When you hear of Greece, the Mediterranean country southeast of Europe, images of sparkling blue waters and whitewashed houses beneath the summer sun come to mind. But before the influx of tourists the modern world has brought to the islands of Santorini and Mykonos, the Hellenic Republic was and will always remain the birthplace of Western Civilization.
The influence of Ancient Greece continues until this day, and most schools of thought can be attributed one way or another to the scholars of the time. Teachings of Hippocrates are still evident in modern medicine while the contributions of Pythagoras to natural sciences are still taught in schools. The philosophies of Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato branched into various schools of thought and shaped modern politics. It should come as no surprise that students worldwide will want to go and study in the country where the teachings of these ancient scholars once flourished.
Here, we will discuss the various Greece scholarships that are available for international students.
Top Universities in Greece
Fortunately, the legacy of the ancient Greek scholars continues to this day. Several Greek universities are performing well in the ranks of the world’s best universities. Most of the top universities that consistently place in international higher education institution rankings are public. These include the University of Crete, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), and the University of Ioannina.
These five universities pride themselves on research-oriented programs and have schools and faculties in different fields such as engineering, business, philosophy, law, health sciences, and fine arts. The languages of instruction for most of these universities are Greek and English; it will be best for international students to immerse themselves in basic conversational Greek. Also, education in Greece is free for EU students, but if you are an international student, you will have to pay fees which start from around €1000 for public universities, depending on the course you will take.
Living Costs in Greece for International Students
For students, whether you decide to live near the city center or outside, you will find yourselves with rental rates of around €200-450 for one-bedroom apartments which you can further reduce if you can find roommates. You can also offset your transportation costs if you decide to live within the city center or anywhere near the university. This is already relatively cheaper compared to other European countries. In addition to these costs, students also need to account for utilities, food, internet, and the occasional splurges. This can set you back around €600 in total, give or take.
Work Opportunities in Greece
Other than personal financing, students can also avail themselves of part-time jobs while studying to supplement their needs. But if you are an EU non-native, it is an entirely different situation if you want to work in the EU. Some of the options you can avail of include having a residence permit or a work permit, depending on the purpose of your stay. After you have settled this, you can be working in Greece in no time!
Top Scholarships in Greece for International Students
Now that you have an overview of what to expect when you study in Greece, are your finances ready for it? As an international student planning to take your bachelor’s or graduate studies, you will be more pressed with money since EU students have the advantage of paying less like a native of the region. Fortunately, numerous Greece scholarships are offered by national governments and private institutions around the world. Some of these scholarships at Greece are applicable at any educational institution chosen by the applicant, including universities from Greece.
But if you are looking for financial aid from within the country or region, check out the list below for the five best scholarships to apply for. This list is exclusive to Greek higher learning institutions or those with programs that include Greek universities and colleges in its partner universities.
1. Undergraduate Merit Scholarships
Two departments from the NKUA (Modern Greek Language Teaching Center and the Foreign Language Teaching Center) are offering this Greece scholarship to secondary students interested in taking the BA in Archaeology, History, and Literature of Ancient Greece. This will be a partial scholarship of €10000 each for the two successful applicants who do not have a Greek passport.
2. Fulbright Greece Awards
The Fulbright Program is an exchange program primarily funded by the US Government to further develop the education and understanding of the US and the partner country. Eligible international students include those inclined to take up Modern Greek studies, social sciences, and environmental science, among others.
This scholarship at Greece will provide partial funding to 7 successful applicants. The program also offers two awards each for the Greece-Turkey Fulbright Joint Research Award (Greece dual citizens, Turkey dual citizens) and the Bulgaria-Greece Fulbright Joint Research Award (for Bulgaria dual citizens).
3. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Scholarships
As one of the top universities of Greece, AUTh provides numerous Greece scholarships to different students, international students included. These scholarships are available to undergraduate to postgraduate students who are taking up Greek language and literature courses, are having a three-month research stint, or are coming from Haiti, Latin American, and African countries, among others.
4. Leventis Foundation Scholarships
A master’s degree in business or finance is one of the more viable postgraduate degrees students pursue. The Alba Graduate Business School offers two full scholarships for Nigerian students for their MBA program and one scholarship covering 100% tuition fee payment for their MSc in Finance program. This Greece scholarship is in cooperation with the A.G. Leventis Foundation with the aim of advancing education in West Africa and the Greek civilization.
5. Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree Scholarships
Lastly, we are including the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree scholarships since it involves a few of Greece’s higher education institutions as part of the program. Erasmus provides Greece scholarships to students from different countries to support their plan for education and social inclusion.
Erasmus’ programs are well-known because of the mobility part—students will take semesters of their program in different universities in the EU and will receive a joint degree after the program. If you are interested in being a mobile student and traveling, the highly competitive Erasmus program is for you!
Erasmus scholarships can either be partial or full funding, depending on your performance in the highly competitive application process.
There you have it. These are just some of the Greece scholarships available for international students. You can use this list to kickstart your search for financial aid. Living and studying in Greece is relatively cheaper than the cosmopolitan countries other students flock to for their studies. Still, you will be getting the best Greece has to offer, and studying in the same country as the Parthenon is just a big, big plus.
