International Scholarships to Study in Russia

Are you interested in expanding your horizons to study in the world’s largest country, which has an impressive 55 universities ranked in the top 250 of the QS University Rankings: BRICS 2016? Read on for scholarships to study in Russia…

Government-funded Russian scholarships for international students

• Government of Russian Federation Scholarships– A set number of state scholarships to study in Russia are available for foreign students each year, with free tuition, student accommodation and a maintenance allowance, which amounted to 1,300 rubles a month in 2015 (approximately US$20). 15,000 of these scholarships were awarded in 2015.

Non-governmental Russian scholarships for international students

• The School of Russian and Asian Studies (SRAS)– Lists scholarships to study abroad in Russia and other former Soviet states, most of which are specifically for US students.
• Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarships– Offers over 2,700 scholarships of up to US$5,000 for US undergraduate citizens to study or intern abroad. Applicants who are studying a foreign language (such as Russian) while abroad in a country in which the language is predominantly spoken will automatically be considered for the Critical Need Language Award, for a total award of $8,000.
• BP in Russia Research Scholarships– Russian scholarships of RUB 15,000 – 35,000 (US~$235-550) every month for students studying for degrees in energy and economics at one of the partner Russian universities. Applicants must be studying on state grants, have excellent grades and aim to develop in their chosen subject in the future.
• American Councils Scholarships– various scholarships related to Russian language training and research in Russia, including the Title VIII Research Scholar Program, a scholarship for students to conduct independent research for three to eight months in one of the selected countries in Central Asia or Eastern Europe, including Russia. The value of the awards varies between US$5,000 to $25,000, and typically includes airfare, a monthly stipend, health insurance and more.

University-specific Russian scholarships for international students

Please note that the majority of these scholarships are at postgraduate level.

• Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University– Individual scholarship opportunities are available for master’s degree programs studied in English at the university. The scholarship could cover tuition fees during one semester or costs of accommodation in the university dormitory.
• Tomsk State University– Various grants are available for international students.
• Vladivostok State University Economics and Service (VSUES)– Four VSUES scholarships are available which offer RUB 3,000 per month (~US$50) for outstanding international students.
• Ural Federal University (UrFU)– The UrFU “Golden” Scholarship Program for Master Students offers 65 international scholarships for new international students, covering tuition fees for two years of study for any master’s program taught in English. The UrFU “Silver” International Scholarship Program offers 50 scholarships to cover the tuition fees for one year of study.
• Russian International Olympic University – The Vladimir Potanin Foundation’s Olympic Scholarships Program offers 20 Russian scholarships to study a Master of Sports Administration program at the university, providing tuition, accommodation and a monthly stipend