This article will provide an overview of Luxembourg scholarships for international students and what requirements an applicant should meet to get a scholarship.
Statistics show that the largest percentage of international students in higher education, in the EU and its member states, belongs to Luxembourg (49%). Though, the cost of living in the country is quite high. Many higher education institutions help the most gifted students and provide them with a Luxembourg scholarship during their studies.
Students from all over the world come to Luxembourg to get higher education. But what makes Luxembourg so promising and attractive? Here are the main reasons for the country's popularity among foreign students.
So, it is not strange that Luxembourg is an absolute leader and has the biggest share of international or foreign students among OECD and partner countries. The proportion of international students enrolled in tertiary education reached 49% and in doctoral programs — 91% in 2021.
In 2022, 633 people arrived in the country for study purposes. There is a consistent growth trend over the past decade.
Of course, if you compare this number with other EU countries such as Germany or France, Luxembourg will not be in the top. But you need to take into account the small size of the country itself and the number of universities. There are not many of them in the Grand Duchy, but the quality of education in the country is at a high level. The University of Luxembourg, Lunex University, and Luxembourg School of Business are considered to be the best universities for international students.
There are many institutions to choose from to study. We will give an example of the State University of Luxembourg and a popular option for a private establishment, covering many professions, educational specialisations and degrees. You can consult our other articles on education in the Blog section.
In addition, the country has several very strong technical universities, whose graduates are in demand on the market and never have difficulties finding jobs. But be careful, scholarships are not offered everywhere!
Luxembourg is ready to offer several types of scholarships and grants for international students in various fields of education. Such scholarships are mainly provided to those who have shown excellent results at previous studies and can provide documents to prove this. Some programs cover only living costs, other scholarships also include tuition fees.
At some universities, the requirements may be expanded, for example, the student must be a citizen of African, Asian or Latin American countries or specialize in a certain field of study.
Whether it's in conjunction with other universities or on its own, the country's state university provides support for its students. There are several scholarships available.
The Guillaume Dupaix International Master's Scholarship is aimed to support high-achieving international students who want to enroll in a Master's program at the Luxembourg University. The scholarship amount is 10,000 euros per year, the maximum duration of payments is 2 years.
Every year, 30 students receive a university of Luxembourg masters scholarship, 10 people in each department. Part of the scholarship is spent on the student’s accommodation, and part is paid personally at the beginning of each semester up to 650 euros per month. Tuition fees are not included in the scholarship.
The scholarship may be revoked if the student commits academic violations, declines in academic performance, or refuses to complete the master's program.
The selection criterion will be the quality of academic performance, the strengths of the applicant and the originality of the personal statement. All applicants of University of Luxembourg scholarship for non-European students will receive a final response.
The University of Luxembourg is ready to provide assistance to those undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students who are experiencing financial difficulties that could affect their studies. This assistance does not constitute a full Luxembourg scholarship or grant and cannot be used as a primary source of income.
If a student begins their studies with insufficient funds to cover their living expenses, assistance will not be provided.
The EBU Scholarship Impact Programme is open to students who are nationals of the countries on the attached list. They may be present in their home country or be refugees in another country and be able to prove their status. Students from countries not on the list will be considered if they can demonstrate achievement and determination in the face of challenge or great adversity.
The Impact Programme has an online e-learning format with live webinars and travel to the campus organized on campus weeks. Its aim is to provide access to higher education in countries where the offer is limited due to different reasons.
EBU provides a list of courses or programs available for each set deadline. If your application meets all the requirements, you can be nominated by the EBU for a scholarship. The scholarships are given to highly motivated international students.
Universities in Luxembourg take an active part in the Erasmus+ program, under which students from non-EU countries can receive an Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters scholarship.
To qualify for a scholarship, you must apply directly to the university that runs your chosen Master's programme. In most cases, applications are accepted between October and January for courses starting the following year. Detailed information, including the possibility of receiving a scholarship, can usually be found on the website of each Master's programme.
Scholarships are awarded to students with excellent academic records and other personal achievements, such as successful scientific work. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Scholarships cover the full cost of your studies, including visa and accommodation, and amount to 1400 euros per month. Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters scholarships are awarded for the entire duration of the course.
LUNEX University together with 4 more European universities takes part in the international Master's program GOALS (Governance & Administration of Leisure and Sports International). This unique Master program is dedicated to grow future professionals within the fields of sport, management and active leisure. The program has two specializations: Sports Industry and Leisure, Sport and Events Management.
Keep in mind, that in case of fraud or false declarations, the scholarship holder will be obliged to return all funds received.
Fill in an online application form for the GOALS Master program and provide all required documents
The 20 minutes interview is aimed to determine candidates’ motivation to study in the GOALS course
After a complicated evaluation process 2 lists of students will be created. Applicants from the main list can be awarded an Erasmus Mundus scholarship. Applicants from the reserve list can also register as self-funded students
Luxembourg government via grant and loans system allows eligible students to get higher education courses regardless of their financial state. State financial aid for higher education (AideFi) can be obtained not only by Luxembourg residents, but also by foreign students.
You may receive AideFi for your studies if the program in which you will study is a higher education programme (1st cycle, 2nd cycle, research programme) and it awards a higher education diploma, qualification or degree.
Requirements are quite strict, as this is a governmental aid. Therefore, the student must has been studying in Luxembourg for a period of at least 5 years in a public or private educational institution or legally living in Luxembourg for at least 5 years at the time of the application.
The non-resident students must first have completed all necessary procedures in their country of residence in order to get financial support for their studies. The official response for the current academic year, whether positive or negative, must be attached to the AideFi application in Luxembourg. Without response, no AideFi can be granted.
The full list of requirements is published on the official website of the Government of Luxembourg.
AideFi applications must be submitted for each semester. The online procedure via MyGuichet.lu is now accessible to all. You can fill out a grant application on the MyGuichet.lu mobile application with smartphone, for example.
Although there are many programmes to support masters and bachelors students in Luxembourg, there are also programmes to support researchers and those continuing their studies. This support is usually provided by the research centres and involves a close partnership with them.
One such institution is Luxembourg National Research Fund.
Luxembourg National Research Fund
The AFR program offered by The Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) provides funding for the training of doctoral candidates only. The grant is paid until the applicant has completed the Ph.D. degree, but for a maximum of 4 years.
The program holds only one competition per year. The application should be submitted jointly with the host institution. Application is submitted online.
Source: lunex.lu, master-goals.eu, www.uni.lu, luxembourg.public.lu, stats.oecd.org, guichet.public.lu, erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu
We took photos from these sources: OECD.Stat, Unsplash