Slovakia is becoming a leader in Central European education. Slovakia offers a high quality of life and globally recognised degrees, all at a significantly lower cost than Western Europe. The Slovak government has set up a number of strong funding streams for the 2026/2027 school year to attract top talent from around the world. These include undergraduate excellence awards and high-value research fellowships.
1. The NSP, or National Scholarship Programme
The National Scholarship program is the main way to get money for moving to another country. It is meant to help international students, PhD students, and university teachers while they are at Slovak universities.
- The Award: This scholarship is a “full-funding” model, which means it will pay for living expenses like food and housing. The monthly payments in 2026 will be set up like this: Students in a master’s programme: €620 a month.
- Students in a master’s programme: €620 a month.
- For PhD students, it’s €1,025.50 a month.
- University teachers and researchers make between €1,025.50 and €1,470 a month, depending on their level of experience and whether they hold a PhD.
- Travel Allowance: The NSP also provides students and PhD candidates a travel grant of €50 to €1,500, depending on how far away their home country is from Slovakia.
- Deadlines for 2026:
- Round 1: April 30, 2026, for the next school year.
- Round 2: October 31, 2026, for the summer semester.
- To apply, you need to have an admission or invitation letter from a Slovak host institution.
2. Scholarships from the Slovak Republic Government (ODA Countries)
This scholarship is part of Slovakia’s official development aid and is only for students from certain partner countries, such as India, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and a few Balkan and Central Asian countries.
- The Award: This program helps at all levels of higher education, from bachelor’s to master’s to PhD.
- For a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, you get €700 a month, plus €100 when you start and €200 when you finish.
- PhD: €1,100 a month.
- Language Prep: If you want to study in Slovak, the government will pay for a 10-month language preparation course and give you €700 a month to live on.
- The application portal opens in late March and closes on May 25, 2026.
- Fields that can get funding include agriculture, environmental sciences, IT, and public policy.
3. Scholarships for International Students Who Are Smart
In 2026, the Ministry of Education started a high-value program just for the best international students who want to get full-time bachelor’s degrees or combined master’s degrees in Slovakia.
- The award is a full scholarship worth up to €15,000. Over the first three years of study, the amount is paid out as a monthly stipend of €500.
- Selection Criteria: This award is based more on SAT scores than other scholarships that are only based on motivation. You must take the SAT by June 6, 2026, at the latest, to be able to apply for the 2026/2027 cycle.
- This award is part of the “Smart Specialisation Strategy”, which focuses on cutting-edge and innovative fields of study.
4. Estimated costs of living and studying in 2026
Students can still get a fantastic deal in Slovakia, which is still one of the cheapest countries in the Eurozone.
- Costs of Tuition:
- Public Universities (Slovak Language): If you meet the language requirements, tuition is usually free for all nationalities.
- Public Universities (English Language): For Business/Engineering, they usually cost between €3,000 and €6,000 a year, and for Medicine, they can cost up to €13,000.
- Living Expenses: In 2026, a student usually spends between €600 and €900 a month on living expenses. The list includes:
- Cost of housing: €250 to €450.
- Food: €200 to €300 (university canteens offer subsidised “student meals”).
- Transportation: €15 to €25 (students can often travel by train for free or at a big discount in Slovakia).
5. Tips for 2026 Applicants on How to Be Strategic
- Document Verification: For applicants from outside the EU, such as those from West Africa and Asia, Slovak universities and the Ministry require all academic certificates to have super-legalisation or an Apostille. Start your document authentication as soon as possible, as this process may take a few months in 2026.
- NIN and Identity: Make sure that your application correctly shows your National Identity Number (NIN). The 2026 digital portal for Slovak visas (Schengen Type D) uses automated checks to make sure that your government ID matches your scholarship award.
- Language Advantage: Learning some basic Slovak can be very helpful, even if you plan to study in English. Many local 2026 grants give extra points to people who can speak basic A1/A2 Slovak, and such proficiency greatly increases your chances of getting a part-time job.
