Top 10 overseas scholarships for Indonesian students
For many, going to university overseas is a dream. However, not many people can afford the high tuition fees and costs of living abroad and going to university overseas!
Worry not – There are other ways to achieve your dream. And one of the best ways is to apply for a scholarship.
The good news is that there are many scholarships available for Indonesian students ranging from undergraduate degrees to postgraduate degrees.
And in this article, we discuss the top 10.
Applying for a scholarship is usually free so there’s no harm in trying. And with the right application, you will definitely increase your chances of winning one.
1. LPDP Scholarship
LPDP scholarships are awarded by the Indonesian Ministry of Education for graduate and postgraduate degrees both in Indonesia and abroad. The LDPD covers not only tuition fees but also living expenses. Not only that, the LDPD also covers living expenses for dependents of the awardee (in fact, dependents’ medical costs are even covered).
The LPDP scholarship can be used for many overseas universities in a variety of countries; however, for certain universities, LPDP scholarships only apply to certain specific fields. The justification for this policy is twofold: 1. Certain universities are well known for specific fields of study, and 2. Indonesia has a particular skill shortage in certain areas.
All LPDP scholarship awardees MUST return to Indonesia upon completion of their studies abroad to put their knowledge and skills gained to use. Overseas LPDP scholarships generally require IELTS scores of 6.0 – 7.5 depending on the degree or postgraduate degree undertaken.
More information can be found on
https://www.lpdp.kemenkeu.go.id/in/page/Beasiswa2021
2. Chevening Scholarship
The Chevening Scholarship is funded by the British Government for a one year master’s degree course. The scholarship covers tuition fees, living expenses, and a return airfare to the UK. You may apply for the Chevening scholarship if you are from Chevening-eligible country, intend to return to your home country after finishing your studies, have completed an undergraduate degree, have at least two years of work experience and have applied to three different UK universities and have already received an unconditional offer. Chevening awardees require IELTS scores dictated by their university and faculty of choice.
More information can be found at https://www.chevening.org/scholarships/
3. Fullbright Scholarship
The Fullbright scholarship allows Indonesian citizens with outstanding academic achievements to undertake a graduate or postgraduate degree at a US university. As with the scholarships mentioned above, Fullbright scholarships also dictate that awardees must return to Indonesia upon completion of study. The scholarship covers tuition fees, living expenses, airfare expenses, and accident and health insurance. However, the Fullbright scholarship does not cover dependents’ expenses. Fullbright scholarships welcome any field of study but priority is given to environmental preservation, alternative energy exploration and climate change mitigation. The language requirement begins at IELTS 6.0 for graduate degrees and 6.5 for postgraduate degrees.
More information can be found on https://www.aminef.or.id/grants-for-indonesians/fulbright-programs/scholarship/
4. Studeren in Nederland (StuNed) Scholarship
The Studeren in Netherland scholarship (more commonly known as StuNed) was founded purely for Indonesian citizens to study in the Netherlands. Since only Indonesian citizens are eligible for this scholarship, it is less competitive than many of the other scholarships in which you must compete with applicants from all over the world. The StuNed scholarship targets master’s degrees or ‘tailor-made training’ where awardees are taught specific skills and in-demand knowledge of interest to both Indonesia and the Netherlands.
StuNed currently targets the fields of sustainable entrepreneurship, water management, security and rule of law, and agro-food and horticulture. At the time of writing, StuNed covers up to 20.000 EUR/year for tuition fees, living expenses and airfare costs, with maximum study duration of two years. StuNed generally requires an IELTS score of 6.0, 6.5 or 7.0 depending on the individual requirements of the institution and course taken.
More information can be found on https://www.studyinholland.nl/finances/stuned-scholarships
5. Australia Awards Scholarship
Australia Awards Scholarships are awarded by the Australian Government to members the participating countries, comprising developing countries from Asia-Pacific region and Palestine. The scholarship is available for both undergraduate and postgraduate study at participating Australian universities and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions. The scholarship covers tuition fees, a contribution to living expenses and health insurance. As of the time of writing, Australian Award Scholarships focus on the fields of health security as well as economic stability and recovery. Upon completing study, the awardee is required to return to their home country to apply the knowledge and skill they acquired to develop their country. Applicants must achieve an IELTS score of 6.5 or higher to be considered for this scholarship.
More information can be found on https://www.dfat.gov.au/people-to-people/australia-awards/australia-awards-scholarships and https://www.australiaawardsindonesia.org/
6. Knight Hennessy Scholarship
The Knight Hennessy Scholarship is offered by Stanford University to anyone from any country who meet certain criteria. This scholarship covers tuition fees, living and academic expenses (including room, textbooks, academic supplies and local transportation) and airfare expenses. The Knight Hennessy Scholarship is available for all disciplines and targets master’s degrees (with a maximum study duration of three years) and PhDs (with the maximum study duration of six years). Applicants must have completed their undergraduate degrees within 8 years of applying. Depending on their chosen fields or majors, applicants must possess an IELTS score of either 6.5 or 7.0.
More information can be found on https://knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/
7. Gates Cambridge Scholarship
Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Gates Cambridge Scholarship is given to undertake a one-year postgraduate course, a Master of Science (MSc), Master of Letters (MLitt), Master of Art and Humanities, or a PhD at the University of Cambridge. This scholarship is one of the most competitive scholarships in the world with the acceptance rate of just 0.3%.
It covers tuition fees, living expenses, airfare, and health insurance. Awardees are also eligible for 6 months maternity or paternity leave, while still receiving their monthly stipend. Awardees can also receive a stipend for their children; however, this stipend does not extend to spouses or partners. As with many other scholarships, awardees must return to their home country upon completion of study to put their newfound expertise and skill to use in their home country. To be considered for this scholarship, applicants must possess an IELTS score of 7.5 or higher.
More information can be found at https://www.gatescambridge.org/
8. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Scholarship
The Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Scholarship is awarded to non-EU citizens to undertake a master’s project in at least two EU countries with the duration of between 12 and 24 months. Upon completion of their studies, the awardee will receive either a joint degree (i.e. one degree certificate issued on behalf of two or more higher education institutions) or multiple degrees (i.e. two or more degree certificates issued by several higher education institutions). This scholarship covers expenses associated with expenses incurred during study including tuition fees and laboratory costs, other mandatory expenses, travel expenses, and a monthly stipend for living costs. Unlike other scholarships listed in this article so far, you are not required to return to your home country after completing the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Scholarship. Applicants must possess an IELTS score of 6.5; however, some projects require higher IELTS scores.
The current list of project can be found on:
https://www.eacea.ec.europa.eu/scholarships/emjmd-catalogue_en
It is updated every summer.
More information can be found at https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/opportunities/individuals/students/erasmus-mundus-joint-masters-scholarships_en
9. Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship
The Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship is offered by the Hungarian Government for international students to undertake study at all levels of higher education including bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs. Applicants are welcome to choose from over 600 full degree and non-degree programs taught primarily in English at 29 Hungarian higher education institutions. This scholarship covers tuition fees and also provides a monthly stipend, accommodation contribution and medical insurance. Dependents of the awardee do not receive a stipend. Generally, the programs offered by Hungarian higher education institutions demand 6.5 in IELTS; however, this depends on the individual program.
More information can be found at https://stipendiumhungaricum.hu/
10. Swedish Institute Scholarships for Global Professionals
The Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals was founded by Sweden’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is aimed at developing future global leaders that will contribute to the United Nations 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Successful applicants must show that they will contribute to sustainable development in their home countries. The scholarship covers master’s degrees (between 12-24 months duration) and covers tuition fees, living expenses, health insurance and airfare. It should be noted that this scholarship does not cover dependents or university application fees. It is quite a competitive scholarship with an acceptance rate of about 4-6%. To apply, you must be a citizen of one of 42 countries (Indonesia is on the list) and have never resided or attended a Swedish higher education institution. You must also have leadership experience and have worked in a relevant field for at least 3000 hours. Swedish higher education institutions generally require IELTS scores of 6.5 or above; however, exemptions might apply in some programs.
More information can be found at https://si.se/en/apply/scholarships/swedish-institute-scholarships-for-global-professionals/
Summary
We have just discussed the top 10 overseas scholarships for Indonesian students. You probably noticed that all of these scholarships require IELTS scores. The reason for this is that to study in an international university abroad you need an international level of academic English. And currently the most widely accepted language proficiency test for studying abroad is the IELTS test.
Next Steps
Do you want to win a overseas scholarship to study abroad?
Do you want to achieve your target IELTS score?
If you want to guarantee success in the IELTS test and a successful scholarship application, please contact us at IELC to see how we can help you achieve your goal.
We offer the best Online and On Campus IELTS courses in Indonesia and we have helped thousands of people achieve their IELTS targets.
We have also helped dozens of students gain scholarships to study abroad and we would love to help you get your scholarship too.
So contact us now and take your first step towards success in IELTS and success in applying for your scholarship. Your dream starts now.
Sincerely,
Anthony McCormick,
IELC Managing Director