Sweden Will Pay for Your Master's Abroad: How the SI Scholarship Works and the One Step You Can't Skip

Many international students who want to study abroad stop at the application stage because they worry about funding.  How will I pay for my application fees or tuition fees?  As you read this, what if we told you Sweden has an answer to your funding worries?

The Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals is one of the most generous scholarships for master's students anywhere. It covers full tuition, provides a monthly living allowance, and pays part of your travel to Sweden. But to compete, you must first complete your university application, which includes a SEK 900 application fee that catches many applicants off guard.

Here's how the whole process works, step by step.

What the SI Scholarship covers

The Swedish Institute (SI) is a Swedish government agency. Its Scholarship for Global Professionals supports students from eligible countries who want to complete a master's degree in Sweden and build their leadership skills. Recipients get:

·         Full tuition, paid by SI directly to your Swedish university each semester

·         A living allowance of SEK 12,000 per month

·         A one-time travel grant of SEK 15,000

·         A place in the SI Network for Future Global Leaders, a professional network that runs alongside your studies

For a two-year master's, this covers two years of tuition and living costs.

Who can apply

The scholarship is open to citizens of a specific list of eligible countries, which includes Nigeria and Kenya. Not every country is on the list, so check the current call on the Swedish Institute website before you start.

You also need:

·         Work and leadership experience. SI asks every applicant for a Proof of Work and Leadership Experience form.

·         Liability for tuition fees in Sweden. The scholarship is for students who would otherwise have to pay tuition, which generally means citizens of countries outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland.

·         An application to an eligible master's program, made through University Admissions in Sweden.

Step 1: Apply to your master's program

You can't apply for the SI Scholarship on its own. First, you apply to your master's program through University Admissions in Sweden, the national application service for Swedish universities.

For programs starting in autumn 2027, the key dates are:

·         Applications open: October 16, 2026

·         Application deadline: January 15, 2027

·         Fee and supporting documents deadline: February 1, 2027

·         Master's admission results: April 1, 2027

When you apply, you get an eight-digit personal application number. Keep it safe. You'll need it for your SI Scholarship application, and an SI application with the wrong number is disqualified.

Step 2: Pay your SEK 900 application fee

Here's where many strong applicants stumble. Most applicants who aren't citizens of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland must pay a SEK 900 application fee. University Admissions doesn't review your application until the fee is paid.

A few things to know about the fee:

·         It's paid once per semester. One SEK 900 payment covers every program you apply to for that semester.

·         It must arrive by the deadline. For autumn 2027, that's February 1, 2027. A late payment changes your application to "late," and the university considers late applications only if it still has places and chooses to review them.

·         Card is the fastest method. University Admissions recommends paying by card on its website. The university accepts bank transfers, but they take longer.

See the official fee instructions here.

Why payments fail, and how Radius helps

The fee is charged in Swedish kronor. For many students in emerging economies, that's where things go wrong. Local cards get declined for international payments. Spending limits are too low. Bank transfers sit in processing for days as the deadline approaches.

Radius was built for exactly this. We pay your Sweden application fee for you, by card or bank transfer, delivered the same day. Here's how it works:

1.    Download the Radius World app at onelink.to/withradius.com and create your account.

2.    Go to Payments and choose the application fee option.

3.    Enter your University Admissions details, then pay in your local currency.

4.    We send your SEK 900 to University Admissions the same day.

Your application moves forward, and your scholarship chances stay intact.

Step 3: Apply for the SI Scholarship

With your university application in and your fee paid, you can apply for the scholarship itself using your application number. SI publishes its own application window, the list of eligible programs and the current list of eligible countries on its scholarship page. Read the full call before you apply.

Don't let a payment stand between you and Sweden

The SI Scholarship is competitive, and you can't control every part of it. You can control whether your application is complete and on time.

Apply to your programs before January 15, 2027. Make sure your SEK 900 lands before February 1, 2027. If your card or bank blocks the payment, Radius will handle it for you.

Download Radius World and pay your Sweden application fee today.

Radius is a payments platform for international students. We're not affiliated with the Swedish Institute or University Admissions in Sweden, and we don't award scholarships. Always confirm current requirements on the official websites linked above.