Switzerland, a European country that is blessed with financial abundance, open-minded individuals and lots of working opportunities
These amongst many other features are part of the main reasons why lots of students always look up to this country for international studies. Switzerland is and has always been a highly developed country, always ahead of many other competing countries and up to this moment, holds some of the world’s largest companies (e.g: Nestlé, Rolex, Vitol, Glencore).
Some of these companies and other captivating factors contribute to Switzerland being part of the top countries students pick to further their education.
Who wouldn’t want to study in a country with over 800 billion GDP, top institutions recognized around the globe and lots of big industries spread across its surface. Currently, there are over hundreds of thousands of international students that are studying at top Universities in Switzerland.
How do they get the chance of schooling there? Well, a high percentage of these international students do get the chance of furthering their education in Switzerland via scholarships.
These scholarships are given to candidates by well-meaning programs that are meant to help them financially. Tuition fees, accommodation costs and many other troubling issues that students may face can now be countered with those scholarships.
Foreign students can now get the chance to study in the country’s top universities like: ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, University of Bern, University of Zurich and many others. Some of these scholarships will be listed below and if you have it in mind to apply, the links are provided for each in this list.
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1. Nestle MBA Scholarships (For Women)
If you are a woman and you have been looking for a way to further your education in Switzerland, this should be an opportunity for you. The Nestlé Scholarships for women was first kick-started back in 1997 by a group of IMD MBA participants and since then it has been a helping tool.
The scholarship program seeks for women who are pace setters, high achievers and committed individuals. If you feel you are among women with these characteristics but do not have the financial means to study at the International Institution for Management Development (IMD), then this is for you.
You get a chance to receive up to CHF 30,000 (30,000 USD).
Eligibility
Candidates for the Nestle MBA Scholarships (For Women) are chosen based on several factors. The Scholarship program is actually just after women from around the globe, looking for how to further their education. Notwithstanding, you must have proof of financial need, strong reference letters, good academic results and steady career progression.
Deadline
The Nestle MBA Scholarships (For Women) are always open annually on the 1st of September. The deadlines vary but are most times two weeks after your admissions application. For more on this information, do well to check out the Nestle MBA Scholarships official website.
2. Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships (for Foreign Students)
Students from more than 180 countries around the globe can now gain the opportunity to study in top educational institutions in Switzerland.
The Government Excellence Scholarships are given to students each year by the Swiss Confederation. This is done to promote research cooperation, international exchange and educational rankings between Switzerland and the other 180 countries.
With this program, students can now study in research and teaching institutes, Swiss federal institutes of technology and also one of the 10 Swiss cantonal universities.
Eligibility
It is important to note that the eligibility of a candidate for the Government Excellence Scholarships, varies and may depend on country-specific factors.
Deadline
The scheduled deadlines for the Switzerland Government Excellence Scholarships also vary (from September to December).
3. Graduate Institute Geneva Scholarships
Over CHF 2 million, that is the reported amount that Geneva Graduate Institute invests just to help out students who are not able to financially keep up with education costs. Their scholarship program has created the opportunity to help lots of talented students around the world.
About half of its students received direct or indirect financial support from the Institute back in 2019. The program is still on and will help students with lots of support which includes CHF 10,000 (for partial funding) and CHF 20,000 (for full-time).
Eligibility
Luckily, the Graduate Institute Geneva Scholarships do not set minimum grade point average requirements since they have applicants from over 100 different countries. Nevertheless, academic achievement and motivation are two key factors that the selecting committee considers.
Deadline
There are several dates for the scheduled deadline and they vary (15th of November, 15th of January and 1st of March). Do well to refer to the Graduate Institute Geneva Scholarships official website for more.
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4. EPFL Excellence Fellowships
EPFL, short for École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne has always been helping students with their dreams of studying at Swiss universities.
Although, their scholarship program has limited number of fellowships at the Master’s and Bachelors and level, they still have lots of candidates applying. The EPFL scholarships are given to most outstanding first year Bachelor’s students.
With this, students who are struggling with tuition and several other issues affecting their education in Switzerland, can now have the chance to study there. Perks of this fellowship includes a reservation of a student room at the student residence and also about CHF 10,000 per semester.
Eligibility
Candidates who want to apply for the EPFL Excellence Fellowships can refer to the official website for more details on this. It is also important to know that the fellowship renewal for the Master’s studies requires that you have an overall average of 5,0/6 and at least least 50 ECTS credits.
Limited number of fellowships are granted to the most deserving candidates by the EPFL based on their academic experience and records.
Deadline
The deadline for the EPFL Excellence Fellowships are reported to be on 15th of Dec/15th – 30th of April (annual). Students or candidates who wish to apply should also do well to check out the EPFL Excellence Fellowships official websites.