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Scholarships to Study in Europe

Updated: Mar 16, 2023

At this point, we've definitely established that university in Europe is far more affordable than in the US. From tuition to living expenses, making the move is well worth it. But even universities that are affordable when compared to the US are still out of reach for many. So here's your game plan for getting your degree in Europe for free.

In case you don't know me...

I'm Liza, an American student who took my education abroad after graduating high school. My initial motivation was avoiding the crippling student debt that has, unfortunately, become so normalized in the US.

Four (debt-free) years later, I have graduated from Anglo-American University in Prague with a Bachelors in Humanities, Society and Culture, and have just started grad school at Vrije Universiteit Brussel studying New Media and Society.


Skip ahead:

Before I explain how I did it, let's look at some numbers;

Undergraduate Degree: $ 25,700 total ($ 4,283 per semester)

Graduate Degree: $18,338 total ($ 4,584 per semester)

Definitely read my whole blog post about this (linked above) but here's an uber brief overview.

Rent: 10,000CZK ($428)

Food: 2,400-4,000CZK ($100-$181)

Transportation: 120CZK ($5.15)

Drug Store Stuff: about 500-750CZK ($21-$32)

Entertainment: 400-2,400CZK ($17-$100)


Non-EEA Undergraduate Degree: € 3,247 - €3,850 per 60 credits (one year)

Non-EEA Graduate Degree: € 961 - € 3.850 per 60 credits (one year)

and keep in mind you may have to take a few preparatory classes which might add €10 to €40 per class.

Living Expenses per Month in Brussels:

As far as living expenses go though, I have been here exactly one month and can't accurately say the total costs but heres what I know so far.

Rent: €410 plus €100 in utilities

Renters Insurance: about €100 for the year depending on your coverage options

Transportation: €1 (students get a €12 pass for the year!)

yup thats what I know for sure thus far (but sign up for emails so I can notify you when I write the full updated blog!)


Okay so now that you know how much it costs to live abroad for uni...

Let's talk affordability.

I paid my tuition and living expenses three ways:

Student Jobs:

Throughout my time in Prague and Brussels, I have always had a job or two. In Prague, I was an ESL teacher at Kids&Us. I loved every minute of it and it paid higher than most student jobs in Prague. However, hours were limited in my first year so I was thankful to have savings and working definitely helped me stretch my savings out much longer.


Savings:

Savings are absolutely essential before moving abroad. I am privileged to have parents who set up a 529 college savings plan when I was born. However, any interest accrued on your savings will be lost if the money isn't spend on tuition at a college in the US. Still, we decided it was worth it to pull the money out of that account to fund my education abroad. Thanks to this account and my savings from high school jobs, I moved to Prague with $12,000.


Scholarships for International Students:

There are so many scholarships out there that will help you cover the whole cost of your degree. So, here is the list of scholarships I have found (and let sit in my notes app) over the years that are available to international students.

Skip to the section you need:

Non University Specific Scholarships:

  • Merit-Based Scholarship

    • 100% off tuition

    • Available starting your second semester based on your performance in your first semester

      • you must complete 5 courses before qualifying

    • GPA > 3.9 or UK numerical GA > 68

  • Afghan Refugee Scholarship

    • Full cost of tuition and fees and an additional 60,000czk support allowance

    • Afghan citizens evacuated from Afghanistan in August 2021

    • No deadline

  • Milena Jesenská Journalism Scholarship

    • Tuition for the program’s 4 core courses

    • For a dedicated member of the school newspaper

    • June 1st

  • Ministry of Education Accommodation Scholarship

    • 540czk per month in cash (about $300 a year)

    • Literally every foreign student gets this, you apply in like two seconds on your computer and it's just given to you twice a year

  • Bring a Friend Program

    • $500 for every student who enrolls and references you on their application

    • p.s. if you don't know anyone to write down feel free to write me :) I'm not a student anymore but because of my blog and TikTok and all that I'm technically a recruiter now so I'd appreciate it <3

  • Master Mind

    • Reduction of tuition to that which is paid by Flemish scholarship student (I think this is only like $300 but I'm not certain)

    • Deadline: February 25

    • Granted to 20 students

  • VUB Scholarships for Master of Science in Photonics Engineering

    • 10.000,- EUR/academic year

    • For the Master of Science in Photonics Engineering program

  • VUB B-PHOT Excellence Scholarships

    • 5.000,- EUR/academic year

    • For the MSc. in Photonics Engineering

  • VLIR-UOS

    • Award:

      • Waves International student fees reducing tuition to about $1,000

      • Health insurance

      • Pays for your flight to Belgium & return home

      • Logistic allowance and indirect travel costs

    • Requirements:

      • For students from countries in Africa, Asia and Latin-America

      • For MSc. in Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management

      • For Interuniversity Programme in Water Resources Engineering

And don't limit yourself to this list! Your nationality, as well as the country and school you study at, will change what you qualify for.


Edited by Sophia Pedigo

How to Find an Apartment Abroad

Updated: Jun 21, 2022

Figuring out where you will live once you move abroad is tricky, especially when you're searching through the internet from another continent.


No doubt finding a flat when you are hundreds, maybe thousands, of miles away can be difficult and a bit dodgy. Obviously, you want to live somewhere you'll be comfortable, but making a major investment in a flat you've never seen is risky, to say the least. To make matters even more complicated, in order to get a visa, you must have housing arranged for a full year.


It's not easy to navigate this obstacle, but here's what I did and what I recommend to those moving abroad for the first time.


  1. So, you need proof of accommodation for your visa. You can't move to your new home without your visa so this is your priority. The first thing you should do is book a dorm room in the city for the length of the visa you're applying for. Make sure it's reliable with good reviews, better yet, is a dorm affiliated with or recommended by your university. But you want to make sure you are able to back out of your contract at any time with one month's notice. If you're moving to Prague, I recommend Zietraum Residence. I personally didn't stay here, but I had a few friends that did and it was the nicest dorm I saw in the city by far.

  2. Now you can relax a bit because you have a place booked for the next few months and you know you can't end up homeless in a foreign city. But living in a dorm isn't for everyone. f you're someone who would rather live in a flat or a house, once you've arrived in the city you can start searching for your dream home, without the pressure of a time limit. What I did was live in a dorm for one semester while I made friends at school and once we had gotten to know each other, we decided to go in on a flat together.

  3. Once you've found a new place you'd rather be staying, submit your letter to terminate the dorm contract and proceed with all the adulting that goes into getting a flat!


Other options to consider:

  • Flatshare: Flatsharring is a great option if you're not sure you want to move in with any friends or if your friends are already situated in their housing for the year (or if you don't want to risk your friendship over roommate disagreements). Most cities have a few different Facebook groups for flat-sharing, you can join and go see a few until you find the perfect flat and housemates. I only don't recommend this as where you will stay first for a few reasons. First, since flat-sharing is mostly among students, it's not always planned far in advance when they will be leaving so it may be hard to find a place that will be available for the dates you need far enough in advance to get your visa. Secondly, since you can't view the flat or meet your flatmates in person in advance, you can't be 100% sure what you're getting.

  • Purchasing a flat: this is not realistic for most people but if you or your parents want to make an investment in foreign property, this could be an option. I know one girl whose family did this for her and she lived comfortably there for her whole degree.

Good luck house hunting!

xx Liza

Edited by Sophia Pedigo


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