Scholarships 2026
Scholarships and tuition discounts in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Merit awards, discounts and exchange grants that international students can actually get, explained by advisers who place students every year.
Scholarships in Bosnia for international students are mostly partial tuition discounts awarded by the universities themselves. Full scholarships for a whole degree exist, but they are rare and tied to the university's own scholarship test.
- Most common award: partial, about 10% to 50% of tuition
- Full scholarships: rare, mostly via university scholarship tests
- IUS: up to 100% plus a 10% sibling scholarship
- Burch: average scholarship around 50%
- SSST: partial or full, with the MET Foundation
- Exchange funding: Erasmus+ and CEEPUS
- Lowest tuition without any award: from €1,534 a year
- Exchange rate: 1 € = 1.95583 KM, fixed
Last updated: 20 October 2026 · Study in Bosnia editorial team
Scholarships in Bosnia for international students: the short answer
Scholarships in Bosnia for international students do exist, but most of them are tuition discounts rather than money paid to you. The three English-speaking private universities in Sarajevo run their own merit scholarships, a Türkiye-funded programme supports double-diploma students at the International University of Sarajevo, and Erasmus+ and CEEPUS fund exchange semesters. Fully funded degree scholarships are the exception.
That sounds sobering, but the starting point matters. Tuition in Bosnia and Herzegovina is already low by European standards. Data Science and AI in English at the University of Sarajevo costs about €1,534 a year, and Medicine in English at the University of East Sarajevo in Foča costs €3,500 a year. A 50% scholarship at a private university often lands you at roughly the same price a public university charges without one. For the full price list, see our guide to tuition fees in Bosnia.
Which kinds of funding exist in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Funding for students in Bosnia falls into four groups: university merit scholarships, small automatic discounts, donor-funded programmes and exchange grants. The table shows who each one is for and what it usually covers.
| Type of funding | Who it is for | What it covers | Typical value |
|---|---|---|---|
| University merit scholarship | New degree students at private English-taught universities | Part or all of the tuition fee | Usually 25% to 50%, up to 100% for top results |
| Sibling scholarship | A new student whose brother or sister already studies at the same university | Tuition | 10% at IUS |
| Full-payment discount | Students who pay the whole academic year up front | Tuition | 5% at IUS |
| Need-based support | Students hit by a death in the family, a natural disaster or similar hardship | Tuition, decided case by case | Varies |
| YTB support (Türkiye) | IUS double-diploma students in the years spent in Türkiye | Dormitory, monthly stipend, health insurance, one return flight | Living costs for 2 to 3 years |
| Erasmus+ exchange | Students enrolled at a partner university abroad | Tuition waived at the host, monthly grant | One or two semesters |
| CEEPUS exchange | Students from CEEPUS member countries in Central and South-East Europe | Monthly scholarship paid by the host side | One semester or shorter stays |
Percentages describe the published scholarship schemes of each university for 2026. The exact award is set individually.
Scholarships in Bosnia for international students, programme by programme
The programmes below are the ones currently running that an international student can realistically aim for. Each block explains who it is for, what it covers, the usual amount and how to approach it.
International University of Sarajevo (IUS) scholarshipsMerit, sibling and hardship awards · up to 100%+
- Who
- New bachelor students; transfer students can be considered on their previous GPA
- What it covers
- Tuition for the degree programme
- Typical amount
- Partial awards are the norm; 100% for the strongest results; 10% sibling scholarship; 5% for paying the full year up front
- Duration
- Bachelor scholarships are guaranteed for five years
IUS awards its merit scholarships on the results of its own scholarship test. A full scholarship is kept as long as you hold a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00; below that it drops to 75% for the rest of the degree. Tuition at IUS runs from €5,400 to €6,600 a year for bachelor programmes, so a 50% award brings a degree down to roughly €2,700 to €3,300 a year.
How to approach it: tell us early that you want to be considered, so the scholarship test is planned alongside your study place. Some of the schemes on the IUS list are aimed at students from Bosnia and the region, so we confirm which ones apply to your passport before you count on them.
International Burch University scholarshipsScholarship exam · average award around 50%+
- Who
- New degree students who sit the Burch scholarship exam
- What it covers
- A share of tuition
- Typical amount
- Burch puts its average scholarship at 50%
Bachelor tuition for international students at International Burch University is about 10,000 KM a year, roughly €5,100. A 50% award brings that to around €2,550, which is a strong price for a fully English-taught degree in Sarajevo. Dentistry, Film and Video Production and Game and Interaction Design are priced at €10,000 a year, so the same percentage saves far more there.
How to approach it: ask for the scholarship exam together with your application and prepare for it like a real exam. The award depends on your result, not on your nationality.
SSST and MET Foundation scholarshipsPartial or full · yearly or for the whole programme+
- Who
- Excellent new applicants and current students with strong grades
- What it covers
- Part or all of the tuition, for one year or the full programme
- Typical amount
- Partial in most cases; full awards depend on available funds
The Sarajevo School of Science and Technology funds scholarships together with the MET Foundation. Awards are reviewed every year, so strong grades during your studies keep or raise the discount. SSST also offers financial aid for students with a documented need, and student loans through Bosnian banks with repayment after graduation. The loans are built around local residents, so we check your eligibility before you rely on one.
For context: non-Bosnian students pay €8,000 a year for Computer Science, Economics or Political Science and €13,200 for Medicine, Dentistry or Pharmacy. Even a 25% award on the medical programme is worth €3,300 a year.
YTB double-diploma support at IUSFunded by Türkiye · dorm, stipend, insurance, flight+
- Who
- IUS double-diploma students: Bosnian citizens and international students other than Turkish citizens
- What it covers
- State dormitory, monthly stipend, health insurance and one return flight
- When
- Years 3 and 4 in Türkiye; for Medicine and Dental Medicine years 4 to 6
- Language
- Turkish A2 before leaving IUS, B1 before graduation
This is the closest thing to a fully funded package connected to Bosnia. You start at IUS in Sarajevo and finish at a partner university in Istanbul, such as Istanbul Technical University, Marmara University, Istanbul University or the University of Health Sciences. The YTB support covers living costs in Türkiye; tuition at IUS can be reduced separately through the IUS scholarship test. Places are limited.
How to approach it: start Turkish in your first year. Students who leave the language until year three are the ones who miss out.
Erasmus+ exchange to Bosnian universitiesFor students enrolled at a partner university abroad+
- Who
- Students already enrolled at a university with an Erasmus+ agreement with a Bosnian university
- What it covers
- No tuition at the host university, plus a monthly grant from the sending side
- Duration
- Usually one semester, sometimes a full year
Erasmus+ is the largest source of incoming students. In the summer semester of 2025/2026 alone, the University of Sarajevo hosted 60 foreign students from 35 partner universities in 16 countries, from Finland and the Netherlands to Georgia and Türkiye. IUS and many other Bosnian universities run Erasmus+ partnerships of their own.
How to approach it: Erasmus+ is not a route to a full degree. It works if you study elsewhere and want a semester in Sarajevo or Mostar. Ask your own international office which Bosnian partners it has.
CEEPUS scholarshipsGovernment-funded exchange in Central and South-East Europe+
- Who
- Students and teachers from CEEPUS member countries such as Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania and Slovenia, inside a CEEPUS university network
- What it covers
- A monthly scholarship for the stay, paid by the host country's education ministries
- Duration
- Short stays up to one semester
Bosnia and Herzegovina has taken part in CEEPUS since 2007. The Ministry of Civil Affairs coordinates the programme, and the entity education ministries pay the scholarships for incoming students and teachers. In 2021/2022, 111 incoming students and teachers held a CEEPUS scholarship in Bosnia.
How to approach it: like Erasmus+, CEEPUS funds mobility, not a whole degree. It suits students from the region who want a research stay or a semester at a Bosnian faculty.
Bosnia government scholarship: what actually exists
A Bosnia government scholarship for a full degree is not the usual route for international students. Government money for incoming students in Bosnia flows mainly through CEEPUS and through the roughly 27 bilateral higher-education agreements the country has signed, which are mostly used for exchanges between universities.
The government money that more often pays for a degree in Bosnia comes from your own country. Several governments in the Gulf, North Africa and Central Asia fund study abroad, and Türkiye funds the YTB package described above. If your government runs a study-abroad scholarship, check two things before you apply: that the programme accepts universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that the university you choose is state-accredited. Our article on non-accredited universities in Bosnia explains why the second point decides everything.
Employers and foundations are the third source. Hospitals in some countries sponsor nursing and medical students in exchange for a work commitment, and private foundations fund individual students. These awards are small in number but worth asking about at home.
Tuition discount Bosnia: the savings you can control
The biggest tuition discount in Bosnia is the one you choose yourself: the gap between universities. The same subject in English can cost three or four times as much depending on where you study. Medicine is the clearest example.
| University | Medicine in English, per year | Six years of tuition |
|---|---|---|
| University of East Sarajevo (Foča) | €3,500 | €21,000 |
| University of Banja Luka | €4,500 | €27,000 |
| University of Sarajevo | €6,135 | €36,810 |
| University of Mostar | €9,000 | €54,000 |
| SSST | €13,200 | €79,200 |
| IUS | €13,750 | €82,500 |
A student who picks Foča over the most expensive option saves more than €60,000 in tuition without a single scholarship application. That is more than almost any merit award will ever be worth. If Medicine is your goal, our sister company Medschool Experts compares the medical programmes in Bosnia and Herzegovina in more detail.
Three smaller levers add up too:
- Paying the year in one go. IUS lists a 5% reduction for paying the full year before the autumn semester; on €6,600 that is €330.
- Siblings. If a brother or sister already studies at IUS, the newcomer gets 10%.
- The city. Living costs in Foča, Bihać or Zenica run about €100 to €200 a month below Sarajevo. Over a five-year degree that is €6,000 to €12,000. See our cost of living in Sarajevo guide and the best student cities in Bosnia.
What to expect: realistic odds for a study in Bosnia scholarship
A study in Bosnia scholarship is realistic as a partial discount and unusual as a full ride. Most international students who receive an award get between 10% and 50% off tuition, and the award is renewed each year as long as their grades stay good.
Here is what we see when we place students every year:
- Full scholarships go to a small number of students with outstanding test results. Expect them to be the exception in any intake.
- Partial merit awards at the private universities are common for students who take the scholarship test seriously.
- For Medicine and Dentistry, choosing the right university saves far more than any discount. Whether a merit scheme applies to a medical programme is decided per university and per intake, so we confirm it for yours.
- Public universities set fixed fees for international students. Their price is the discount.
- Scholarships cover tuition. Rent, food and the residence permit stay with you, so budget €400 to €750 a month. Our student visa guide lists the permit costs.
How to approach a scholarship in Bosnia, in general terms
Scholarship schemes differ by university. Pick the programme and city that fit you, then look at the awards it offers.
Merit awards are tied to the start of the academic year and are not handed out later in the degree.
Where a university uses a test, your result sets the percentage. A few weeks of practice pays for itself.
Most awards are renewed yearly on your GPA. A good first year protects the next four or five.
We check which schemes apply to your passport and programme before you apply, and we put the expected fee in writing. Start with the university finder or our complete guide to studying in Bosnia.
FAQ: scholarships in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Are there fully funded scholarships in Bosnia for international students?
Yes, but they are rare. IUS awards up to 100% of tuition to students with top results in its scholarship test, and the YTB programme covers dormitory, stipend, insurance and a flight for IUS double-diploma students during their years in Türkiye. Most students receive partial awards instead.
How much is a typical scholarship at a Bosnian university?
Most awards cover between 10% and 50% of tuition. Burch puts its average scholarship at 50%, and IUS adds a 10% sibling scholarship and 5% off for paying the full year at once. On a €5,000 to €6,600 bachelor fee, that means savings of roughly €500 to €3,300 a year.
Is there a Bosnia government scholarship for foreign students?
Government funding for incoming students runs mainly through CEEPUS and university exchange agreements, which fund stays of up to a semester. For a full degree, scholarships usually come from the student's own government, from Türkiye through the YTB programme, or from the universities themselves.
Can I get Erasmus+ funding to study in Bosnia?
Yes, if you are already enrolled at a university with an Erasmus+ agreement with a Bosnian university. You pay no tuition at the host and receive a monthly grant from the sending side. Erasmus+ covers exchange semesters, not a full degree in Bosnia.
Do scholarships in Bosnia cover living costs?
University scholarships cover tuition only. Living costs of about €400 to €750 a month remain your own, depending on the city. The YTB package for IUS double-diploma students and CEEPUS scholarships are the main schemes that pay towards living costs.
Are there scholarships for Medicine in Bosnia?
The IUS double-diploma route includes YTB support for Medicine and Dental Medicine in years 4 to 6, and university merit schemes are confirmed per programme and intake. The bigger saving is the choice of university: Medicine in English costs €3,500 a year in Foča and €13,750 at IUS.
Can I keep my scholarship for the whole degree?
Usually yes, if your grades stay good. IUS guarantees bachelor scholarships for five years; a 100% award needs a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 and otherwise drops to 75%. SSST reviews its awards every year.
Related guides
Every English-taught fee in euro, university by university.
Where the cheaper fee is, and what the private universities add.
Rent, food and transport in real monthly numbers.
How a Bosnian degree is recognised in the EU, UK, USA and beyond.