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South Korea · Master’s & PhD · Fully Funded

KAISTUniversity · South Korea

KAIST University Scholarship 2027 in South Korea (Fully Funded)

Korea’s top science university funds 94% of its international students — full tuition, a monthly stipend and health insurance — with no separate scholarship form to fill in.

Fall 2027: 7 Jan – 5 Feb 2027 · opens in 76 days Open Updated 23 Oct 2026 By KAIST
Award
Full tuition coverage, national health insurance, and a monthly stipend (the amount depends on research involvement and varies by college). The university states that 94% of international students benefit. The strongest candidates are automatically elevated to higher tiers such as the KAIST Global Presidential Scholarship (KGPS): full tuition plus 1,000,000 KRW per month for four regular semesters.
Eligible
International applicants to KAIST graduate programmes — Master’s, Master’s-PhD Integrated, or PhD — across all departments except the Global Technology Innovation Program (GDI-GTIP track). You must select “KAIST Scholarship” as your financial resource inside the admission application.
How
Apply online for Fall 2027 graduate admission at admission.kaist.ac.kr between 7 January and 5 February 2027, tick the KAIST Scholarship option in the financial-resources section, and upload the full document file. There is no separate scholarship application — admission and funding decisions arrive together.
Deadline
5 February 2027 (Fall 2027 graduate admission window: 7 January – 5 February 2027, per the official admissions site).
Fine print
The stipend amount is not a single published figure — it varies by college and research involvement, so confirm the figure for your department. KGPS/KPS tiers are awarded automatically to eligible candidates; you cannot apply for them directly.

About the scholarship

KAIST — the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Daejeon, founded in 1971 and widely regarded as South Korea’s premier research university for science and technology — funds its international graduate students through its own institutional scholarship, not a government scheme. The KAIST Scholarship is not a separate competition: it is a funding option you select inside your graduate admission application.

The university’s own admissions site describes the programme as simple yet generous: full tuition fees, national health insurance, and a monthly stipend, benefiting 94% of the international student body. Research involvement often tops the support up further, letting most students reach financial self-sufficiency. Candidates admitted to Master’s or Master’s-PhD Integrated programmes are additionally considered — automatically — for the prestigious KAIST Global Presidential Scholarship (KGPS).

Eligibility

  • Be an international applicant to a KAIST graduate programme — Master’s, Master’s-PhD Integrated, or PhD.
  • Apply to any department except the Global Technology Innovation Program (GDI-GTIP track).
  • Select “KAIST Scholarship” as your financial resource in the admission application — this is what triggers funding consideration.
  • Meet KAIST’s graduate admission requirements, including the academic background and English proficiency for your programme.

Benefits

  • Full tuition coverage for the standard duration of the programme.
  • National health insurance throughout your studies.
  • Monthly stipend — the amount depends on research involvement and varies by college, so confirm the figure for your department.
  • KGPS top tier (Master’s / Integrated programmes): full tuition plus 1,000,000 KRW per month for four regular semesters.
  • No separate scholarship application and no extra fee — funding follows admission automatically.

Documents required

  • Completed online graduate admission application (with “KAIST Scholarship” selected as the financial resource).
  • Academic transcripts and degree certificates.
  • Proof of English proficiency (e.g. TOEFL/IELTS).
  • Statement of purpose / study plan.
  • Recommendation letters and a passport copy.
  • These are the typical graduate-admission documents — always confirm against the official checklist for your programme and intake.

How to apply

  1. Note the Fall 2027 windowGraduate applications for Fall 2027 run from 7 January to 5 February 2027, per the official admissions site.
  2. Start the online applicationApply at admission.kaist.ac.kr and choose your department and degree programme.
  3. Tick “KAIST Scholarship”In the financial-resources section, select the KAIST Scholarship option — this single tick is the entire scholarship application.
  4. Upload the full file before 5 February 2027Transcripts, certificates, English scores, statement of purpose and recommendations.
  5. Await the joint decisionAdmission and scholarship outcomes arrive together; admitted students who selected the option are funded automatically, with the strongest considered for KGPS/KPS tiers.

FAQs

Is there a separate scholarship application form?

No. You select “KAIST Scholarship” as your financial resource inside the graduate admission application. That selection is the whole application — there is nothing else to fill in.

Does this cover undergraduate degrees?

No. This is the graduate scholarship (Master’s, Integrated Master’s-PhD, PhD). The undergraduate KAIST Scholarship is a separate scheme on a different calendar.

How much is the monthly stipend?

It varies by college and by your research involvement — the university does not publish a single figure. The published top tier (KGPS) is 1,000,000 KRW per month for four semesters.

What does “94% of international students” mean?

It is the university’s own figure for the share of international students receiving scholarship support. Admission itself remains competitive.

How is this different from the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS)?

The KAIST Scholarship is institutional and automatic with admission. GKS is a Korean government award run via NIIED and Korean embassies — a separate application with its own timeline.

Which departments are covered?

All departments except the Global Technology Innovation Program (GDI-GTIP track).

Verified 23 Oct 2026 on the official admissions site admission.kaist.ac.kr (KAIST Scholarship page: full tuition, national health insurance, monthly stipend varying by research involvement/college, 94% of international students funded, automatic KGPS/KPS consideration for eligible candidates, all departments except GDI-GTIP, select the KAIST Scholarship option in the admission application; KGPS: full tuition + 1,000,000 KRW/month for 4 regular semesters) and the official graduate admissions schedule (Fall 2027 window 7 January – 5 February 2027). Corroborated by leapscholar.com and scholarshipshive.com on the automatic-award mechanism. Queue title “KAIST University Graduate Scholarships 2025 in South Korea (Fully Funded)” was stale — the article is written for the live 2027 graduate cycle and the dedicated queue title “KAIST University Scholarship 2027 in South Korea (Fully Funded)” is marked done.

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