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Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2024 in Switzerland

Study for free in Switzerland for Classes Starting in September 2024

The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2024-2025 provide full funding for international students pursuing master’s, PhD, or postdoctoral studies, covering tuition fees, stipends, housing, health insurance, and student-related expenses.

Every year, Switzerland gives Government Excellence Scholarships to encourage cooperation and research with more than 180 other countries and the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS) chooses who gets these scholarships.

Swiss Scholarships Funds Coverage and Allowances

The Swiss Excellence Scholarship for 2024 offers a comprehensive package of benefits to international students. This includes support for research, free airfare tickets, a monthly stipend of CHF 1,920, free accommodation with a housing allowance of CHF 300, sponsorship for health insurance, full tuition fee waivers, and regular housing allowance disbursements.

Types of Swiss Excellence Scholarships 2024

1# Swiss Art scholarship:

This Swiss Arts scholarship is open to students interested in pursuing arts related degrees as an initial master’s degree in Switzerland. Art scholarships are awarded for study at any Swiss conservatory or university of the arts.

2# Swiss Research Scholarship:

Swiss research scholarships are available to post-graduate, and postdoc researchers in any discipline. Candidate must have at least a master’s degree and have plans to come to Switzerland to pursue research or further studies at the doctoral or post-doctoral level. Research scholarships are awarded for research or study at all Swiss cantonal universities, universities of applied sciences, and the two federal institutes of technology. Only those candidates who will be considered for Swiss research scholarships who get nominated by an academic mentor from any Swiss research institute will be considered.

Swiss Government Scholarship Selection Criteria

The FCS assesses Swiss Excellence scholarship applications according to three criteria:

1#  Candidate profile
2#  Quality of the research project or artistic work
3#  Synergies and potential for future research cooperation

Eligibility Criteria for Swiss Excellence Scholarships 2024 Batch

To be eligible for Swiss Excellence Scholarships, candidates must meet the following requirements:

  1. Residency: Applicants who resided in Switzerland for more than one year at the start of the scholarship in September 2024 are not eligible to apply.
  2. Academic Sponsorship: Applicants are required to obtain a letter of acceptance from an academic host professor at their chosen Swiss university, which should also include the professor’s brief CV. This letter is crucial as it demonstrates the professor’s commitment to supervising and endorsing candidate’s proposed research.
  3. Research Proposal: Candidates must submit a research proposal, along with a specified timeframe for completing the candidate’s research project. This proposal is very important for the Swiss Excellence scholarship application and should receive dedicated attention during its preparation by defining the novelty of the proposed research with a proper execution plan and how the Swiss university and scholarship would help in make it possible.
  4. Language Proficiency: Applicants must possess the necessary language skills required for their intended research or studies via IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, Duolingo, or other English language proficiency tests.
  5. Previous Scholarship: Individuals who have previously received a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship are not eligible to apply for a second scholarship.
  6. Relocation: Swiss scholarship recipients are expected to relocate to Switzerland for the duration of their grant period.

How to Apply for Switerzland Government Scholarships?

Candidates are required to send the above-listed documents to their local Swiss country Embassies before their country-specific deadlines.

List of Documents Required to Apply for the Swiss Excellence Scholarship:

  1. Signed FCS application form (typed and printed) with photos.
  2. A full CV with a list of academic publications, awards, etc.
  3. A motivation letter (max. 2 pages).
  4. A complete research proposal (max. 5 pages, signed), using exclusively the FCS research proposal form.
  5. A copy of the letter from an academic host professor (including her/his short CV) at the chosen Swiss university confirming why she/he is willing to supervise and support the research.
  6. A short CV of the academic mentor at the home institution.
  7. Two confidential letters of recommendation from two different professors in the applicant’s field (use exclusively the FCS reference form – originals in sealed envelopes only for the 1st set). No copies of 2nd set.
  8. Photocopies of certificates and grade sheets from previously attended universities/colleges and diplomas with grades, starting with the most recent. If not in English, French, Italian, or German with attested certified translations in English. Do not submit the original certificates.
  9. Signed medical certificate (use only the FCS health certificate form).
  10. Two copies of the applicant’s passport (main page with personal data). Dual nationals add copies of both passports. Applicants already in Switzerland during the application procedure add a copy of the residence permit for Switzerland.

Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship Application Deadline: December 31, 2023

The last date to apply for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2024-2025 batch is 31 December 2023 and the classes for this recruitment cycle will begin from September 2024.

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.