8 Must-Try Scholarships for International Students in Slovenia

Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a nation state in Central Europe and is a very diverse country distinguished by a transitional character as it is situated at the crossroads of main European cultural and trade routes. The country is characterized by a high economic and social level. Slovenia is a very attractive place, especially to foreigners. This country can be an exciting place for you to pursue your studies as it also has universities that are considered some of the best in the world. There are also many scholarship program offered by the Slovenian government and other organizations / foundations. These include international scholarships in Slovenia.

Check out the following list of international scholarships in Slovenia with each of its overview. Find one (or more) that fits best for your needs to pursue your study in Slovenia.

1. Zois Scholarships: State merit scholarships established to encourage and motivate the best students from the very beginning of their careers – from the transition from primary to secondary education. This age group is still in the focus receiving the largest part of the available funding for the Zois scholarships. The call for applications for Zois scholarships is published each year in June. Applications of high school students are due in early September and for tertiary students in early October. Both current scholarship recipients as well as those who wish to obtain this scholarship for the first time must submit their application. To be eligible for the scholarship, candidates must meet general conditions as well as special conditions related to the merit criteria (grade average, national exam results, various achievements, etc.). Zois Scholarship recipients must only meet the basic criteria. New candidates must go through ranking and only those that show better achievements under special conditions are awarded the Zois scholarships.
2. Corporate Scholarships: The purpose is to link employers and students; long term human resources planning enables business to become actively involved with education and development of future employees thus contributing to the long term development of the company. Corporate Scholarships are in average the highest of all scholarships available in Slovenia, but still many remain every year. To recipients these scholarships represent a possibility of early career building, opportunity for practical training as well as a guarantee of the first employment after graduation. High school and tertiary students can obtain information about available scholarships in various ways:

• • through www.sklad-kadri.si/si/izmenjevalnica/, where the businesses publish their offers for a specific academic year;
  • by checking the web pages of the regional development agencies, that collect and publish the needs of the employers in their specific region;
  • directly from the employers, as they also advertise the scholarships on their web pages, internal magazines, newspaper, etc.

The scholarship recipient is usually required to continue and complete education and to commence employment with this employer after graduation for a certain time – usually for the same number of years as was the duration of scholarship. Other obligations can also be agreed upon such as summer internship, final paper on a specific topic of the employer, etc. Obligations are usually stated already when advertising the scholarship, and are later also included in the scholarship agreement between the employer and student.

3. Ad Futura Scholarships for Foreign Citizens to Study in Slovenia: Various scholarships for international students to pursue higher education in Slovenia.

• • Ad Futura Scholarships for Postgraduate Studies of Nationals of Western Balkan States: Scholarships are granted to nationals of Western Balkan states for postgraduate (master or doctoral) studies in the fields of natural sciences, technology or medicine at Slovene educational institutions. The scholarships are granted for living costs and tuition fees. The amount of scholarship, conditions and criteria are defined in the call for applications. The call for applications also includes the application deadline as well as the requested application documentation. The call for applications is generally published in December for those starting studies in October of the following year. The procedures of admission for study and of granting scholarships by the Fund are separate:
    • For admission to study in Slovenia, candidates should apply to their chosen educational institution in Slovenia by the deadline set by the institution.
    • For scholarships, candidates should apply by the deadline set in the call for scholarship applications.
  • Scholarships for International Students Based on Development Agreements: Scholarships for study in Slovenia is offered to nationals of countries that are beneficiaries or recipients of development assistance. The program, is carried out in cooperation with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The scholarships are usually granted for living costs, tuition fees and other study costs.
  • Scholarships for Secondary Technical Education in the Republic of Slovenia: Scholarships are awarded to citizens of Western Balkan states who are admitted to upper secondary education (general technical, technical or vocational technical education programs), defined in the Scholarship Strategy. The funds are generally awarded through the school where the students enroll. Scholarships are awarded for living and study costs and for tuition costs if the student is not exempt from paying tuition in accordance with a bilateral or other agreement. The amount of scholarship, conditions and criteria are defined in the call for applications. The call for applications also includes the application deadline as well as the requested application documentation. The school has to report annually on the academic progress of students and submit an annual financial report to be eligible for funding for the next academic year as well as submit the final academic and financial report when students complete the program.

4. Co-financing of Postdoctoral Studies at EUI: A program aimed at co-financing postdoctoral studies at European University Institute (EUI). The scholarship can be used to cover living costs and travel expenses, and is granted to one candidate for one year of postdoctoral studies at EUI. Applications for academic admission and scholarship submissions are separate. The amount of grant, conditions and criteria are determined in the call for applications. The call for applications also includes the application deadline as well as the requested application documentation.
5. Postgraduate Scholarships for Ghana Citizens: Scholarships for postgraduate (master and doctorate studies) available to up to three nationals of the Republic of Ghana to study at Slovene universities. Applicants need the nomination from their home country to be eligible for the scholarships. The scholarships will be awarded for:

• • tuition in the set amount but not more than 5,000 EUR per academic year;
  • living costs in the amount of 700 EUR per month.

The application deadline is December 23, 2023. If in five years from teh publication of this call the funds aren’t used, the call for application closes and applications are no longer possible.

6. Scholarships for Egyptian and Tunisian Students to Study in Slovenia: Scholarships for master and doctorate studies available to citizens of Egypt and Tunisia who wish to pursue their degrees at Slovene universities. Candidates need to be nominated by their home country to be eligible to apply for this scholarship. The following is the number of scholarships available:

• • Three scholarships for Master’s programs, or
  • Two scholarships for Master’s programs and one for Doctoral programs, or
  • Two scholarships for Doctoral programs

The scholarships consist of full tuition and living allowance (amounts at 700 EUR per month).

To be eligible for this scholarship, the Egyptian and Tunisian students must:

• • be nominated for this scholarship by the relevant institution of their home country
  • be willing to enroll in the Master’s or Doctoral program at a Slovene university
  • be willing to hold a Slovenian temporary residence permit for the purpose of study, for the duration of the study.
  • not be, or willing to be employed, self-employed or registered as an unemployed person in the Republic of Slovenia or abroad during their studies.

A candidate must submit an original, fully completed and signed application form, certificate of citizenship and residence, letter of acceptance to a Master’s or Doctorate program in Slovenia, and nomination of the relevant authority of his/her home country.

7. Bilateral Scholarships: Scholarships offered by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia, to foreign nationals on the basis of bilateral agreements (between the governments / ministries) and reciprocity with the following countries: Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Montenegro, Poland, People’s Republic of China, Republic of North Macedonia, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Turkey.
8. Marie Skodlowska-Curie Individual Fellowships at the University of Nova Gorica: Fellowships offered to researchers to provide them full support in preparing for a successful proposal for the European Commission. The Fellowships aim is to enhance the creative and innovative potential of experienced researchers wishing to diversify their individual competence in terms of skill acquisition at multi or interdisciplinary level through advanced training, international and intersectional mobility. The Fellowships provide opportunities to acquire and transfer new knowledge and to work on research in a European context or outside Europe. The scheme particularly supports the return and reintegration of researchers from outside Europe who have previously worked in Slovenia. It also develops or helps to restart the careers of individual researchers that show great potential, considering their experience. Support is foreseen for individual, trans-national fellowships awarded to the best or most promising researchers for employment in EU Member States or Associated Countries, based on an application made jointly by the researcher and host organization in the academic or non-academic sectors.

Researcher who meets the eligibility conditions and formal requirements specified in the call for applications and is interested to work in a creative environment that enables opportunity for to achievement results in the cutting-edge fields of science, is cordially invited to apply for a grant and to choose University of Nova Gorica as a host organization for the Fellowship.

The Marie Skodlowska-Curie Individual Fellowships consist of two types of grants:

• • European Fellowships (EFs):
    • Standard European Fellowships: Eligible researchers may apply for one of the 8 scientific panels, according to the topic of their research proposal. These panels are: Chemistry (CHE), Social Sciences and Humanities (soC), Economic Sciences (ECO), Information Science and Engineering (ENG), Environment and Geosciences (ENV), Life Sciences (LIF), Mathematics (MAT) and Physics (PHY).
    • Career Restart Panel (CAR): A multidisciplinary panel of the EFs which provides financial support to individual researchers who wish to resume research in Europe after a career break (e.g. after parental leave, working outside research etc.)
    • Reintegration Panel (RI): A multidisciplinary panel of the European Fellowships dedicated to researchers who wish to return and reintegrate in a longer term research position in Europe.
  • Global Fellowships (GFs): Composed of an outgoing phase during which the researcher undertakes a secondment to a partner organization in a Third Country between 12 and 24 months, and a mandatory 12-month return period to a host in==organization (the beneficiary) located in a Member State or Associated Country.

Candidates should prepare the following documents to apply for the fellowship:

• • Cover letter
  • Curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Publication list
  • Research statement, in which they describe their interests in the research that they plan to conduct as a Marie Skodlowska-Curie research fellow

The University of Nova Gorica is the only university in Slovenia with advanced research activities in the areas of:

• • advanced organic electronic devices and electronic properties of 20 materials
  • novel and/or “green” viticultural, microbial and fruit originated food / wine / drinks technologies and related analyses of food quality parameters
  • experimental astroparticle and particle properties
  • remote sensing of atmospheric properties