Undergraduate Global Korea Scholarship

Global Korea Scholarship (GKS scholarship), previously known as KGSP (Korean Government Scholarship) is one of the most prestigious fully funded scholarship programs in the world. The purpose of this program is to provide international students with opportunities to conduct advanced studies in undergraduate & graduate programs at higher educational institutions in South Korea. The 2026 undegradautate scholarship offers a scholarship with numeros benefits for selected eligibile students who apply through one of two tracks: The embassy track; Where applicants submit their documents through the Korean embassy in their home country and can choose up to three universities. Then there’s the university track, where applicants apply directly to a designated Korean university offering the program.

Scholarship benefits

Recipients of the GKS scholarship can expect to recive the following benefits upon winning the scholarship:

1. Full tuition coverage
2. One year of Korean language study
3. Round-trip international airfare
4. Monthly allowance for living expenses
5. Medical Insurance
6. Completion grant: Financial support upon completion of the program
7. An additional 300,000 KRW grant for achieving Level 5 or higher on the TOPIK speaking test

Eligibility

To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Must be under 25 years old as of March 1, 2026.
• Bachelor’s program: High school graduates (or expected to graduate by Dec 31, 2025).
• Associate program: High school graduates (or expected to graduate by Dec 31, 2025).
  • Applicants with a bachelor’s degree cannot apply.
  • Expected graduates must submit proof of graduation by Dec 31, 2025.
• Must be a citizen of a country designated by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED), with no dual or Korean citizenship.
• A minimum GPA of 80% or equivalent is required.
• Applicants who have previously studied in Korea on a degree program are not eligible.

How to apply

Application for this scholarship is straightfoward and can be the done in these steps:

Step 1: Create account and apply through the Study in Korea website (can be found in the website link below)
Step 2: After registering membership on the website, proceed with the application process by filling out the required sections and uploading the necessary documents.
Step 3: If a university requires additional documents (e.g., portfolio), applicants must submit those materials directly to the university.

Note: Applicants must check additional restrictions or eligibility set by each degree university

Required documents

1. GKS Applicant Agreement
2. Application form
3. Personal Statement
4. Study Plan
5. Personal Medical Assessment
6. Recommendation documents
7. Graduation (or expected to graduate) certificate
8. Academic transcript
9. Proof of citizenship
10. Proof of Overseas Korean document, etc.
11. Recommender’s information (download the FORM 4. from the system)
12. Recommendation letter

Application deadline

The application deadline for the university track is 31st, October 2025 while the embassy track deadline has passed.

For more details visit the Global Korea Scholarship official site.