Lithuania does not come up in scholarship conversations as often as Germany, the UK, or Canada, and that is exactly why it is worth paying attention to. The country offers government-funded scholarships for international students at the Master's level, with genuine financial support and access to European university education. But before you get excited, there are specific things you need to know about how this scholarship actually works, who it is for, and what it realistically covers.
What Is the Lithuania Government Scholarship? (How It Actually Works)
The Lithuania Government Scholarship is administered through the Education Exchanges Support Foundation, which operates under the Lithuanian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. It is not a single scholarship open to everyone. It is a structured state program that funds a limited number of international students from a defined list of eligible countries each year.
The flagship track for 2026 focuses on full-time Master's degree studies and a second track known as short-term studies. Each operates on separate eligibility rules, country lists, and benefits. Understanding which track applies to you is the first step.
Lithuania Scholarship 2026: Key Facts You Should Know First
For the full-time Master's degree scholarship, the Education Exchanges Support Foundation opened a call for 2026 with an application deadline of 20 April 2026. Results are expected to be communicated to eligible applicants no later than 15 June 2026.
The scholarship can only be granted once per person. If you have received it before under this program, you cannot apply again.
Students who receive the scholarship are also required to study the Lithuanian language during their first academic year, reaching at least an A1 level or completing an A1 course worth at least 6 credits. Exemptions apply if you already have A1 or have less than one semester remaining in your studies.
Who Can Apply for Lithuania Government Scholarships?
This is the part most articles skip over or handle vaguely, and it matters enormously.
The Lithuanian state scholarship for full-time Master's degree studies is available to citizens of specific countries only. For recent cycles, the eligible countries have included Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, China (both PRC and Taiwan), Israel, Japan, Moldova, South Korea, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, the United States, New Zealand, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, the Philippines, and foreigners of Lithuanian origin from non-EU countries.
Nigeria and most other African countries are not on the current eligible list for the state scholarship for Master's degree studies. This is a critical point that many scholarship aggregator websites either miss or gloss over. If you are a Nigerian student hoping to access this specific program, the honest answer is that you are not currently eligible for the government-funded Master's track.
However, this does not mean Lithuania is completely off the table. University-level scholarships at institutions like Vilnius University, Kaunas University of Technology, Vytautas Magnus University, and Vilnius Tech are open to international students from all countries including Nigeria, based on academic merit. These are separate from the state scholarship and worth exploring if you are serious about studying in Lithuania.
Is Lithuania Government Scholarship Fully Funded or Partial? (Truth Explained)
The short answer is: it covers the two most important costs, but it is not fully funded in the complete sense of the phrase.
What the scholarship covers is tuition fees and a monthly stipend. What it does not cover is your flight to Lithuania, accommodation costs, or other personal expenses. You are responsible for those yourself.
The stipend is designed to help with living costs, but you will need your own savings, particularly in the initial months before your first payment arrives and while you are settling in.
Some websites will label this as fully funded because tuition and a living stipend are included. That framing is technically arguable but practically misleading if it causes applicants to arrive unprepared. Go in knowing you will need some personal funds to get started.
What the Lithuania Scholarship Covers (Tuition, Stipend, Limits)
For the 2026 Master's degree scholarship, the financial support consists of two components.
The monthly stipend is set at 8 times the Basic Social Amount (BSA). With the current BSA at €74 in Lithuania, this equals €592 per month. This amount is paid throughout the academic year and is meant to help cover your day-to-day living costs. The stipend has increased from €490 in earlier years, and may adjust again in future cycles as the BSA changes.
The tuition fee grant covers the cost of your studies at the Lithuanian higher education institution. This removes what would otherwise be a significant financial burden for most international students.
What is not covered: travel to and from Lithuania, accommodation fees (though dormitory options exist at most universities), student union fees, and any expenses related to family members accompanying you.
Types of Lithuania Government Scholarships Available
There are three main categories worth knowing.
The first is the Full-Time Master's Degree Scholarship, which is the flagship program described throughout this article. It targets citizens of the eligible countries listed above for one or two years of full Master's degree study.
The second is the Short-Term Studies Scholarship, which funds up to one semester (maximum 6 months) of study in Lithuania for the 2026 to 2027 academic year. Up to 35 scholarships are available in this category and the eligible country list is broader, including India, the Philippines, Canada, Australia, the UK, and others. Nigerians are not listed here either, but the country list is published annually and can change.
The third category is the Short-Term Lithuanian Studies Scholarship, which funds one to two semesters of study specifically related to Lithuanian language, history, and culture. This is open to foreigners and people of Lithuanian origin from most countries, with some exceptions.
University-level merit scholarships from institutions like Vilnius University and Vytautas Magnus University operate independently and are accessible to applicants from a wider range of countries.
Participating Universities and Programs Overview
All Lithuanian higher education institutions accredited by the government are eligible to host scholarship recipients. A full list is available at studyin.lt/universities.
Major institutions include Vilnius University, which is the oldest and largest university in Lithuania; Kaunas University of Technology, which has a strong focus on engineering and technology; Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, known for its liberal arts and social sciences programs; Lithuanian University of Health Sciences for medical and health-related studies; and Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, known as Vilnius Tech.
Programs are available across most fields, though competition tends to be stronger in science, technology, engineering, and social science disciplines. For the government scholarship, there are no formally restricted fields, though applications in engineering, IT, and life sciences may receive favorable consideration based on national education priorities.
Lithuania Scholarship Application Timeline 2026
For the Full-Time Master's Degree Studies track, the deadline to apply was 20 April 2026. The online system closed at 4:00 p.m. Vilnius time on that date.
Results notification is expected no later than 15 June 2026.
For the Short-Term Studies track for the 2026 to 2027 academic year, the application window is announced through the official Study in Lithuania portal. Applications for this track typically open earlier in the year, so checking the portal regularly is essential.
University scholarships operate on their own timelines. For example, Vytautas Magnus University opens scholarship applications on 15 March 2026, with a selection decision communicated by 5 May 2026.
Q:Is IELTS required to apply for Lithuania scholarships?
A: A B2 level of English or the language of instruction is required. IELTS is one accepted proof of this, but many universities also accept TOEFL or their own institutional language assessments. Some programs taught in Lithuanian may require Lithuanian language proficiency instead.
Q:Can international students work while studying in Lithuania?
A:Yes. International students enrolled in Lithuanian universities are generally permitted to work while studying. The government has also introduced internship scholarships specifically designed to connect final-year international students with Lithuanian companies.
Q:Can I apply to multiple Lithuanian universities for the state scholarship?
A: You apply to the state scholarship through the central portal, and your application is linked to the university that provides your acceptance letter. It is advisable to secure your university acceptance first, then proceed with the scholarship application.
