How to find scholarships and bursaries in the EU

Every year, many students of all ages seek the opportunity to study in another country, often for a variety of reasons: the quality of a CV can be enhanced by learning another language, the important experience of developing oneself in a new and completely unfamiliar environment, and the possibility of entering a better job market than in one's home country.

However, starting a new life in a new country is not only a challenge for the organization and the individual, it often requires funds to prepare and pay for the study. In many cases, these funds are scarce and external funding must be sought from public or private organizations in the form of scholarships or bank loans. If your destination is one of the EU countries, we have found a portal that can help you find the most suitable scholarship for you.

The European Funding Guide is a new website co-funded by the European Commission and dedicated to students looking for funding opportunities in the form of scholarships or purely loans. The initiative was launched by a non-profit organization based in Germany. The goal of the initiative is to make EU funding transparent and to ensure that everyone has access to student funding. The website is quite extensive. Often, students don't start applying for funding because they don't know where to start.

It is a misconception that there are not many scholarships available on the European market. Quite the contrary, many scholarships remain unapplied for because the target group is not well known. On the European Funding Guide you can choose from more than 12,000 scholarships, bursaries or loans currently available in 16 EU countries. You don't need to register to visit the site and search for information, but we recommend that you create a profile in order to filter your search and select the scholarships that best suit your preferences. You can also select the country you wish to study in and provide a brief description of the country (country form, quality of life, cost of living, subsidies, etc.).

The main tabs on the page are very clear in their function: 'Scholarships', 'Grants and Loans', 'Overview of Funding Options' and 'Funding Advice'. The site not only offers advice on studying abroad, but also helps you apply for grants in your home country. However, the most useful tab is probably the 'How to Apply' tab. Many students are already familiar with student loans, but often don't know how to apply for a grant. In this section you can find a wealth of relevant information in the form of articles written by experts.

The website is available in English, French, Italian and Spanish and is very successful in EU countries. Therefore, if you need a grant in order to continue your studies in law, medicine, aeronautical engineering or any other field in Spain or in another European country, there is no reason why you should not know how to apply.