What Scholarships Are Available for Sri Lankan Students? (2026 and 2027 Guide)

Sri Lankan students can apply for several fully funded scholarships to study abroad. The best known are Chevening and the Commonwealth Scholarship for the UK, Fulbright for the USA, Australia Awards for Australia, the MEXT (Monbukagakusho) scholarship for Japan, and Erasmus Mundus for Europe. Most of these pay for full tuition, a monthly living allowance, return flights and insurance. The important catch is that the biggest awards are mainly for master's and PhD study, they are very competitive, and each has a fixed yearly deadline. This guide lists every major scholarship open to Sri Lankan citizens, what each one pays for, who qualifies, and how to apply.

What types of scholarships can Sri Lankan students apply for?

Before you chase a specific award, it helps to know the five buckets they fall into. Most funding for Sri Lankan students sits in one of these:

• Government scholarships: Funded by a foreign government to build ties with Sri Lanka. Chevening, Fulbright, Australia Awards and MEXT sit here. These are usually fully funded and the most prestigious.
• Merit scholarships: Awarded by universities for strong grades and leadership. They range from a partial tuition discount to a full waiver.
• Need based scholarships: Based on family income. A few well funded universities abroad meet the full demonstrated need of international students, which can help applicants from Sri Lanka given the economic backdrop.
• Field specific scholarships: Tied to a subject such as engineering, computing, public health or climate research, where funders want to attract talent.
• Regional and development scholarships: Open to students from South Asia or developing countries. Sri Lanka's classification often makes its students eligible.

One thing worth clearing up early: Mahapola and University Grants Commission bursaries support study inside Sri Lanka, so they are not covered here. This guide is about funding to study abroad.

Fully funded government scholarships for Sri Lankan students at a glance

Here is the fast comparison. Read the country sections below for the detail that decides whether you are actually eligible.

UK scholarships for Sri Lankan students: Chevening and Commonwealth

The UK offers the two most sought after fully funded scholarships for Sri Lankan students, and they are very different in character.

Chevening Scholarship

Chevening is the UK Government's flagship award, run by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. It funds one full year of master's study at almost any UK university and pays your tuition, a monthly living allowance and your return flights. Sri Lanka is an eligible country and has its own selection round through the British High Commission in Colombo.

Chevening is not a grades only scholarship. It looks for future leaders, so the bar is a completed undergraduate degree at roughly a UK upper second class level (about 65 to 70 percent or a 3.2 GPA), at least two years of work experience, and a clear plan to return and contribute to Sri Lanka. You commit to going home for a minimum of two years after your course. There is no standardised test at the application stage, although the UK universities you name will usually ask for IELTS, so it pays to sit it early. For the 2027 to 2028 intake, applications close on 6 October 2026 at 11:00 UTC. If a UK master's is your goal, our UK study advisers in Sri Lanka can help you shortlist courses that fit Chevening.

Commonwealth Scholarship

If Chevening is the famous one, the Commonwealth Scholarship is the underused one. It funds full master's and PhD study in the UK and, because Sri Lanka is a Commonwealth member, its students are squarely eligible. Awards are fully funded, covering tuition, airfare and a living allowance, with a strong tilt toward development impact across six themes.

There is a twist in how you apply. You do not go straight to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission. You apply through Sri Lanka's national nominating agency, the Ministry of Higher Education, which shortlists candidates and nominates them onward. In a recent cycle around nine master's and six PhD places were on offer for Sri Lanka. You will need at least an upper second class honours degree (a master's too if you are going for a PhD) and you must show you could not fund UK study on your own. The current rules and themes live on the official Commonwealth Scholarship Commission website, and the Sri Lanka deadline usually falls around October.

USA scholarships for Sri Lankan students: Fulbright

For the United States, the Fulbright Master's Degree Programme is the headline award. It is run locally by the United States Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission in Colombo, which also houses the EducationUSA advising centre. The scholarship funds a full master's degree in the US and covers tuition, airfare, a living stipend and health insurance.

Fulbright is open to Sri Lankan graduates across almost every discipline, with one notable exclusion: clinical medical research is not funded. Selection favours applicants who will return to strengthen Sri Lanka and, interestingly, those who have not spent significant time in the US before. You commit to living and working back home for at least five years after the programme, and the award covers a master's of up to two academic years only. Strong academics and a clear sense of purpose matter more here than a long CV.

Australia Awards Scholarships for Sri Lankan students

Australia Awards are fully funded scholarships from the Australian Government for Sri Lankan citizens to complete a master's degree at an Australian university, by coursework or research. The package is generous. It covers full tuition, return airfares, a contribution to living costs, Overseas Student Health Cover and an introductory academic programme, with extra support for approved fieldwork.

This is framed as a development scholarship, not a general study abroad ticket, so priority fields matter. Recent intakes have focused on governance, climate resilience and disaster management, and inclusion including health and education. Applications run on a fixed calendar each year, opening on 1 February and closing on 30 April through the online OASIS system, with no late documents accepted. You generally need Sri Lankan citizenship, a qualification equal to an Australian bachelor's degree, relevant work experience and an English score. Applicants working in priority districts across the Northern and Eastern provinces, plus Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Badulla, Monaragala, Puttalam, Ratnapura and Nuwara Eliya, along with women and applicants with a disability, are strongly encouraged and are assessed with a slightly lower English threshold. Scholars must leave Australia for two years after finishing.

Japan scholarships for Sri Lankan students: the MEXT (Monbukagakusho) scholarship

Japan is one of the most searched destinations by Sri Lankan students, and its main award is the MEXT scholarship, also called Monbukagakusho. Unlike the UK and US programmes, MEXT has an undergraduate route, which makes it one of the few fully funded paths to a bachelor's degree abroad. It runs in three categories: Undergraduate, College of Technology, and Postgraduate Research.

MEXT covers a monthly stipend, waives Japanese university fees and provides a round trip air ticket, and there is no application fee at any stage. In Sri Lanka the scholarship is channelled through the Ministry of Higher Education, and selection runs through a written qualifying examination held in Colombo followed by an interview at the Embassy of Japan. Undergraduate applicants normally need to have passed the G.C.E. Advanced Level in the Mathematics stream. Because the Embassy warns that people who charge fees for this scholarship have no link to it, apply only through the official channels. You can track the current call on the Ministry's scholarships for foreign study page.

Europe scholarships for Sri Lankan students: Erasmus Mundus, DAAD and more

Europe is where the choice really opens up, and much of it is fully funded. The flagship is Erasmus Mundus, funded by the European Union. These are joint master's degrees taught across two or more European universities, and the scholarship covers tuition, a monthly living allowance, travel and a one time installation cost. Sri Lankan students apply directly to each joint programme consortium rather than through one portal, and deadlines usually sit between October and January.

Germany deserves a separate mention. The DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) runs scholarships for Sri Lankans, including its EPOS awards for development related master's programmes, and many German public universities charge little or no tuition even without a scholarship. Beyond these, Sri Lankan students are also eligible for the Stipendium Hungaricum in Hungary, the Global Korea Scholarship, the Netherlands NL Scholarship and Türkiye Bürsları, among others. If Europe is on your list, our study in Europe team can map the funded routes for your subject.

Are there undergraduate scholarships for Sri Lankan students?

This is the question that trips up most school leavers, so here is the honest answer. The famous names on this page, Chevening, Fulbright, Commonwealth and Australia Awards, are all postgraduate only. For a fully funded bachelor's degree abroad, the realistic routes for a Sri Lankan student are narrower but they do exist:

• MEXT Undergraduate (Japan): a genuine fully funded bachelor's option through the Embassy of Japan.
• University merit scholarships: tuition waivers and awards given directly by universities in the UK, Australia, Canada and elsewhere to high achieving international students.
• Need based aid at well funded US universities: a small group of American universities meet the full demonstrated financial need of international admits, which can effectively fund a degree.
• Country schemes: Türkiye Bürsları and the Chinese Government Scholarship both fund undergraduate study and accept Sri Lankan applicants.

If your grades are strong, apply to several university scholarships in parallel rather than pinning everything on one government award.

Masters and PhD scholarships for Sri Lankan students

Postgraduate study is where Sri Lankan students have the most funded choices. For a master's, Chevening, Fulbright, Australia Awards, Commonwealth and Erasmus Mundus are the strongest fully funded options, and you can apply to more than one in the same year.

For a PhD, the picture is even better than most students expect. Commonwealth PhD Scholarships, Australia Awards research places, MEXT research scholarships and Erasmus Mundus joint doctorates all fund doctoral study for Sri Lankans. On top of these, many funded PhD positions in Europe are effectively salaried research jobs, and US doctoral programmes often come with tuition waivers and teaching or research assistantships that cover living costs. A PhD abroad rarely needs to be self funded if you target the right programmes.

How can a Sri Lankan student get a fully funded scholarship?

Winning one of these is a project, not a form you fill in the night before. The applicants who succeed tend to work in this order:

1. Fix your level and country first. Undergraduate or postgraduate changes everything, and each country has one or two awards worth your time.
2. Check the hard gates before you invest effort. Citizenship, degree class, work experience and age limits knock people out fast, so confirm them up front.
3. Sit your English test early. IELTS, TOEFL or PTE is needed by most universities even when the scholarship itself does not ask for it at application. Our IELTS coaching in Sri Lanka is built around these deadlines.
4. Prepare references and transcripts weeks ahead. Two or three referees, plus certified transcripts, always take longer than you think.
5. Write a focused personal statement. Chevening, Commonwealth and Australia Awards reviewers look for a direct link between your study plan and Sri Lanka's development needs.
6. Apply in parallel. Strong candidates often submit six to ten applications in a single cycle rather than betting on one.
7. Track every deadline. Miss a window by a single day and you usually wait a full year for the next round.

Do you need IELTS or work experience to apply?

It depends on the award, and getting this wrong wastes a whole cycle. On work experience, Chevening is strict and wants at least two years, Australia Awards expects relevant experience, and Fulbright favours some professional background, while the Commonwealth Scholarship leans more on academic strength. On English, most scholarships either require an IELTS or TOEFL score or send you to a university that will. The clear exception is MEXT, which runs its own selection examination rather than asking for IELTS. As a rule, book your English test early even if you are unsure, because a valid score keeps every option open.

Are there medicine or MBBS scholarships for Sri Lankan students?

Medicine is the hardest field to fund, so it deserves a straight answer. Several major scholarships restrict clinical medicine. Fulbright, for example, does not fund clinical medical research. Fully funded MBBS places abroad are rare through the programmes on this page. What is fundable is public health, biomedical and health research, nursing and allied health, through awards like Australia Awards, Commonwealth and Chevening. If your heart is set on an overseas medical degree, the usual routes are self funded study or specific country to country schemes rather than the leadership scholarships listed here, and it is worth planning that realistically from the start.

Frequently asked questions

What scholarships are available for Sri Lankan students?

The major fully funded scholarships for Sri Lankan students are Chevening and the Commonwealth Scholarship for the UK, Fulbright for the USA, Australia Awards for Australia, MEXT for Japan, and Erasmus Mundus for Europe. Alongside these sit DAAD in Germany, Stipendium Hungaricum, the Global Korea Scholarship and hundreds of university specific awards.

How can I get a scholarship as a Sri Lankan student?

Decide your study level and country, confirm you meet the citizenship, degree and work experience rules, sit an English test early, prepare transcripts and references, write a strong statement that links your plan to Sri Lanka's needs, and apply to several scholarships in the same cycle so one rejection does not end your year.

Are there fully funded scholarships for Sri Lankan students?

Yes. Chevening, Commonwealth, Fulbright, Australia Awards, MEXT and Erasmus Mundus are all fully funded, meaning they typically cover tuition, a living allowance, flights and insurance. You do not repay any of these.

Can Sri Lankan students get undergraduate scholarships abroad?

Yes, but fewer. MEXT has a fully funded undergraduate route through the Embassy of Japan. Beyond that, most bachelor's funding comes from university merit scholarships, need based aid at well funded US universities, and country schemes such as Türkiye Bürsları and the Chinese Government Scholarship.

Which countries offer the most scholarships for Sri Lankan students?

The UK, USA, Australia, Japan and the countries of the European Union offer the widest choice of fully funded scholarships for Sri Lankan students, with the UK and Europe having the most named programmes.

Do I need IELTS to apply for these scholarships?

For most scholarships you do, either for the award itself or for the university that admits you. Chevening does not test English at application but its universities usually require IELTS. MEXT is the main exception, since it uses its own examination instead.

Do I need work experience for Chevening or Australia Awards?

Chevening requires at least two years of work experience and treats it as a hard rule. Australia Awards expects relevant work experience too. Fulbright and Commonwealth place more weight on academic merit, though some experience still helps.

Are there masters scholarships for Sri Lankan students?

Yes, and this is the strongest category. Chevening, Fulbright, Australia Awards, Commonwealth and Erasmus Mundus all fund master's study for Sri Lankan citizens, and you may apply to several at once.

Are there PhD scholarships for Sri Lankan students?

Yes. Commonwealth PhD Scholarships, Australia Awards research awards, MEXT research scholarships and Erasmus Mundus joint doctorates all fund PhD study. Many funded PhD posts in Europe are salaried, and US doctoral programmes often include tuition waivers and assistantships.

Are there medicine or MBBS scholarships for Sri Lankan students?

Fully funded medical degrees are rare through these programmes, and some, including Fulbright, exclude clinical medicine. Public health, biomedical research, nursing and allied health are fundable through awards like Commonwealth, Chevening and Australia Awards.

When do scholarship applications open for Sri Lankan students?

Chevening opens in August and closes in early October, Australia Awards runs from 1 February to 30 April, Commonwealth nominations are usually around October, MEXT falls between April and June through the Ministry, and Erasmus Mundus deadlines mostly land between October and January.

Are these scholarships free to apply for?

The government scholarships themselves do not charge an application fee, and MEXT states plainly that anyone charging a fee for it has no connection to the programme. Always apply through the official channels and be cautious of any agent who asks for payment to submit a government scholarship.