A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need, research experience or specific professional experience.
It is the dream of most young people aspiring to attain higher education to gain scholarships at the international level. Since international education comes with expensive tuition fees, most international students, especially those in the Africa diaspora who lack the resources, are unable to apply. But there are universities in some top level countries offering free admission to international students in 2023.
There are also schools with low tuition fees if students are able to make the right applications.
The second quarter of 2023 is almost over, but these countries are surprisingly still offering scholarships to ease the financial constraints of their students. Some of these top countries include Finland, Germany, Norway, Iceland, and Austria.
Finland
The Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland, and many more) in North America provide free or extremely cheap tuition to foreign students each year. In Finland, doctoral-level education remains free for every international student with the desire to study. So those who aspire to pursue doctoral education can apply. There are, however, low costs, ranging from 1,500-1600 euros per year for non-EU students.
Germany
Germany is gradually becoming a hub for international students. In Germany, public universities provide free tuition fees for both German and international students. Anyone who has an interest in undergraduate and graduate degrees can target any public university in Germany, and there is no need to pay tuition fees. The only fees available in these public universities are for administrative purposes, and these range from 100 to 200 euros annually. The administrative fees cover free bus services and the cafeteria.
Norway
Just like in Germany, tuition for students at state universities in Norway is free. International students who wish to study in Norway must provide proof of proficiency in Norwegian since the majority of their undergraduate programs are taught only in Norwegian. There is, however, a semester fee of NOK 300–600 per year needed to cover the bus, cafeteria, and other essential services to aid studies.
Iceland
In Iceland, all public universities offer free tuition. However, there is a 250 euro nonrefundable application fee that students must pay. Students from other European nations pay extremely low fees to attend Iceland’s private universities. International applicants can apply to these countries’ universities in order to pursue higher education.