Scholarships in 2024

Costa Rica Scholarships 2023 for Students to Study for free

Get ready to apply for the scholarships offered in Costa Rica in 2023 for various subject options at different degree levels. We admit, the republic of Costa Rica may not be your dream study destination, but this country of beaches and rainforests has some absolute gems in its higher education system that will surely change your mind. Six of the Costa Rican Universities are on the QS Latin American Universities list.

The literacy rate of the country stands at 97%. Universidad de Costa Rica, Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica UNA, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, INCAE Business School, Costa Rica, and Universidad Latina de Costa Rica are some of the universities which offer a top-notch educational experience. 

Cost of Living in Costa Rica:

In terms of living expenses, Costa Rica is less expensive than the United States of America. A single person may have to put in around $1500 a month toward living expenses and with a modest lifestyle; this cost can go down to a great degree as well. 

Costa Rica Student Visa and Working in Costa Rica:

Costa Rica has very strict rules toward letting foreigners work. A person on a student visa is not allowed to work in Costa Rica even part-time. A work visa is only granted to people who are skilled in a position that cannot be filled by a native Costa Rican. Costa Rica discourages foreign hiring and the companies do not recruit non-Costa Ricans. 

Language Proficiency Requirement in Costa Rica: Spanish or English

As for Language proficiency, Costa Rican universities use Spanish as a medium of instruction so you can only survive in one if you are proficient in Spanish or English. Before getting enrolled in a Costa Rican university, you are supposed to show proof of your proficiency in the Spanish or English Language. 

Scholarships in Costa Rica 2023:

Unfortunately, universities in Costa Rica do not offer many scholarships to its students. However, there are foreign bodies that sponsor a lot of scholarships.  Let’s take a look at them:

Asian Peacebuilders Scholarship (APS) is offered to those who are interested in doing a double MA from two universities; the University for Peace (Costa Rica) and Ateneo de Manila University (The Philippine). The focus would be on political sciences and global politics along with a field project that the students will have to submit before the degree period is over. It is a fully-funded scholarship which means, it will cover all the educational expenses of students, from tuition to airfare, transit cost to visa cost, and a monthly stipend. It will be awarded to 30 of the most talented students from Japan, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Laos, and The Philippines.

University for International Cooperation (UCI) is offering scholarships for its Online Master’s Program in project management. It is only offered to students from the member states of OAS. The best part of it is that this program is taught in English, so it can be taken up by students who want Costa Rican education but are not fluent in Spanish. The scholarship at the University of international cooperation offers tuition fee discounts in three categories; 30%, 50%, and 90%, the latter being reserved for those students who have an extraordinary academic profile.

The University of Utah is offering scholarships to students who are interested in learning Environmental Studies in Costa Rica. The students will be able to get a $1000 scholarship which is given on an academic merit basis. The other scholarship with the name Global Diversity Scholarship is given to students who belong to a minority group or are studying in a program that not many students pursue. The awards are given on both merit and need basis.

This Latin US-Caribbean scholarship is awarded to students who are studying in Latin America including Costa Rica and its value of the award is $2000 and is given to students who have an impressive academic record.

  • Robert B. Bailey Grant:

This scholarship offered by Robert B. Bailey Grant offers $2000 which is for minority groups or students belonging to a minority ethnicity. It is a relatively less competitive scholarship and hence has a more chance of getting it. The students are required to provide a letter of recommendation and evidence of financial need.

This Diversity Abroad Scholarship is given to two students each year and is enough to cover petty expenses that incur in studying abroad like, passport fees, transportation charges, etc. These kinds of expenses are not usually covered by other funding. The value of the award is $1500 and students from all nationalities and programs are welcome to apply. Preference, though, is usually given to students who have studied in a foreign country before or who are financially underprivileged.

Yousaf Saeed

I'm Dr. Engr. Yousaf Saeed, founder of the AScholarship Education Portal. My academic path includes 3 prestigious international scholarships — Australia Awards, CSC, and HKPFS — for my higher studies. I am also an IChemE affiliate whereas I've also worked for companies like Aramco and BYCO oil refinery as an production engineer at the start of my career. I completed MS, and PhD with major research publications in leading SCI journals (details on my Researchgate Profile). This aScholarship.com reflects my commitment to educating and therefore i started it for the purpose to guide aspiring international students for find scholarships for their higher education dream. As an experienced educator and mentor, I specialize in navigating the intricacies of research and patent and write useful articles on these topics too.