If you are an international student who wants to study science or engineering in South Korea, KAIST scholarships are among the strongest funding offers you can get. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, based in Daejeon, offers financial support to international students from undergraduate level through to the PhD. For graduate applicants, funding comes through the admission application itself. You don’t need a separate scholarship form.
This guide explains what KAIST scholarships cover, who can get them, and how to apply. It also covers the mistakes that cost strong applicants their funding.
What Are KAIST Scholarships?
KAIST is a research university focused on science and technology. Its international students can get funding in two broad ways:
- The KAIST Scholarship (graduate): a base award for international graduate applicants in all departments except the GDI-GTIP track. Eligible applicants are also automatically considered for the larger awards below.
- The KAIST International Student Scholarship (undergraduate): awarded to admitted international undergraduates through the admission application.
For graduate study, the main named awards are:
- KAIST Global Presidential Scholarship (KGPS): for Master’s and Master’s-PhD Integrated applicants.
- KAIST Prestige Scholarship for International PhD Students (KPS): for Master’s-PhD Integrated and PhD applicants.
- KAIST CoE PhD Fellowship: for PhD and Integrated applicants in the College of Engineering.
You don’t apply to these separately. KAIST considers eligible applicants automatically when you tick the scholarship option in your admission application.
Key Benefits: What KAIST Scholarships Actually Cover
Graduate students
According to KAIST’s graduate admissions pages:
- KAIST Scholarship (base): full tuition, national health insurance and a monthly stipend. The stipend depends on your research involvement and varies by college.
- KGPS: full tuition plus 1,000,000 KRW per month for 4 regular semesters.
- KPS: full tuition plus 300,000 KRW per month for 8 regular semesters. Integrated-programme students receive it from the PhD stage.
- CoE PhD Fellowship: full tuition plus 2,500,000 KRW per month for 4 academic years. It needs a department recommendation. Recipients can’t hold other financial aid and must commit full-time to their lab.
Some third-party pages also mention an application fee waiver and a round-trip airfare. I could not confirm these on KAIST’s own pages, so check them before you count on either.
Undergraduate students
KAIST’s undergraduate page lists:
- Full tuition exemption for 8 semesters
- A living allowance of 350,000 KRW per month
- Medical health insurance
To keep it, you need to maintain a GPA above 2.7 out of 4.3 after the freshman year. The page doesn’t say how long the living allowance lasts, so ask KAIST.
Reality check: These stipends differ a lot. KGPS and the CoE Fellowship are large, while KPS is much smaller. Look at your department and ask the lab about its research stipend, because that affects your real living budget.
Who KAIST Scholarships Are For
Undergraduate students
If you are finishing high school and want a science or engineering degree, the undergraduate scholarship comes with admission. All international applicants are reviewed in the same admission process.
Master’s students
KGPS is aimed at you. It pays the highest regular stipend among the named awards, but only a limited number of strong applicants are recommended.
PhD and postgraduate researchers
KPS and the CoE PhD Fellowship target doctoral applicants. Strong research experience and a good fit with a professor’s lab matter most here.
Detailed Eligibility Criteria
Graduate scholarships
- Citizenship: non-Korean (international) applicants.
- Degree level: you must apply to a KAIST Master’s, Master’s-PhD Integrated or PhD programme.
- Academic background: a degree equivalent to a Korean bachelor’s degree (a third-party source), and a strong academic and research record.
- Departments: the base scholarship covers all departments except the GDI-GTIP track.
- Specific awards: KGPS is for Master’s and Integrated applicants. KPS is for Integrated and PhD applicants. The CoE Fellowship is for College of Engineering applicants.
- English: you need to show proficiency or qualify for an exemption under the application guide. KAIST’s scholarship page doesn’t state a minimum score, so check your programme.
- GPA: KAIST’s pages don’t state a GPA requirement. They refer only to academic and research achievement.
Undergraduate scholarship
- You must apply through international student admission.
- Selection is part of admission, and admitted students are awarded the scholarship automatically.
- You need to meet the GPA condition after the freshman year.
Funding decisions are competitive and can change each year. Eligibility isn’t a guarantee.
Step-by-Step Application Process
For graduate applicants
- Pick a programme and department. Check that it accepts students in your chosen intake (Spring, Fall Early or Fall Regular).
- Read the current application guide. It sets the exact documents, fees and deadlines.
- Contact potential supervisors where allowed. A short, specific email can help.
- Prepare your documents early. Transcripts and recommendation letters take the longest.
- Complete the online application. In the financial resources section, tick the KAIST Scholarship option. This is the step that puts you in the running for KGPS and KPS.
- Ask your referees to submit on time. KAIST sets a separate, later deadline for recommendation letters.
- Check your application account for results.
Tip: If you forget to tick the scholarship box, you may not be considered. Double-check it before you submit.
For undergraduate applicants
- Read the international undergraduate admission guide for the current intake.
- Complete the online application.
- Tick the KAIST Scholarship box in the Statement of Financial Resources section.
- Submit within the admission period. There is no separate scholarship application.
Required Documents Checklist
Requirements vary by programme and year, so use the current guide. A third-party summary of the graduate application lists:
- CV
- Official transcripts and degree certificates
- English test scores, if required
- Contact details for two referees
- Proof of your citizenship (and your parents’, according to that source)
- A research proposal
- A family registration certificate, where applicable
- An employer recommendation letter, if applicable
Documents should be in English or Korean, or translated into one of them, preferably by the issuing institution or a notary. The same source says to combine scans into one PDF file. Confirm these details in the official guide. If you are admitted, you may later need verified or apostilled degrees and transcripts.
Important Deadlines and Timeline
KAIST runs more than one graduate round, and dates change each year. What I could confirm:
- Spring 2026 intake (graduate): online application ran from 19 August to 2 September 2025, 5:00 PM Korea time. Recommendation letters were due 9 September 2025, and results came 12 December 2025.
- Spring 2027 intake (graduate): a third-party blog gives 18 August to 1 September 2026, with letters due 8 September 2026. That round has now closed.
- Fall Early and Fall Regular, and undergraduate dates: I could not confirm them. Check the KAIST admissions portal.
The pattern suggests the Spring round opens in late summer, but don’t treat that as a guarantee. Plan your own timeline backwards from the official date:
- 8 to 12 months before: shortlist programmes and check English requirements.
- 4 to 6 months before: contact supervisors and brief your referees.
- 2 to 3 months before: finish your research proposal and statement.
- Application window: submit early and tick the scholarship box.
Common Mistakes to Avoid and Insider Tips
Mistakes
- Missing the scholarship checkbox. There’s no separate form to rescue you later.
- Treating all programmes as equal. Stipends vary by college and research involvement.
- Late recommendation letters. The deadline for letters is later than the application deadline, but still firm.
- A vague research proposal. A general love of science doesn’t stand out.
- Assuming the CoE Fellowship is automatic. It requires a department recommendation.
- Relying on blogs. Dates and amounts change. Use KAIST’s pages.
Insider tips
- Pick a lab, not just a programme. Funding and stipend depend heavily on the professor.
- Show research evidence. A thesis, paper or project is stronger than a list of interests.
- Choose referees who know your work. A detailed letter beats a famous name.
- Prepare for unfamiliar paperwork. Apostille or embassy verification can take weeks.
- Apply to more than one place. Funding is competitive. Compare options such as the NUS Research Scholarship, the Global Korea Scholarship or the ETH Zurich Excellence Scholarship.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a separate application for KAIST scholarships?
No. For both graduate and undergraduate study, you tick the KAIST Scholarship option in your admission application.
How much does KGPS pay?
KAIST lists 1,000,000 KRW per month for 4 regular semesters, plus full tuition. It is for Master’s and Master’s-PhD Integrated applicants.
How much does KPS pay?
KAIST lists 300,000 KRW per month for 8 regular semesters, plus full tuition, for Integrated and PhD applicants.
Are African students eligible?
KAIST’s graduate pages describe the scholarship for international (non-Korean) applicants. Confirm any country-specific points in the guide.
Is there a GPA requirement?
KAIST’s graduate scholarship pages don’t state one. For undergraduates, you must keep a GPA above 2.7 out of 4.3 after the freshman year.
Is an English test required?
You need to show proficiency or qualify for an exemption. The scholarship pages give no minimum score, so check the application guide.
Can I get the full benefits automatically?
No. Only highly competitive applicants are recommended for KGPS and KPS.
Conclusion: Your Next Steps
KAIST scholarships are worth the effort if you want a funded science or engineering degree in Korea. The process is simple, but the details are easy to miss. Follow these steps:
- Choose your level and programme.
- Open the current KAIST guide and note the exact dates.
- Contact potential supervisors.
- Line up your referees and documents now.
- Tick the scholarship box when you apply.
Start early, stay organised and keep a backup option.
Apply HERE: KAIST International Admissions
Author’s note: Scholarship amounts, deadlines and requirements can change from one intake to the next. Please confirm everything on KAIST’s official admissions website before you apply.