportunity to receive work experience at the Daewoong Group and later apply for a full-time position after graduation.

Eligibility criteria:
All international students who are enrolled at an undergraduate programme at the SNU are eligible to apply for this scholarship.

Application process:
In order to apply for this scholarship, students should submit the application to the SNU Office for International Affairs. After the initial selection, the office reviews and interviews eligible applicants after which the final awards are given to the selected students.

 

Further information regarding prospective scholarships can be received through the Undergraduate Scholarships page.

 

Postgraduate Scholarships

As is the case with undergraduate scholarship programs, graduate scholarships also include those that can be applied to prior to gaining admission as well as scholarships that are offered after receiving admission. The majority of these Seoul National University scholarships are offered to all kinds of postgraduate students.

1. Graduate Scholarship for Excellent Foreign Students (GSFS)

This scholarship program is available for prospective applicants who may apply prior to or during the admissions cycle. It is a merit-based scholarship that primarily targets Asian nationals and around 20 awards are allocated and offered to students each year.

Scholarship amount:
The financial package includes a full tuition fee exemption for a maximum period of 4 semesters. Additionally, it includes a living expenses stipend of around 500,000 KRW per month (although this can vary depending on the student’s majors).

Eligible degree:
The scholarship program is suitable for any kind of graduate applicant.

Eligibility criteria:
Eligible students include Asian nationals aside from Chinese and/or Japanese nationals who wish to study a relevant graduate program. The eligible programs for this award are also updated every semester or so.

Application process:
Prospective applicants should forward their admission application to the SNU Office of Admissions and the scholarship application to the Office of International Affairs.

 

2. SNU Global Scholarships

The SNU Global Scholarship program offers a funding opportunity for prospective students who have gained admission into the university and are seeking for funding opportunities.

Scholarship amount:
The funding package includes tuition fees exempted for up to 4 semesters with the addition of stipends for living expenses (approximately 1,200,000 KRW) as well as return airfare to and from South Korea. Language training is also offered for novel students.

Eligible degree:
All graduate applicants are eligible to apply for this scholarship.

Eligibility criteria:
The program is eligible for all international students enrolled at the SNU.

Application process:
Upon receiving admission at the SNU, prospective applicants should check the scholarship page and contact or drop an e-mail to the given coordinators in order to receive the application copy.

 

3. Silk Road Scholarships

The Silk Road Scholarship program is jointly funded by the SNU as well as the SBS Cultural Foundation and is specifically designed for students who are interested in pursuing graduate study in the Humanities & Social Sciences.

Scholarship amount:
This SNU scholarship for graduate students includes a complete tuition fee exemption for up to 4 semesters, a stipend for living expenses of around 600,000 KRW per month for 4 semesters, return airfare for one trip as well as Korean language training.

Eligible degree:
All graduate students are eligible

Eligibility criteria:
As evident from the name, the scholarship is eligible for students from the ‘Silk Road’ countries such as Turkey, Syria, Turkmenistan and Pakistan. They should also intend to study a graduate degree in the humanities or social sciences including Korean language, politics, economics and history.

Application process:
Along with an application to study at the SNU’s Admissions office, the scholarship application should be sent to the Office of International Affairs. Further information regarding the Silk Road scholarship can be received from this page.

 

There are several more scholarship programs that are available for postgraduate applicants. Please visit the graduate scholarship page for more information.

 

How to Apply for Seoul National University Scholarships

You will first need to apply for admission to be eligible. Please visit the Undergraduate Admission Guide and Graduate Admission Guide for complete information. After you have been accepted, you will need to submit additional scholarship applications depending on the scholarship. Check the scholarship pages above for more information.

 

I hope that this article was helpful. If you are interested, visit the Korea Scholarships Page!