Eligibility
Q: Which institutions are eligible hosts?
A: Any higher-education institution (accredited in the respective country) is eligible as the potential host and so are institutes of science academies in the respective countries.
Q: Does the Visegrad Fund help me with admission at the host institution?
A: No, the scholarship is meant for supporting scholars already accepted (at least preliminarily) at host institutions. The admission process at the host institution is the responsibility of the applicant.
Q: Do I have to study in English?
A: No. You can also study in the native language of the university. We don’t need any language certificates from you either. Please note, however, that the application form must be filled out in English.
Q: Can I leave my host university/institution during the scholarship period?
A: The scholarship is an attendance scholarship. The scholar is expected to work on his/her study/research project at the host institution for the entire scholarship period.
Q: Can I receive an Erasmus (or other) and a Visegrad Fund scholarship at the same time?
A: You are obliged to inform the Fund of any other scholarship you will receive from any Member State or the European Union simultaneously with the scholarship of the International Visegrad Fund. The Fund may, based on each individual case, determine whether to uphold or withdraw its offer to the scholar.
Q: Can I apply for more than one study program within an application form? Can I submit several application forms for one deadline?
A: No, each scholar can submit only one application to one host institution and for one study program/research project at a time (within a single deadline).
Q: Can I apply if I will not have the acceptance letter (from the host university) by the deadline?
A: Yes. If your program requires admission tests or a personal interview (results of which will be known only after the deadline), you can submit proof of your application (a scan or print screen of the submitted application form) or a preliminary acceptance letter. The final acceptance letter is to be submitted before signing the contract with the Fund.
Q: If I am enrolled in a doctoral program, can I apply for scholarship to continue my doctoral studies at the same university?
A: Yes, you can, if your previous degree (MA or equivalent) was finished in a different country.
Q: If I am enrolled in the first year of a MA program, can I apply for a scholarship to finish my studies at the same university?
A: Yes, you can, if your previous degree (BA or equivalent) was finished in a different country.
Q: If I completed my bachelor’s studies abroad, can I continue in the same country (e.g. MA)?
A: No. If you completed your previous studies in one of the V4 countries (e.g. you hold a Czech BA degree), you cannot apply for further studies in the same country (e.g. MA in Czechia) but can decide to apply in a different V4 country.
Q: Which academic disciplines do the scholarships cover?
A: In the application form you will be able to choose from 25 different disciplines that cover the large majority of study fields.
Q: Is there an age limit for applying?
A: No, we do not take into account the applicant’s age.
Q: Can I apply if I am currently not a student?
A: To apply for a master’s or post-master’s scholarship you don’t need an active student status, but you must have completed at least 6 semesters of higher education or hold the equivalent of a bachelor’s (BA/BSc) degree at the time of starting the scholarship. If you apply for bachelor-level scholarship to another V4 country, you must be enrolled as an active student.
Q: Can I apply for a scholarship for my bachelor’s studies?
A: A bachelor’s degree level is only available for the Intra-V4 scheme, i.e., citizens of one of the V4 countries studying in another V4 country. Citizens of the Eastern Partnership or Western Balkans countries can only cover studies at master’s (MA or equivalent) or post-master’s level (doctoral studies programs or independent research).
Q: Who can apply for the Visegrad Scholarship Program?
A: Our scholarships are available only to citizens of V4 countries, the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership countries. The full list of possible combinations can be found in the Scholarship Instructions on our website.
Apart from being a citizen of the above-mentioned countries, the following criteria apply to all applicants:
- Applicants cannot apply for a scholarship in the country of their citizenship.
- Applicants cannot apply to the same university where they completed their previous level of studies.
- The distance between the applicant’s last (or current if the applicant is an active student) university and the host must be more than 150 km.
- The applicant must have a permanent residence more than 150 km from the host.
Application
Q: How and when will I be informed of the results of my application?
A: All applicants (approved, rejected or those on the reserve list) are notified in writing via e-mail and the results are also published on the Fund’s website 45 working days after the submission deadline at the latest.
Q: What documents should I send by post?
A: You do not need to send us any documents or hard copies by post. All documents must be uploaded to our online system by the deadline.
Q: What documents do I have to upload with the application form?
All applicants must upload a scan of their valid national ID card or international passport. In addition to that, the following documents are required.
If applying for a bachelor’s scholarship (for V4 citizens only), you need to upload:
- A scan of your transcript of records for the last two duly terminated semesters (if applying in your first year of studies, one closed semester is enough).
- A scanned letter of acceptance from the host university/institute.
If applying for a master’s scholarship:
- A scan of your transcript of records for the last two duly terminated semesters.
- A scanned letter of acceptance from the host university/institute.
If applying for a post-master scholarship:
- A scanned letter of acceptance and approved working plan from the host university/institute.
Q: Can I submit my application form after the deadline?
A: There is no possibility to submit the application past the deadline. The deadline is strict and the Fund will accept no application past it.
Q: Where and how can I submit my application?
A: Applications are submitted in our online system (http://my.visegradfund.org) by the given deadline. The system opens approximately 45 days prior to the deadline. Once you register, you have to remember your ID (the application number), since it will be used in all future communication with you, and a password which will enable you to access your application form in the future.
You must fill out all the required fields and upload all requested documents. PDF is the recommended file format for uploaded documents. If a document has more than a single page then please convert it into a multi-page PDF file.
Starting your scholarship
Q: What documents do I have to submit at the end of my study stay?
A: You must submit the following documents no later than 30 days after the end of the scholarship period:
Bachelor’s or master’s studies:
- Transcript of records with at least 30 credits (ECTS) obtained for the last semester covered by the scholarship.
- Copy of master’s diploma in case of full master studies.
Post-master studies:
- Summary of the final results and contributions during the research stay (max. 2-3 pages), list of articles written by the scholar during the scholarship period.
Q: Do I have to acknowledge the Fund’s support?
A: Yes, you should promote your accomplishment in becoming a Visegrad scholar. Please remember to acknowledge our support in any documentation related to your scholarly activities and at any public events where you present the results and outcomes of your study/research acquired during the scholarship period. You should also use our logo to visually acknowledge the Visegrad Scholarship Program’s contribution to your study/research.
Q: I received the scholarship for more than 1 semester. What should I do in order to receive the next installment?
A: The second (and any further) instalments of your scholarship are transferred once the Fund receives the following via e-mail, in scanned format:
Bachelor’s / master’s scholars:
- Transcript of records with at least 30 ECTS credits obtained for the previous semester
- Confirmation of continuation/enrollment issued by the host institute for the new semester (signed by the international office/head of department)
Post-master’s scholars:
- Progress report written by the scholar and confirmed (signed) by the supervisor, detailing the interim results, conference attendances, published articles
- Confirmation of continuation of studies/research indicating the planned completion dates issued by the host.
Q: Does the Fund arrange/facilitate my visa, health/travel insurance, accommodation, travel to the host country?
A: No, but the Fund issues a scholarship confirmation which can be used as an enclosure to the visa application. You will receive this confirmation together with your contract copy.
Q: How much is the scholarship I receive?
A: The scholarship amounts to €2,500 per semester and is paid to each scholar’s bank account. This money is at the scholar’s full disposal and the Fund cannot cover any additional costs (visa fees, health insurance, accommodation, etc.).
Q: Does the scholarship cover tuition fees?
A: The scholarship does not directly cover the tuition fees, but the host university/institute receives €1,500/semester for every scholar (this is separate from your scholarship payment). For bachelor’s or master’s studies, the host university/institute must use the lump sum to cover your tuition fees or any other administrative costs. However, if the tuition fees exceed the lump sum per semester, you are responsible for covering the remaining sum yourself. We recommend finding out about the tuition fees at the host university/institute in advance. For post-master’s scholars, the lump sum is to cover all possible costs of the host university connected with hosting a foreign scholar, e.g. publishing the scholar’s monograph, related office supplies, short-term conference costs, access to databases for research purposes, the scholar’s supervisor fee, etc..
Q: When and how do I receive the money?
A: The scholarship is paid in advance for each semester (5-month period) only after the host university sends to the Fund a written (scan) confirmation of your arrival. The confirmation must be issued:
- in English
- on letterhead paper of the host institution
- stating the exact date of your arrival there
- stating your status as an active, full-time student/researcher
- stating the planned month of (final) completion of your project/your placement at the host institution
- stating your application/contract number
- with the signature and stamp of the host university representative (your supervisor, the international office, or dean).
You will also need to provide us with a bank account where we can send you the scholarship funds. The bank account must belong to you personally, but can be opened in any country.
Q: When and where will I receive the contract for signing?
A: The scholarship contract will be mailed to your permanent (or correspondence) address after you submit the final acceptance letter (if not submitted at the time of applying) and confirming your details in our system. You will receive two copies, of which one copy should be sent back to us via post, with your signature.
Q: When can I start my scholarship?
A: As the results of the scholarships are usually published at the end of May, the scholarship can only start afterwards, from September/October (the fall semester of the upcoming academic year) at the earliest.
Q: My application got approved. What should I do now?
A: You should take the following steps:
- Check your passport’s (or ID card’s) validity. If you need a visa for the host country, start the visa application as soon as possible.
- Confirm your personal data in the system and contact your assigned project manager, following the instructions of the e-mail you received from us.
- Inform your host university/institution about the Fund’s decision and the possible date of your arrival.