Latvia has become a centre for high-quality, low-cost European education, especially in the fields of business, engineering, and medical sciences. For the 2026/2027 school year, the Latvian government has added more scholarships, giving international students from almost 40 partner countries structured monthly payments.
1. Scholarships from the Latvian government for school
The State Education Development Agency (VIAA) gives these competitive scholarships to students, researchers, and teachers from other countries. Latvia’s state funding is different from that of many other countries because it comes in the form of a direct monthly payment that helps students pay for their living expenses while they are studying in the country.
- Financial Levels for 2026 and 2027:
- Students in a bachelor’s programme receive €500 per month.
- Master’s students: €600 per month (usually available to students in their fourth year of professional study or for the length of a standard Master’s degree).
- PhD students receive €700 a month.
- Length: The scholarship lasts for up to 10 months for Bachelor’s and Master’s students and up to 11 months for PhD students.
- Important Dates: The annual application period for the 2026/2027 session began on February 1, 2026, and ended on April 1, 2026. If you missed this window, the next big call for the 2027/2028 cycle should open on February 1, 2027.
- Important Requirement: You must have an offer of admission or a confirmation letter from a Latvian higher education institution (HEI) before you can apply for the scholarship. You must upload this letter to the online application system.
2. Scholarships for Summer School (2026)
Latvia gives short-term loans to international students and academic staff, so they can take part in intensive summer programs run by local universities.
- The Prize: Each person who goes to summer school in 2026 will get €1,000.
- How it works: The money goes straight to the summer school organisers to pay for tuition and housing. It is not given to the student in cash. Participants are still responsible for paying for their travel, insurance, and visa costs.
- Programmes that will be in 2026:
- Living Traditions: The University of Latvia focuses on intangible cultural heritage.
- Swarm & Detect: New research on UAVs in Smart Cities (Riga Technical University).
- Latvian Language and Culture: Intensive language immersion at the University of Latvia.
- Deadline: The deadline for summer 2026 programmes was also April 1, 2026, just like it was for degree scholarships. Instead of going through the centralised government portal, applications go straight to the organisers at each university.
3. Support and waivers for specific universities
The state scholarship pays for living expenses, but many universities offer their own help to lower tuition costs, which can range from €2,800 to €15,000 depending on the program in Latvia.
- Riga Technical University (RTU) is a leader in STEM and offers international students who keep a high GPA during their first year a number of performance-based tuition discounts.
- Stockholm School of Economics in Riga (SSE Riga): Offers special scholarships to students from the Baltic states and some Eastern Partnership countries. These scholarships often cover a large part of the tuition for high-potential business students.
- Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU) often provides students from partner universities in the agricultural and veterinary fields lower tuition.
4. Tips for using strategy in 2026 and 2027
- The “Two-Term” Rule: A student can only get the Latvian state scholarship for a maximum of two terms during their entire time in school. If you are in a three-year bachelor’s program, you should carefully choose which years you need the most money.
- Preparing Documents: All documents, such as diplomas and transcripts, need to be translated into either English or Latvian. The “Europass” CV format is the only one that can be used to apply for a state scholarship in 2026.
- NIN and Digital Trust: The 2026 portal uses automated verification for applicants from West Africa. Make sure that your National Identity Number (NIN) matches your passport and school records. Even small spelling mistakes in the 2026 system can slow down the process of getting the “Study Plan” approved.
- Academic Performance: To be eligible for the state scholarship, Bachelor’s applicants must have completed at least one academic year at their home institution or a Latvian institution.
