National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic for International Students 2024

The Government of the Slovak Republic approved the establishment of the National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic for the support of mobility of students, PhD students, university teachers, researchers and artists in 2005. The National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic (NSP) is financed by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic from the state budget of the Slovak Republic.

The National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic supports mobility of international students, PhD students, university teachers, researchers and artists for scholarship stays at higher education institutions and research organisations in Slovakia.

Programmes

Bachelors Degree
Masters Degree

Targeted Countries

International students

Location

Slovakia, Europe

Duration

Same with programme

Eligibility Criteria for the Scholarship

Eligible applicants for a scholarship in the framework of the NSP:

Students who:
Are university students at universities outside Slovakia;
Are students of the second level of higher education (master’s students), or are students who at the time of the application deadline have already completed at least 2.5 years of their university studies in the same/similar study programme;
Will be on a study stay in Slovakia during their higher education outside Slovakia and who will be accepted by a public, private or state higher education institution in Slovakia for an academic mobility [1] to study in Slovakia.

All 3 conditions must be met. This category does not apply to doctoral (PhD) studies (or their equivalent).

Duration of a scholarship stay (students): 1 – 2 full semesters (i.e. 4 – 5 or 9 – 10 months) or 1 – 3 full trimesters, in case the academic year is divided into trimesters (i.e. 3 – 4 or 6 – 7 or 9 – 10 months).

PhD students whose higher education or scientific training takes place outside Slovakia and who are accepted by a public, private or state higher education institution or a research institution in Slovakia eligible to carry out a doctoral study programme[2] (e.g. the Slovak Academy of Sciences) for an academic mobility[1] to study/conduct research/artistic stay in Slovakia.

Duration of a scholarship stay (PhD students): 1 – 10 months.

International university teachers, researchers and artists who are invited to a teaching/research/artistic stay in Slovakia by an institution with a valid certificate of eligibility to carry out research and development, which is not a business company[3] and it has its seat in Slovakia.

Duration of a scholarship stay (university teachers, researchers or artists): 1 – 10 months.

Benefits of the Scholarship

The scholarship is intended to cover international scholarship holders’ living costs, i.e. the costs related to staying in Slovakia (food, accommodation, etc.), during their study, research/artistic or teaching stay at universities and in research organisations in Slovakia.
The scholarship holder can ask for assistance concerning accommodation and formalities related to entering and staying in the territory of the Slovak Republic either his/her host institution, or he/she can handle all the necessities him-/herself.
University student of the second level of higher education— €620
PhD student —€1025,50

University teacher/researcher/artist:

Without PhD degree (or its equivalent) and at the same time less than 4 years of work experience as a university teacher/researcher/artist— €1025,50
With PhD degree (or its equivalent) and at the same time less than 10 years of work experience as a university teacher/researcher/artist— €1370
With PhD degree (or its equivalent) and at the same time more than 10 years of work experience as a university teacher/researcher/artist—€1470

In addition, students and PhD students [eligible applicants under the category A) and B)] can be awarded a travel allowance (travel grant, which is a separate component of the scholarship), if they apply for it along with their scholarship application.

Required Documents

Curriculum vitae;
Motivation letter;
Detailed study programme
Two recommendation letters issued by applicant’s university teachers
Confirmation officially issued by the applicant’s home higher education institution confirming that the applicant is a regular student of the respective higher education institution at the time of applying
Bachelor’s diploma, diploma supplement together with the state examination certificate
Admission/invitation letter issued by applicant’s host higher education institution in Slovakia indicating the period of stay
Master’s diploma, diploma supplement together with the state examination certificate

Selection Criteria

Scholarships and/or travel allowances (travel grant) are not legally enforceable; meeting of all the formal requirements of the programme according to the respective call for applications, applicant’s quality, content of applicant’s proposed stay and its necessity, and the NSP budget availability related to the respective call for applications, have an impact on granting the scholarship from the NSP sources.

The applicant is responsible for the final completeness of the application and for the correctness of the information provided in the application and its annexes; due to sufficient time for the preparation of the application in the period between the opening of the electronic application system and the deadline for submitting the applications, as well as to the applicant’s declaration when submitting the application, that all information provided in the application is complete, actual and true and that the application is complete and contains all the required annexes and documents, the scholarship Programme Administrator is not obliged to give the applicant an opportunity to amend the application (the application is therefore assessed as submitted by the applicant).

SAIA, n. o., as the scholarship Programme Administrator, is responsible for the administration of the selection process. The Programme Administrator acts within each selection in a way to ensure equal treatment of applicants during the respective selection process.