Fully Funded Master's Scholarships Abroad for Thai Students (2027): IELTS Scores and Deadlines

Fully funded master's scholarships in short

A fully funded master's scholarship pays your tuition and your living costs, and usually your flights. For Thai students, many come from governments, such as the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Japan, China and the Thai government itself. Many others come from universities, foundations and Thai banks. The table below lists every one in our scholarship finder, with the IELTS score it needs and its deadline.

• Most ask for IELTS 6.5 overall. Some, such as Australia Awards and Manaaki New Zealand, also require no skill below 6.0. Top universities such as Oxford and Cambridge usually want 7.0 or more.
• Many need the IELTS result with the application. Then your test date decides whether you can apply this year or wait for the next round.
• Many ask for work experience, and many ask you to go back to Thailand and work there after you finish.

Fully funded master's scholarships for Thai students

Upcoming deadlines first, earliest first, then the rest from A to Z. Every scholarship is checked against its official page.

"About 6.5 (your university's requirement)" means the scholarship sets no score of its own, so the typical requirement of the course applies. "Next round not announced" means the last round has closed and the new dates are not out yet. Rounds usually come back at the same time each year. Open the scholarship finder to see which rounds are open today.

What a fully funded scholarship pays for

The details change from one scholarship to the next, but a full scholarship usually covers the four big costs of a master's abroad.

• Tuition fees for the whole course.
• A monthly living allowance. Chevening, OCSC and MEXT all pay one, and MEXT pays 144,000 yen a month on a master's course.
• A return flight. Chevening also pays arrival and departure allowances and your visa fee.
• Health insurance. Australia Awards includes Overseas Student Health Cover, and Manaaki New Zealand includes health and travel insurance.

The main types of fully funded master's scholarships

Knowing the type tells you what the selection looks for and what you promise in return.

• Foreign governments: Chevening in the UK, Australia Awards, Manaaki New Zealand, GKS in Korea and MEXT in Japan. They look for future leaders and usually want work experience.
• The Thai government: the OCSC scholarship selects through its own written exam, and you work in government service afterwards.
• Thai companies: the KBank Scholarship pays for a master's at a university on the bank's list, and you work for the bank afterwards.
• Universities and foundations: Gates Cambridge, Clarendon at Oxford, Jardine, Knight-Hennessy at Stanford, Schwarzman and Yenching in China. These are very competitive and usually need 7.0 or more.
• Programmes across several countries: Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters pays for a master's taught in at least two European countries. Only some programmes offer EU scholarships, and only to their top ranked applicants.

What IELTS score do you need for a fully funded master's?

For most of these scholarships, 6.5 overall is the number to aim for. The band 6.5 guide shows what that score looks like in each skill.

• Australia Awards: IELTS Academic 6.5 with no band below 6.0, sent with your application.
• Manaaki New Zealand: 6.5 with no band below 6.0, once you are shortlisted, from a test taken in the last 12 months.
• KBank: 6.5 or higher, ready by the June deadline.
• Chevening: no score of its own, but you need an unconditional offer from a UK university, and master's courses commonly ask for 6.5.
• OCSC: no score to apply, but 6.0 after you win for a course taught in English.
• Schwarzman and Yenching ask for 7.0, and Oxford and Cambridge courses often ask for 7.0 to 7.5. The band 7 guide covers that step.

Full scholarships that need your IELTS result when you apply

For these, take the test early enough that the result is out before the deadline.

Computer test results usually come out 1 to 5 days after the test and paper results within 13 days. Two weeks before the deadline is the absolute minimum. Sit the test 6 to 8 weeks before, or take a computer test, so you have time for a retake if you need one.

Work experience and what you promise in return

Full scholarships invest a lot in you, so many ask for experience first and something back afterwards. Check this before you apply, because it shapes your next few years.

• Chevening: return to Thailand for at least two years after the scholarship. You also need at least two years of work experience (2,800 hours).
• Australia Awards: you need at least 24 months of full time work experience by the closing date.
• Manaaki New Zealand: one year of full time work experience, or two years part time, and you contribute to development in Thailand for at least two years after study.
• OCSC: work in government service for twice the length of the scholarship, or repay it plus a penalty of twice the amount.
• KBank: work for the bank for at least twice the length of your studies after you graduate.
• MEXT: no bond. There is no obligation to work for the Japanese or Thai government afterwards.

Fully funded master's scholarships: frequently asked questions